5.1 INTRODUCTION:
Social action is a way of meeting mass social problems. It could be briefly defined as mass attack on mass social problems. In this type of social work the entire community or as large a number of members as possible-are made aware of any mass or social pathological problem eating at the vitals of the society. After this awareness is created, the social worker enlists the support of maintain to change the situation through social reform and collective action on suitable legislative measure. "A stitch in time saves nine" is adages which still inspire the social worker in the social action process. Thus, might from the social worker's beginning when the social worker sends a problem and takes upon himself communication of his awareness to the mass, rouse them to collective or legislative activity, continuing in its enforcement; the social worker helps the community to meet its problems which have assumed grave and massive proportions.
It coordinates effort of a group to effect concrete changes toward a greater measure of justice in society. Modern papal society thought emphasizes that social reconstruction requires both the reform of social institutions; within this context social action refers logically to the second requirement. In reality however, the two mandates are not conceived as separable but as simultaneously necessary and mutually interdependent. Institutionalized injustice commonly produces large scale misery and human degradation, and in the resulting environments the practice of virtue may become practically impossible. On the other hand, the prevalence of avarice moral indolence and the passion for power can thwart the institutional changes needed to protect and advance human dignity and freedom.
Mary Richmond was the first social worker and writer who used the word 'social action' in 1922, it could not get due place among the methods of social work but it has received much attention in the developing countries.” In developing countries, social- action is crucial and must precede social work. It is wasteful in a developing country to start with social work and leave social action behind. Social action ... creates the necessary conditions and climate in which social work could be done more effectively".
5.2 MEANING OF SOCIAL ACTION:
Social action should be seen as an endeavor to bring about or prevent change in the social system through a process of making people aware of the socio-political and economic realities conditioning their lives and by mobilizing them to organize themselves for bringing about the desired change, or to prevent the change that adversely affects them, through the use of whatever strategies they may find workable, With the exception of violence.
Social action is a conflictual process of varying intensity, initiated and conducted by the masses or by a group of elites, with or without the participation of the masses in the action against the structures or institutions or policies or programmes or procedures of the government and/or relevant agencies and/or power groups to eradicate/control any mass socio-economics political problem with a view to bringing betterment to any section of the underprivileged at a level larger than that of a sociologically defined community.
Social action is one of the secondary methods of social work. It is one of the models of community organization. It is an organized effort to change or improve social and economic institutions. It is an organized group effort to solve mass problem. Social action is an organized and legally permitted activity and it is a mass approach.
There could be many more meaning, which could be attributed to the concept of social action. From the above statements it could be agreed that social action involves an effort made by a group of people in tackling a problem or an unmet need which need to ensure legally permitted means as far as possible.
Social action is to bring basic changes in major situations and organizing segment of the population that is not so well off to make demands on the larger community for increased resources or treatment, more in accordance with social justice and democracy for the redistribution of power, resources and decision-making. The radical meaning social action states that let us organize to destroy our oppressors.
SOCIAL ACTION AS A METHOD OF SOCIAL WORK:
Previously Social Action was considered as a tool within the field of community organization, but now it has been consider as a separate technique of social work and as such a fourth process.
Social Action is a logical outgrowth of the fundamental belief of the social work profession. The records of case work agencies, for example, abound with illustrations of problems of the clients which are due to external conditions beyond the ability of the individual or of the agency to modify. In the face of such obstacles, individualized services must be supplemented with social action to meet the problem.
Social action is a comparatively new addition to the list of methods of professional social work. Although social action has been used in other fields as well, such as the field of social reform and of political movements, transfer of power, this chapter limits its observations by and large, to the specific area covered by profession. In doing so, its concerns are with two important social ideas and institutions of our times, namely, welfare and development which constitute two specific denominations of social work practice. A word before that about the meaning of the two concepts. By welfare we refer to the entire package of services social and economic, that deal with income support, welfare provisions and social security on the one hand and with the whole range of social services on the other.
All the helping activities approaches, social services, and institutional innovations that are found in the developing nations today have been introduced through the method of development. Whereas development has thus been the main level of change in the new nations. Welfare, a built in mechanism of the developed world is also concerned with social change, through it expresses such concern merely by reviewing and reorganizing the structure of the welfare institution. Social action is the method that helps to bring in these changes.
Both development and welfare, some observers believe thus depend solely on social action for the realization of their aims. They of course use other methods as well, but turn to social action more liberally than to any other. Development and welfare, therefore, provide today two key concepts of professional social work. The principal method that they use namely the method of social action aims at making the programmes of development and welfare more functional for their respective clientele than any other methods could do.
5.3 DEFINITION:
RICHMOND MARY. (1922)
Social action is "mass betterment through propaganda and social legislation.”
LEE, PORTER R R. (1937)
Social action seems to suggest efforts directed toward changes in law or social structure or toward the initiation of new movements for the modification of current social practices.
COYLE, GRACE L. (1937)
Social action is "the attempt to change the social environment in ways which ... will make life more satisfactory. It aims to affect not individuals but social institutions, laws, customs, communities.”
FITCH, JOHN. (1940)
Social action is legally permissible action by a group (or by an individual trying to promote group action) for the purpose of furthering objectives that are both legal and socially desirable.
