Social Movements - Essay Example

Christian Patriots Social Movements Social Movement Many social movements have occurred throughout the history of the United States (Christiansen, 2009). Some decades have seen more action as uprisings have drawn attention to a specific group or unethical treatment of a situation. Abolitionism, Women’s Suffrage, Prohibition, Gay Rights, and other movements have shaped the country into what is experienced by individuals on a daily basis. The United States is not the only country that has experienced social movements.

Wars have occurred because of an idea being forced onto a group of people who resisted the scheme of being forced into acceptance of the proposal. Each continent has experienced social movement through events like the Apartheid in South Africa, Arab-Isreali tensions in the Middle East, Tiananmen Square in Asia, the drug cartel in South America, and political elections in Europe. Christian Patriots are considered God-fearing, anarchistic, fanatical individuals who willingly attest to trying to change societal thinking about controversial topics like pornography, prostitution, abortion, and government (Aho, 2006).

The actions or reactions of this group has initiated several social movements over several decades. One group in Idaho received national attention with the explosion of a bomb. The Klu Klux Klan insurgency in 1920 was considered to be a Christian Patriot groups harassing individuals who did not have the same beliefs or skin color (Aho, 2006). Article/Book Chapter Citation The Christian Patriots are a group of individuals who carry a firm belief in right and wrong. While this can be an asset for one who is religious, it can also be a detriment when those beliefs are forced onto others who are not as staunch a believer, or have not fully embraced the beliefs and values expected or to the same degree as other members of the group (Christiansen, 2009).

Members of the Christian Patriots group are expected to participate in the reformation of the world, “in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord” (Aho, 2006, 81). In so doing, those who follow this religion are paving the way for Christ to touch the hearts of any non-believers. Christian Patriots are expected to vocalize their beliefs to anyone within earshot of their voice. Some have even gone so far as to create a disturbance to have their views heard by others. Not all members of this religion are as boisterous.

The individuals who use court actions and lawsuits to establish their views are just as powerful as those who refuse to acknowledge the statutes and laws that govern everyone in a community (Aho, 2006). Police have arrested Christian Patriot members and broken up church services that were being held unlawfully. Ministers have gone to jail for refusal to conduct church according to the rules of the region. Even some of the current laws are not recognized by this group, as they refuse to believe any law that was established after the original Constitution and The Bill of Rights.

Members of the Christian Patriot group have even gone so far as to initiate armed resistance toward the local government because the individual’s desired action was against the law (Aho, 2006)..Core Argument or ThesisThe nature of this article provides the opportunity to discover the driving force behind the actions or reactions of Christian Patriots across the United States. The argument that religious convictions and economic standings impact the progression and relentless attempts of those members involved in this sect to convert other people to a righteous way of living (Aho, 2006).

Another view of this study includes the unlawful actions of the Christian Patriot members who claim that current statutes and laws inhibit personal God-given rights, that must be expunged through any means necessary. This belief has promoted the use of force, lawsuits, and blatant disregard for the governing laws. Literature ReviewResearch studies (Christiansen, 2009) conducted to further understand the social movement process has uncovered four distinct steps of progress that occur during the event (Christiansen, 2009).

The first is emergence where the idea is being formed and organization is limited. The second is coalescence of the idea between community members who agree that an injustice is being done, or a situation has occurred that needs attention. The third is Bureaucratization, which usually involves political powers to encourage the progression of the event. The fourth stage is decline, but does not mean failure to attract the necessary attention to create change (Christiansen, 2009). Research DesignThe research design used for this study is a qualitative phenomenological design.

This design is appropriate because the close scrutiny of the lived experiences of the Christian Patriot members is the focus of the study. The phenomenological aspect of the design is used to allow individuals to provide a litany of events that were experienced first-hand (Creswell, 2011). The events may have an action that caused the reaction of the Christian Patriot member or members. By talking with each Christian Patriot individually, the story behind the actions comes to life through the emotions, body language, and facial expressions of the person reliving the experience through the elucidative process.

Because of the strong beliefs of this religious group, saturation of the themes in this study emerge very rapidly as individuals mimic the responses of others (Creswell, 2011).DataThe data that were collected included the lived experiences of individuals who embrace the Christian Patriot’s way of life. Through active living to try to change the world, actions and reactions portray the parameters of each stakeholders participation in the event. Other data is not specific in identifying the causes that influence individuals to join Christian Patriot groups.

The continuing theme from the data collected was each person’s conviction that righteousness was the driving force for any actions or reactions that may have occurred (Aho, 2006). The Klu Klux Klan, American Protection Association, and the National Union for Social Justice were groups included in this comparison of collected data (Aho, 2006).ConclusionOrganized religion is the backbone of the United States. It is actually the reason why the settlers came from England. Many wars have been fought in the name of religion.

The Crusades, Gaza Strip, Regional Wars, and many other social movements have all started because of an idea about God. Even the Spaniards brought Catholicism to the South American continent and forced their beliefs upon a people who could not even speak their language. In the history of Religion, several faiths have sprung up and even maintained membership across the world. Kings have killed in the name of religion, died in the belief that what they were fighting for was God’s will. The Christian Patriots are no different, the only barrier is they are not rulers, and the times have changed.

ReferencesAho, James. A. “Christian Patriots,” in Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper, eds. The Social Movements Reader: Cases and Concepts (Boston: Blackwell Publishing, 2006) 81-88.Christiansen, Johathan. “Four Stages of Social Movements: Social Movements & Collective Behavior.” EBSCO Research Starters, (2009) 1-7. Retrieved May 24, 2012 from http://www.ebscohost.com/uploads/imported/thisTopic-dbTopic-1248.pdf Creswell, John. Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. (4th ed.).

(Boston: Pearson, 2011) 75-97.