by | Oct 17, 2024

A fresh interdisciplinary examination of social change organisations and social change makers

In this overview of recently published book Organising for Change: Social Change Makers and Social Change Organisations, authors Silke Roth, Professor of Sociology at University of Southampton and Clare Saunders, Head of Department, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall introduce the key themes and back story to how this came about.

We have recently written an interdisciplinary book called Organising for Change: Social Change Makers and Social Change Organisations (Bristol University Press) in which we draw on research projects that we conducted in the last 30 years together and separately. During our research, we became increasingly frustrated with the siloing of third sector organisations, non-governmental organisations, and social movement organisations in separate literatures. To redress our frustrations, we developed the concepts of social change organisations (SCOs) and social change makers (SCMs).  

SCOs are the organisations engaged in any combination of advocacy, protest and service delivery to promote or resist social change. SCMs are the individuals who participate in them. These concepts allow us to interweave literatures hitherto relatively disconnected. We argue that SCOs have a crucial role in shaping modern societies increasingly characterised by polarisation around social and political issues in the context of existential crises related to political conflicts, climate change, and poverty. Our book provides an optimistic account of affordances of different ways of organising for change, recognising the importance of multi-pronged approaches.

Although we prefer to write about progressive SCOs, we also touch upon other types of organisations. Think, for example, about conflicts around the rights of LGBTQI+ people. Some SCOs believe that LGBTQI+ people should have the same rights as heterosexuals, while others seek to defend the ‘traditional’ family. The book shows the ways in which interactions among different types of SCOs shape not only other SCOs but also broader historical contexts and the lives of SCMs.

What do SCOs do?

Our book provides a clear account of the tactics and implications of SCOs. Some provide services, perhaps supporting needy individuals and communities with food, shelter, or medical attention. Others teach people languages, employment skills or knowledge of their rights. Knowledge production is very important for SCOs and SCMs, benefitting group members and their constituencies, and influencing policy makers and stakeholders. Service provision and advocacy are peaceful strategies often lacking news exposure. The book reminds us that, despite their relative invisibility, these tactics are highly political. Engaging in such actions alerts SCMs to the root causes of problems being redressed. A more overtly political strategy is mobilising demonstrations, street protests and vigils in which large numbers of protestors come together to express themselves. Mostly, these public gatherings are peaceful, sometimes they include disruption like blockades and sabotage.

How are SCOs organised?

Our book illustrates that SCOs with very different remits from each other can be similar in size and shape, and face similar organisational dilemmas, even though, overall, there is a wide range of diversity. Whatever their preferred tactics they might include only a small number of SCMs who meet at the local level – for example a neighbourhood group seeking to defend a local social service – or be a huge professional organisation – perhaps working globally for human rights. SCO membership might be formal or informal. Large SCOs – like the National Trust which has thousands of dues paying members – have annual membership assemblies in which decisions are made. Other, usually smaller organisations, are characterised by flat or horizontal decision making processes. Most SCOs make use of social media. They have a website and social media channels that inform about the aims and activities of the SCO and how to support and participate in them. Members might communicate online or in-person, this means that while digital communication is important, it is hybrid rather than online only.

Are SCOs a new phenomenon?

The historical approach employed by the book illustrates that SCOs have been around for centuries. What’s new is the book’s emphasis on commonalities rather than differences across varieties of SCOs. This is important because SCOs are in constant contact with one another – they might collaborate and form coalitions, they might compete for funding and supporters, or they might oppose each other. They might agree on the aims and goals, but not on the strategy. Furthermore, the SCMs engaged in SCOs might be engaged in multiple SCOs simultaneously or successively. They might be the paid employee in one SCO, are active as a volunteer of another SCO, and support further SCOs through donations or through participating in street demonstrations.

You can hear more about social change makers and social change organisations in this webinar and read about them in our book.

Silke Roth, Professor of Sociology at University of Southampton and Clare Saunders, Head of Department, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall

Emma Boyd

Emma Boyd is the Head of Marketing and Communications at SMK

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