HILL, JOHN L. (1951)
Social action might be described as organized group effort to solve mass social problems or to further socially desirable objectives by attempting to influence basic social and economic conditions or practices.
WICKENDON, E. (1956)
Social action is a term applied to that aspect of organized social welfare activity directed towards shaping, modifying or maintaining the social institution and policies that collectively constitute the social environment.
SOLENDER, S. (1957)
Social action in the field of social work is a process of individual, group or inter-group endeavour, within the context of social work philosophy, knowledge, and skill. Its objective is to enhance the welfare of society through modifying social policy and the functioning of social structure, working to obtain new progress and services.
FRIEDLANDER, W.A. (1963)
Social action is an individual, group or community effort, within the framework of social work philosophy and practice that aims to achieve social progress, to modify social policies and to improve social legislation and health and welfare services.
NANAVATI, M.C. (1965)
Social action is a process of bringing about the desired changes by deliberate group and community effort. Social action does not end with the enactment and signing of social legislation, but that the execution of policies was the real test of the success or failure of social action.
BALDWIN. (1965)
Social action as "organized effort to change social and economic institutions as distinguished from social work or social service, the fields of which do not characteristically cover essential changes in established institutions. Social action covers movements of political reform, industrial democracy, social legislation, racial and social justice, religious freedom and civil liberty; its techniques include propaganda, research and lobbying.
In short, social action is a mass approach in a most peaceful manner used for changing or modifying existing social and economic institutions which do not function properly and which made social work ineffective. Social Action implies speed.
5.4 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL ACTION:
Social action as a process of bringing about the desired change includes some of the following elements:
(i) Although action might begin with the initiative of one or more individuals, group action is essential for its fulfillment
(ii) Action has to be organized and given the shape of a movement.
(iii) Belief in social progress should form the motivation of the participants.
(iv) Action should be in accordance with the established democratic practices, within the constitutional rights of the citizen.
(v) The authority of the group arises out of the consent of its members.
(vi) The force behind social action lies in group compulsion.
In order to apply social action there are a few elements which are required as given below:
Activities by a Group or a Community
Social action can be possible only by a group and that too a pre-planned and well organized activity. No single individual can claim that he or she is practicing social action alone. He may be an instrument in initiating or organizing the community for social action.
Democratic Work
Social action process follows democratic work wherein there is no compulsion or force on anybody to take part in social action. The works initiated should be in such a way it does not affect the oppressed community.
Democratic Leadership
In the process of social action the leadership should emerge through a democratic process and common consent. No one should be forced either to participate or to lead the activities.
Agreement of Resources
The members of the community who have joined in the social action process have to decide about the material and non-material resources, which are needed for the action. The pre-planned effort is essential otherwise it might affect the process of social action.
Co-operation
The co-operation and participation of the community is absolutely essential as it involves the group effort. The co-ordination of different groups to solicit their support in dealing with any problem has to be ensured.
5.5 OBJECTIVES OF SOCIAL ACTION:
The objective of social action is the proper shaping and development of socio-cultural environment in which a richer and fuller life may be possible for all the citizens.
The objectives of social action are to mobilize public opinion, to create public pressure, to promote legislation; to change and modify the malfunctioning of the social and economic institution without physical coercion or violence.
The social action process has to be based on the felt needs of the community. The felt needs of the community have to be derived from social justice and natural law.
This principle emphasizes a kind of legal backing for any action initiated by the community. The people have to be aware of the action, which is initiated and decided by the community, and the members are part of the action and also have an understanding of the consequences of the actions.
This dissemination of information has to be made effective so that the people understand the seriousness of action and appealing to the emotion of the community.
In the process of social action there are two major groups namely the oppressed and the oppressors. Since the social workers or the community organizers work with the oppressed and the suppressed people, they need to adopt more than one approach. These approaches may have duality in nature.
This principle it is stated that while approaching a problem it is suggested that the organizers and the people work out different strategies for a single problem. If one strategy fails or has not produced the desired result the next one is considered for action.
In social action methodology there are possibilities of introducing couple of programmes. In order to solve a problem the mass approach may also involve in introducing programmes to address the problem. While using programmes the organizers have to introduce more than one programme.
5.6 FORMS OF SOCIAL ACTION:
Brilto has identified two types of social action:
1. Action initiated and conducted by the elites for the benefit of the masses.
2. Popular social action.
He identifies three sub-models of each type of social action. In the first model he has mentioned the following types:
(a) Legislative action model: In this model elites try to modify the social policy by creating public opinion against the problems.
(b) Sanction model: The elites by gaining control over some economic, social, political or religious weapon try to obtain benefits for the society.
(c) Direct physical model: Elites take action and punish those responsible for the cause of injustice.
The second type of social action has the following three sub- models:
(a) Conscientization model based on Paulo Friere's concept of creating awareness among masses through education.
(b) Dialectical model promoting conflict to exploit the contradictions in a system, with the belief that a better system will emerge as a result.
(c) Direct mobilization whereby specific issues are taken up by the actionists and the masses are mobilized to resort to protests and strikes to achieve the objectives.
5.7 PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL ACTION:
General Principles:
(i) An existing problem has first to be recognized. It may be recognized by an individual, a group of individuals or a community.
