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Political Process and the 1989 Chinese Student Movement

NCJ Number
138878
Journal
Studies in Conflict and Terrorism Volume: 15 Issue: 3 Dated: (July- September 1992) Pages: 169-184
Author(s)
J Smith; R Pagnucco
Date Published
1992
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This article analyzes the 1989 Chinese student movement in Beijing through the use of the political process model that was used by Doug McAdam (1982) in his study of the U.S. civil rights movement.
Abstract
McAdam's political process model attempts to answer questions about the timing of movement activity and the reasons for the participation of particular actors, in part by examining the various power relationships in a society and the changes in those relationships over time. The model also holds that the ability of a group of potential challengers to act collectively to alter the situation varies over time, regardless of whether or not dominant groups' positions are relatively weak or vulnerable. The model identifies three primary variables that are important in explaining the emergence and development of a social movement. The first variable is the structure of political opportunities, or "the political alignment of groups within the larger political environment." The second is the degree of organization among a disgruntled population. The third variable is the development of cognitive liberation, or the perception among the aggrieved population that its chances for successfully altering its conditions through collective action are relatively good. These variables are examined in relation to the 1989 Chinese context. The Foreign Broadcast Information Service Daily Report from April, May, and early June 1989 are used as the primary sources of data on the Chinese student movement. Although the authors recommend some modifications in McAdam's model for the Chinese context, they find that the model's central elements are essentially useful in explaining the emergence, development, and basic outcomes of this social movement. 64 notes

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