Strategies for Control Dissent of Social Movements - Essay Example

This therefore means that, the social movements should devise sound strategies to deal with dissent. The section that follows, gives detailed information on the strategies used to fight dissent. Transforming Perceptions of the History This strategy works well during the early days of social movements. At this time, the target audience have little information of existence of problems in the past. In addition, the social movement at this stage is not very vibrant and bold in its approach to solving the existing problems (Charles 302).

Moreover, the group lays a lot of hopes in future. Various institutions such as social and professional unions, religious organization, labor unions, and mass media help to complement the efforts of social movements. Other partners include schools, courts, and government. These institutions sensitize people to search for ways to fight the challenges at hand. At the same time, the institutions plead to society to bury the past and forge for better ways to deal with the situational demands. It is a workable strategy that aims to make the audiences to forget the past, and encourages them to challenge their current situations with a lot of zeal.

This makes the audiences focus on the current situational demand. Transforming perception of history strategy strengthens the audience to resist boldly the forces of those who long for the past way of living. Such a group lives in the past and it will always think of how things could have been better at that time. This makes them to lose the grip with the current situation. They do little to challenge the present. Transforming the perception of history helps the audiences to stand strong to those who are afraid of changes.

Some members of the society associate the current achievements with the past (Charles 302). They fear that, positive societal changes may be so much that their enemy takes them back to their old way of living. The strategy shifts the minds of audiences and they focus on the same direction; to fight unpleasing changes or call for changes. It seeks to unite different social movements through winning members and advocating for same grievances and solutions as a whole. Transforming the Perceptions of the Society Strategy This is a prudent strategy because it informs the audience of the importance of societal changes.

This strategy endeavours to transform the perception of audience on the opposition forces. Some society members view that it is a waste of time and resources to wage an opposition on either government or those in authority. Charles (304) perceives that the role of this strategy is to revitalize the way movements should respond to opposing forces. This strategy seeks to make the audience and other social groups with different ideologies to see the sense of opposition groups. The social movements acknowledge that it is only through these eye-opening forums that the society knows what is afflicting their life.

They also see the evident gaps that were inconspicuous before. The overall effects of such interventions are strong social movements. It also makes the social movement gain recognition. The grievances of the members undoubtedly receive the right attention with a lasting solution. Moreover, the society realizes the value that the social movements possess. This helps social movements to gain confidence in their pursuit for meaningful changes that accommodate the needs of every member in the society.

The audience realizes that they are human beings and it