(ii) Facts about the problem must be collected by using scientific methods of research and survey, so that the knowledge so gathered is certain, relates cause and effect, and is capable of reasonable generalization. It should not be too isolated facts which can not apply to more than few. Both in collecting facts and interpreting them, care should be taken that objective method should be used, so that the varying effect of a subjective judgment or interpretation based on emotion is avoided.
(iii) Educate the people affected by the problem or concerned with it. This has to be done not by the method of throwing facts at the people but by consultation and group discussion, so that they are participants in the process from the start. An individual responds to social action only when he understands the problem and comprehends the facts. The knowledge must become his own, resulting in an inner urge to change the situation and not merely a response to external stimulus. The problem must be his own.
(iv) The people must be convinced that the situation is remediable and that the solution is within their capacity. One of the obstacles of social action is a fatal acceptance of what is, as is. They will only agree to rebel against the condition or situation, when the educational process is within their comprehension and the change is shown to be to their advantage.
(v) The problem must be of immediate concern. People can not be enthused over remote causes. They must be directly affected by them. They must see and experience the problem, its effects and causes.
(vi) Knowledge or awareness of the need far change or to salve a problem is not the same thing as the capacity to change or salve.
(vii) Before a plan of social action is drawn up it is necessary to confer with all the people of the area or the people concerned with the problem. This eliminates or minimizes apposition. A plan of action can't be given to them readymade. It has to evolve through discussions with the people.
(viii) In working out a plan of action we have to consult not only the people immediately concerned, but others, such as technicians’ local authorities, the government, that maximum support is worked up far social action.
(ix) After the plan is worked out, organization of the campaign requires efficient administrative measures. Work has to be shared and distributed among the people. Individuals and groups must have specific jobs. They must have a time schedule and they must report progress to a central clearing office or organizing committee.
(x) The campaign must then mobilize all resources of men, money and materials.
Brito has described the following principles of social action which emerged out of the analysis of the methods used by Gandhiji to mobilize the masses during the Freedom movements.
1. PRINCIPLE OF CREOIDILITY BUILDING
It is the task of creating a public image of the leadership, the organization and the participants of the movement as champions of justice, rectitude and truth. It helps in securing due recognition from the opponent the reference-public, and the peripheral participants of the movement.
2. PRINCIPLE OF LEGITIMIZATION
Legitimization is the process of convincing the reference public and the general public that the movement objectives are morally right. The ideal would be making a case for the movement as a moral-imperative. Movement makers might use theological, philosophical, legal-technical, public opinion paths to establish the tenability of the movement's objectives.
3. PRINCIPLE OF DRAMATIZATION
Dramatization is the principle of mass mobilization by which the leaders of a movement galvanize the population into action by emotional appeal to heroism, sensational news - management, novel procedures, pungent slogans and such other techniques.
4. PRINCIPLE OF MULTIPLE STRATEGIES
There are two basic approaches to development: Conf1ictual and non-conflictual. Taking the main thrust of a programme, one can classify it as political, economic or social. Four developmental strategies have been identified by Zeltman and Duncan. These are:
(i) Education strategy
(a) Adult education
(b) Education by demonstration,
(ii) Persuasive strategy,
(iii) Facilitative strategy,
(iv) Power strategy.
5. PRINCIPLE OF DUAL APPROACH
Any activist has to build counter-systems or revive some moribund system which is thought to be beneficial to the needs of the mobilized public on a self-help basis without involving opponents. Counter system must be built up and traditional systems must be transformed or humanized in any developmental operation.
6. PRINCIPLE OF MANIFOLD PROGRAMMES
These are of three categories:
(i) Social programmes
(ii) Economic programmes
(iii) Political programmes
Sanjay Bhattacharya has identified the following principles of Social action.
(i) Activeness of Group or Community
For the success of social action, the group or community concerned should be active and conscious. Besides the group or community activeness should who planned and organized.
(ii) Democratic Working
The mode or method adopted in the process of social action should be based on democratic ideals. It is because the theory and practice of social work depend on the democratic values.
(iii) Democratic Leadership
The leadership emerged during the process of social action should be of democratic character. Leadership is not to be imposed but it should emerge through common consent.
(iv) Arrangements of Resources
Before proceeding towards the process of social action, proper consideration should be given to the material and non-material resources resources of the community concerned. Without sufficient resources, the aim of the social action could not be achieved.
(v) Co-ordination between Problem and Resources
In social action, problem should be selected only after evaluating the available resources. For it the social worker should be the pertinent literature which deals with that problem.
(vi) Co-operation
Social action can be successful only when co-operation of the community members is available. For this purpose social worker should inspire the members of participation in social action process. The social workers should also provide direction and guidance to the community members so that the problems arising from time to time can be solved.
(vii) Public Opinion
The success and failure of social action is ultimately based on public opinion, therefore newspapers, radio, television and public meetings should be utilized for the emergence of healthy public opinion.
