Sociology 432: Social Movements

This is the story of a community movement that failed. It is important to us for several reasons. First, it is one of our only examples of a community-based movement. In fact, such movements -- to protect neighborhoods from highways, overdevelopment, rezoning, etc. -- have become more widespread in the last couple of decades. Local movements to prevent the Inter-County Connector in Montgomery County and the new Redskins stadium in Bowie (which, of course, failed) are good examples of this type of movement. Many of the details of the Poletown movement are typical: a struggle among neighbors and friends against city bureaucracies and planning experts who have little sympathy with the emotional ties that connect families to a particular city neighborhood.

Second, it is one of our few examples of a movement that failed . One of our main goals is to analyze what are the determinants of success and failure of social movements. As you're watching, try to figure out what were the factors that explain why this movement failed. Under what conditions could we expect a neighborhood movement to be more successful? Also, what tactics might have proved more successful, even under these conditions?

This brings us to our third, and most immediate focus: tactics . Your job is to analyze the tactics that the neighborhood took and make recommendations about what they could have done differently that might have been more successful. The following might be helpful considerations:

• Make a list of the tactics that the neighborhood actually used to protect their community.
• How did these tactics vary over time? Is there evidence of a cycle of protest?
• What allies did the neighborhood make in its struggle?
• What role did the government play in the dispute between GM and the Poletown neighbors?
• Was the neighborhood doomed to failure; that is, were they bound to lose no matter what tactics they used?