5.8 METHODS/ MEANS OF SOCIAL ACTION:
1. Research and Collection of Data- Survey, Analysis and Assessment
As stated earlier social action is the action by the mass for a change in the social institutions. In order to reach such a state the base information collection can be a means. The people are trained to collect the information about the community, to understand the needs and problems especially in terms of its magnitude, symptoms and causes. This would enable the community to make an analysis and assessment of themselves and its importance for further action. When people come together to collect the information, the people start realizing the status and are prompted to respond to bring changes. This would be the first step for social action. Adequate information to assess the magnitude of the problem is very much needed for making any planning.
2. Planning Solution
After having collected the information the community generates different alternatives to solve the problem. Since the people are involved in collecting the basic information they are in a better position in understanding the problem and suggest different means to solve the problem. While generating the alternatives, the community also works out the blue print about tile time, personnel, money and material which is needed to solve the problem.
The people are involved to take up the responsibility and work as a team in achieving the desired objectives. At the same time one has to keep in mind for the collection of data and the planning. All the people of the community may not be interested or may not be presented in this process. Therefore, it is very essential that the collected data and plan made based on the data has to reach the whole community.
3. Meeting Key Persons, Groups and Agencies
The dissemination of the information and the plan of action can be done through contacting the key persons or the leaders of the community to get his involvement and guidance. Similarly, there are different groups in a community, which need to be taken into confidence to get their Cooperation and participation. The neighboring organization and other agencies that have got similar interest to take up the social needs and issues of the community should also be briefed about the status and the plan of action about solving the problem of the community. The key persons, the groups and the agencies will be able to support the issues in many ways to work out a solution, therefore meeting such people is essential in social action process.
4. Public Meetings, Discussion Create Public Opinion, Awareness, Education
The needs and the problems of the community, which have been identified, selected and the community has prepared a plan of action, where all the members may not have participated are not even aware of the situation. Therefore it is necessary to share the information with the community for which public meeting will be a faster and wider communication technique.
Through this meeting a discussion can also be initiated in smaller groups or the various groups which are existing within the community. This would further enable the community to know and to understand the situation. This will also prompt the members of the community to react or respond. The public meetings and the discussions will be helpful to create a public opinion about the issue and directly or indirectly a pressure is built on the oppressive forces to solve this problem. Awareness creation and educating the community is also adopted in order to bring the community to address the issue.
5. Use of Mass Media and Press Meeting for Propaganda
Though through public meetings and discussions there could be an opinion formed but at the same time in order to get the attention of others may be the nearby community, the educated, the other political parties and others, the mass media is very much used. Press meeting is called for and the issue is highlighted and brought to the attention of the wider public. This would bring in further pressure on the oppressive force for change.
6. Use of Legislation and Enforcement of Legislation
One of the ways to approach a problem is through the legislation and also for the enforcement of the legislation. When the two parties are not able to arrive at a solution both the parties can approach the law enforcing authorities to intervene. Of course one should also keep in mind the common saying that when you do not want to solve a problem go to the court. Therefore, it is always better to approach the problem through some other means than through legislation. At the same time certain issues cannot be solved other than through legislation. Sometimes the action has to be for the enforcement of the legislation.
7. Representation to the Authorities, Proposals to the Authorities
Sometimes the issues cannot be solved only by the community; it involves the intervention of the authorities or the local self-government. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to bring the issue to the attention of the authorities. A single individual cannot do this and hence the community either as a whole or through its representatives can approach the authorities with the proposals. While doing this the community should be informed and prepared well to face and accept the consequence" of the action. At times representation to the authorities is considered as an act against the authorities or it ends up as a protest against the oppressive forces and therefore the authorities through its machinery may try to disrupt this process. This would even end up in legal action like police custody. Therefore, the people should be prepared to put up with any consequences.
8. Coordinating the Work of Different Groups and Agencies.
While working with an issue it may be possible to arrive at a solution without much difficulty. But this is not the case always. Sometimes the issues are complicated where the strength and force of the local community may not be sufficient, therefore it is necessary to invite the support of the neighbouring like-minded people and the like-minded groups and organizations and even the neighbouring voluntary organization to get their support in whatever way possible. In this process proper co-ordination has to be ensured.
9. Implementing the Action and Reflection, Modification and Continuation
On the whole, while dealing with the problem the planned activity of the community has to be implemented. The implemented activity has to be properly monitored and evaluated. The community periodically to check whether the process of implementation is in the right direction generally should carry out the evaluation. If there is a deviation it is necessary to do introduce the essential modification and continue the activity.
5.9 STRATEGIES OF SOCIAL ACTION
It is generally considered that social action comes into play when a social problem is recognized. It is used to bring change. It implies that such a social change brings about the progress of the group or the community where social action is engineered. Social action can be the agent for preventing change as well, if such a change is against the interests of the community, if a state government proposed to reduce old-age pensions or per capita grants to child welfare institutions, and if after due study of facts a movement was organized to prevent such a change in the rates, it would be social action. It seems to be that in both instances, whether social action is for change or against change, it involves an element of group force or pressure. But it has to be non-violent, if it is to be genuine social action. This 'force' is generated by educating the people into a willing co-operation for the need of action for or against change.
In the case of the bigger problem, a city community tackles its social problem. The social action programme includes establishing of an institution and introducing legislation. The last one has the whole national scene for its social action and is entirely devoted to pressurize government to provide the required legislation. These instances suggest that the variety of social action in purposed programme, local, sponsorship and scope is almost infinite.
Lees had identified three types of strategies for social action
1. COLLABORATION
In this strategy the social workers collaborate with the local authority and other authorities or agencies in order to bring about improvements in the existing social policy. The basic assumption of this approach is homogeneity of values and interests, through which substantive agreement on proposals is obtainable. No one stands to lose a great deal of power, authority or money, since change occurs within a consensus that includes both values and interests.
2. COMPETITION
In this strategy contending parties utilize commonly accepted campaign tactics to persuade, to negotiate and to bargain, with willingness to arrive at a working agreement.
3. DISRUPTION
This strategy signifies more militant approach and it may include strikes, boycotts, fasts, tax-refusal, sit-ins, etc.
Richard Brynt postulates two sets of strategies – bargaining and confrontation. Bargaining means lobbying, submitting petitions, information and publicity campaigns, etc, whereas includes strikes, demonstrations and 'sit-ins'.
Hornstein has mentioned the following strategies for social intervention: individual change, techno-structural data-based, organizational development and cultural change, violence and coercion, and non-violent action - accommodation, exposures, living examples, public support, presentation of proposals, competition, lobbying, agitation and subversion, etc. Sharp has identified as many as 198 methods of non-violent action Hornstein has classified them as under:
1. Direct action tactics: Picketing, marches, fraternization, haunting, leafleting, and renouncing honours.
2. Non-cooperation: Strike, boycott, tax refusal.
3. Intervention: Sit-in, fast, reverses strike, obstruction.
OTHER STRATEGIES IDENTIFIED BY EXPERTS ARE GIVEN BELOW:
1. Campaign / Promotional Strategy
People tend to live the problems. They are used to such problems and may feel that it is part of their life or a culture and therefore it will not bring any discomfort in their day to day life. At times the people are not in a position due to social, economic and political status to express their needs and problems. In such a situation an external agent comes in the picture.
· External agent identifies target groups
· Define the problem to be solved
· Designs the solution
· Convince the target group
· Adopting the solution
The conventional agricultural extension approach reflects this strategy. The involvement of the people and the decision making of the people is limited in this strategy.
The campaign strategy was considered appropriate to situations in which the cause of disadvantage may be apathy, indifference or ignorance. It is merits that can be used at the initial stages of generating awareness of the need for change among illiterate groups. Its demerits are that the target group is not involved in the initial decision-making, in its problems and their solutions. Moreover, there is a danger that the change agent will be simply manipulator in the situation. Use of the strategy would require a charismatic change agent, a simple ideology calling for solution of a simple problem, core group acting for the target group and some strain or precipitating force towards change.
2. Collaborative Strategy
In collaborative strategy the target group is assisted by an external agent to define its needs, formulate objectives, design an action plan and implement the plan. The conventional community development approach focused on the community or village as tile unit of orientation, while the voluntary group approach focuses on specific disadvantaged groups in a specified area. The enabling process provides opportunity to the people to unite their capacity to identify the problem, analyze and understand the problem and work out a plan of action to solve their own problem.
The collaborative strategy was considered appropriate to situation in which the majority of the group is affected by the same problem and it is unable to identify its needs, resources and means to solve the problem. Its main advantage is that it enables a group to come together and' take the initiative in solving its own problems. Its demerits include the following:
~ Difficulty of achieving unanimity
~ Individual problem solving is restricted
~ A minority may dominate the group
~ It is time consuming
~ More finances will be required to organize groups
The strategy should follow this sequence - identify the problem, formulate priorities, locate resources and co-operative planning by the group.
3. Pressure / Advocacy Strategy
Pressure tactics may range in intensity from those, which cause social inconvenience to those, which cause physical deprivation for third parties and or for the haves. Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Saul Alinsky employed variations of the strategy to achieve social change in favour of disadvantaged classes or groups of people.
The pressure strategy is appropriate to situations in which public authorities are not providing public services - roads, transportation, etc. or where an established group enjoys a disproportionate control of or access to, resources such as land, schools, etc
Its merits are that the problems of a disadvantaged group can be highlighted, unity is created within the group the haves are forced to change, and it is not destructive or harmful to lives. Its demerits are that the core group can dominate the target group and there is the possibility of generating violent conflict. The strategy must make use of the larger society to exert pressure on the haves. It will be necessary to employ boycotts, hunger strikes, processions, bunds and rallies. Employing it as the only strategy to solve a problem will be questionable.
4. Negotiate Strategy
In this strategy one group tries to obtain a share of resources, power etc., from another group. Inter-group negotiations are conducted within an established framework of laws or regulations, which define the relationships, and interactions, which are permitted between the two groups. In effect, both groups are equalized in power through the laws or regulations. Industry union wage bargaining adheres to this strategy.
5. Legal Suasion / Litigation Strategy
The established legal and judicial system is brought to bear on the problems of groups, which have not previously enjoyed their legal rights. Entitlement proceedings have been used effectively by North American Indians as well as by Gandhian NGO's to guarantee land rights to the landless.
6. Concretization Strategy
The disadvantaged group is assisted to analyze its situation in terms of the obstacles to their progress or liberation and to take organized action with respect to these obstacles. The group becomes the subject or action rather than the object of action. Through a process of reflection _ action _ reflection it reaches a level of critical consciousness in which it is able to recognize the structural or cultural causes of deprivation as well as personal or collective deficiencies. The strategy is associated with Paulo Freire and social change in Latin America:
The conscientization strategy is appropriate to situations in which the conventional development projects are not appropriate. It is advantageous where the major part of the community is constituted of the disadvantaged. The latter can be organized to act against the forces depriving them of their rights. Its disadvantages are that the conscientizar must be adequately conscientize before acting as a change agent and mediate results cannot be achieved. In some cases, it results in dependence.
7. Human Relation Strategy
A group is assisted to overcome interpersonal obstacles to effective group functioning through the use of simulation games or exercises; normally some theory or module is used to reconstruct the cause effect relationship inherent in the problem situation of the group. Transactional analyses sensitivity training and group dynamics are illustrations of the strategy.
8. Political Organization Strategy
A powerless group or class is organized to participate effectively in the political process of established local, regional or national government or public decision making institutions. Generally, this has involved organizing the disadvantaged to elect their own representatives to public office.
9. Economic Organization Strategy
A specific group is mobilized to undertake the organization and management of an income generating project through which an enterprise, which more effectively provided services, inputs, products or market returns for the benefit of the project group. Co-operative enterprise is the most common example of this strategy.
10. Conflict Management Strategy
Conflict within a group, between groups or between a group and an institution is prevented or reduced by means of pre-exemption, integration, third party conciliation, mediation or arbitration, co-operation or suppression. Normally, employment of the strategy requires input from an external agent possessing legitimacy with the parties concerned.
11. Situation Modification Strategy
An external agent has the wherewithal to modify the physical or social environs of a target group such that the group must adopt certain behaviour change consonant with its environs. If the group places a high value on remaining in the situation and if it opts to do so voluntarily (no physical force), it will modify its attitudes to bring them in line with its behaviour. Thus, the group will permanently accept behaviour change. Institutions to achieve change in agricultural, health and safety practices have used the strategy.
Situation Modification Strategy:
The situation modification strategy is only appropriate to situations in which both haves and have-nots experience the need for change and where the change agent enjoys the confidence of both sides. A natural calamity might be a case in point. Its merits are that it produces immediate benefits followed by attitude change. Its demerits may include:
. Superficial attitude change;
. The change collapse when the external agent withdraws;
. The target group is not involved in planning and implementation;
. It may lead to communal violence when one group is favoured over another;
If it is to be used, the change agent must monitor change in attitude and there must be follow-up to ensure that benefits are shared equitably.
The eleven strategies were considered as tentative modules, which might be employed alone, or in combination to achieve integral development outcomes.
5.10 SOCIAL ACTION AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS:
5.11 Introduction:
If one examines the history of any society, he will find that much of it consists of the story of the struggles of groups within the society to change some aspect of the culture. This is one reason why history books are filled with accounts of the careers of great leaders, the rise and fall of political movements, and the terrors of revolutions. The crusades, the reformation, the French and American revolutions, the anti-slavery movement, the labour movement, fascism and communism-these like many other social movements have been accompanied by far-reaching changes in the societies which they touched. Social movements are conventionally regarded as part of the subject matter of collective behavior, but they might just as well be viewed as an aspect of social change.
The field of collective behaviour, however, has been a neglected area of sociology, and in the stud of social change social movement is relatively of little emphasis. This is because men and groups have as often been regarded by sociologists as the creatures rather than the creators of social change. The study of social movements is primarily a study of social change as well as cultural change of a changing values and norms. In the words of Sherif and Sherif, "A social movement is always possessed by a sense of mission." Hence, attention is focused on the interaction of conscious, striving human beings as part of an emergent collectivity which is the social movement. This is not the study of stable groups or established institutions, but of groups and institutions in the process of becoming. Cultural maladjustments are of interest, but only as conditions out of which the collective efforts of men to change their culture arise.
5.12 Definitions
Consider the similarities between the conceptions of social movements used by some of these sociologists. Blumer defines the movement simply as "a collective enterprise to establish a new order of life." Heberle in a similar vein, declares, 'The main criterion of a social movement is that it aims to bring about fundamental changes in the social order." He continues with the observation that a social movement is "a collective attempt to reach a visualized goal, especially a change in certain social movement institutions." Lang and Lang take a social movement to mean "large scale widespread, and continuing elementary collective action in pursuit of an objective that affects and shapes the social order in some fundamentals ways."
5.13 Salient characteristics of Social movements
(i) The existence of shared values a goal or an objective, sustained by an ideology.
(ii) A sense of membership or participation a "weness", a distinction between those who are for and those against.
(iii) Norms shared understandings as to how the followers should act, definitions of out groups and how to behave towards them.
(iv) A structure of a division of labour between leaders and followers and between different classes of each.
Social movements and Associations
Although the study of social movements as dynamic ' collectivities has been contrasted with the study of the structure and function of established relatively, stable associations, there is a constant and pervasive relationship between these two phases of social life. Social movements do not develop out of a vacuum or a state of complete social disorganization. The members of a social movement are members of a society and of one or more groups within that society each with its own organization and norms.
As the members attempt collectively to revise preserve, or restore the social organization and the normative order of these relatively stable, pre-existing groups they act as participants in a social movement. The social movement may be internal to a particular society or association, or it may cut across group boundaries. A social movement may encompass within itself associations whose members participate by virtue of their group membership rather than as discrete, unattached individuals. Finally, one of the most significant end products of social movements is the emergence and stabilization of new institutions and new forms of social organization.
5.14 Social Movements, Social Action and Social Change
The intrinsic characteristics of culture which foster continuous change should not be discounted· any more than the striving of social movements but should be dismissed as epiphenomenal. Culture changes continuously through the unwitting, uncoordinated actions of individuals who not only adjust to it, but change it in minute details. But changes in society structure and normative order which, in retrospect, are seen as major changes, usually come about through a process of interaction within the society, with people struggling purposively and collectively to promote or resist change.
In the course of cultural evolution, new ideas, visions of a new and different order, emerge in the minds of individuals. Yet a social movement is not simply a creature of ideas. Its consequences are not a structure reflecting a blueprint drawn by the leaders and adhered to faithfully by the followers, rather throughout the course of the movement there is a continuous formulation, revision and reformulation of the values and norms of the movement. There is constant interaction between various types of leaders, between the leadership and the followers, between the movement and its public, and between it and its opposition. As new values and norms become standardized as part of the culture of the movement the members develop a commitment to them. The public develops' an awareness of these values as issues. The opposition elaborates antithetical values and in the synthesis, new ideas emerge.
At the same time, population segments are re-evaluated during the career of the movement. As participants in a movement whole classes may find their role in society redefined whether positively or negatively. New relationships are established as different population segments combine their efforts in the movement and evolve new and common identities. New roles are defined as the movement becomes a force which must be reckoned with by the larger society. Rarely does a social movement leave unchanged the structure of the group in which it arises.
Analysis of changes in culture, divorced from the activities of the men who create and use this culture, presses on us the conclusion that these changes are the inevitable result of inexorable laws of cultural change. The study of social movement reminds us of the irrepressible conviction of sentient men that they can collectively, if not individually, change their culture by their own endeavours. The fact that the changes which result are never those which are anticipated does not refute the evidence that it is interaction of men with each other, not their unwitting response to culture, which produces social change.
SOCIAL ACTION AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SOCIAL POLICY
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Introduction
The concept of social development has a long history. It has been part of Western social thought for more than 2500 years. Even in India the ideas of social change and development have been presented in rudimentary forms at least from the Buddhist period. The works of Manu and Kautilya have a definite bearing on this theme.
Social Development is defined in several different ways-in different usages to get at the core of its meaning. Having understood it, one may try to summarise the meaning clearly and concisely, and yet not call it a definition because then it tends to become rigid and fossilized.
What is Social Development?
Social development is a comprehensive concept which implies major structural changes-Political, Economic and Cultural, which are introduced as part of deliberate action to transform society. At a general abstract level, the goal is to create a new society in place of the present, where living conditions of the people are improved so that they do not suffer from hunger and they are not denied the basic necessities of life. Social development aims at removal of the rural-urban and regional imbalance. It aims at meeting the basic needs of the people at all levels, especially those who constitute the .poorest and deprived segments of society. In order to achieve these goals, economic development is essential, which means increase in production leading to a high rate of growth as measured by G.N.P. and which also provides for substantial increase in opportunities for employment.
5.16 SOCIAL POLICY, SOCIAL ACTION AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT:
Social policy in India has come a long way during the last many years since the attainment of political independence. There was a time when the directive principles of state policy as embodied in the constitution were cited as the fountain spring of all national policies; more particularly of the social policy of the country. In recent years, however, especially after the declaration of national emergency in June 1975, the government was at pains to stress social policy much more than was done ever before, in order to give greater visibility to what they sought to do for the poor.
Earlier, the first qualitative change came with the motto "growth with justice" as set at the beginning of the Fourth Five Year Plan. The 20-point economic programme announced after the declaration of the emergency was calculated to reinforce that policy in the name of the weaker sections of the population.
In depth analysis of this experience brought forth a clearer understanding of the inter-relationship of economic growth with social policy and social development. This was reinforced by studies of experiments carried out about at the same time in other developing countries. Some of the salient features of these findings could be outlined as follows:
(i) Distributive Justice
Policy-makers, more than the planning technocrats, were sensitive to people's expectations from the development plans. They know that it was not enough to be able to show progress in terms of the GNP alone. Developing country cannot afford to let the entire wealth and income produced by the development plans flow back into current consumption. It is necessary for it to plough back a substantial part of increased wealth and income into investments for further growth.
(ii) Institutional Change
The other social policy implications of the technological change also became evident both on empirical grounds as well as on doctrinaire considerations. It was found that modern technology whether adopted wholesale from more advanced countries or adapted to suit local conditions, was itself not enough for modernization of the economy.
(iii) Employment Promotion
During the earlier periods of plan, it was assumed that with progressively larger investment, employment would automatically be generated.
(iv) Human Resources
Orthodox planners were so much preoccupied with the so-called productive sectors like agriculture and industry more industry and less agriculture that they paid very little attention the development of social services. This was done in the belief that development of social services could follow after generating enough resources in the economy.
(v) People's Participation
If there is one principle which has been recognized in Indian planning from its inception, it is the importance of people's participation. However, this remained rather ad hoc and minimal until the beginning of the Second Plan.
ENFORCEMENT OF SOCIAL LEGISLATION THROUGH SOCIAL ACTION:
SOCIAL LEGISLATION:
5.17 Introduction
Social legislation means, society is union of individuals' units existing together for the fulfillment of multiple need. This implies the existence of mutual dependence yet society forms itself into various groups with power to exploit the less powerful groups. This division of society into several groups sometimes necessitates state intervention to ensure that the rights of the have-not are not engulfed. State intervention is required to safeguard mutual rights and duties. As society becomes more and more complex. State intervention taken into account the abrasion with harmful effects arising from increased social intervention. While legislation to perfect social groups from one another is not recent, a systematic and privileges of powerless groups in a fairly recent phenomenon and can be linked to the concept of the welfare state. Thus, social legislation especially in a democracy should be a living force and adjustable instrument satisfying the requirement of an ever changing society.
5.18 DEFINITION
According to Oliver Wendell, Legislation of today is to l meet the social needs of yesterdays. Traditionally law lags behind social opinion and the function of social legislation is continually to adjust the legal system to a society which is constantly out growing that system. Legislation calculated to bridge the gulf between the existing laws and the current needs of society may be called social legislation.
OBJECTIVES OF SOCIAL LEGISLATION
Social legislation attempts to achieve two objectives:
(i) It seeks to establish order and provides justice as well as security.
(ii) It anticipates social needs and provides for changes in social order.
5.19 SOCIAL ACTION AND SOCIAL LEGISLATION
It should be remembered that in the normal course of events, the process of social action should lead on either to the community meeting its own needs and problems, to social reform, or to social legislation, that is, to the passing of an enactment to combat the social evil aimed against. Therefore, when social legislation has been aimed at, the consequent step would 'be getting the bill drafted before the legislatures. Drafting a bill is a technical process. A bill which becomes an enactment is full of legal and social significance. In drafting a bill, the following principles should be kept in mind:
(i) The title of the bill should signify what it intends to do. For instance, an enactment such as the Unsociability Offenders Act is fairly self-explanatory. The title "Beggar Act" is not so precise. While "Act for the Arrest of Beggars," or "Beggary Prevention Act" would be more satisfactory.
(ii) The wording of the bill should be definite and unequivocal. Many badly worded enactments become the playground for lawyers and headaches to judges. When it is found by experience that words used in an act may mean one thing as well as another, amendments are later introduced.
(iii) Enactment should be simple. It is an egregious "1 error to think that acts are meant for lawyers and judges and not for the common citizen. Actually, law is meant for the benefit of the citizen.
(iv) Procedures regarding cognizance, apprehension, and hearing of cases should be simple and not costly. George Bernard Shaw wrote that any theft of property occurred in his house, he would prefer not to lodge a complaint because the court proceeding that would follow would involve him in loss of time and of peace of mind.
(v) Authorities who take cognizance of matters and have jurisdiction should be properly specified. In several cases, Magistrates have doubted their own authority and the jurisdiction of the courts have been challenged by hair-splitting lawyers.
(vi) The enactment proposed should be within the scope of the constitution. We have a written constitution which guarantees certain fundamental rights to the citizens.
(vii) Again, punishment for violation of the provisions of the act should be consign and deterrent. For instance, if for violating the Child Marriage Restraint Act, the parents are fined, enforcement will have no meaning.
A bill which has been passed by the legislatures or parliament and which has received the assent of the head of the state becomes an act. It should not be supposed that since an act has been passed to meet a problem, the problem is solved and the social worker has completed his task. Far from it, the popularization of the provisions of the act and the implementation of the act are consequent phases of social action with which the social worker is intensely concerned.
5.20 SCOPE OF SOCIAL ACTION IN INDIA
The process of social action aims to establish adjustment of society with these changes. Besides, the social action as an auxiliary method of social work is oriented towards the expansion of democratic values.
(i) Removal of Social Problems
The principal aim of social action is to solve the social problems. From this point of view, there is large scope for social action in Indian society which is confronted by many social problems, viz. casteism, unsociability, prohibition of widow re-marriage, prevalence of women and child labour, etc. These problems should be solved in accordance to democratic ideals.
(ii) Solution of Individual and Family Problems
The problems with regard to individual and family needs top priority. In this direction efforts are being made at the government and private level. These problems can be solved with the help of social action.
(iii) Spread of Democratic Values
Social work is based on the democratic ideals. Justice, equality and liberty are its main pillars. In practice, these ideals should be available to every citizen. Therefore, in order to accomplish these democratic ideals rapid changes in the present social structure are inevitable. For this purpose, social action can be used as a base.
(iv) Encouragement to Organizational Function
Social Action is a process having various forms and as well as various modes of execution. Further, social process could be integrative or disintegrative. Therefore, with the help of integrative social process, the speed of social action can be increased.
(v) Social Reform
With the help of social action, we can encourage the process of social reform. It indirectly brings improvement in social conditions. There is much pathology which emerges due to general economic conditions, can be solved with the help of social action. The social actions have great scope in India because of the following problems that are solved easily by the Social Action method.