How do Political Opportunity Structures affect the success of social movements in China and the USA?

Authors

  • Ananya Sreekumar Head Start Educational Academy
  • Noah Daponte-Smith Harvard University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v10i4.2111

Keywords:

Social movements, protests, Civil rights movement, China, USA, Hong kong, Political Opportunity structure, politics, sociology, Civil Rights Act

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects political opportunity structures have on the mobilisation, organisation, and outcomes of civil rights movements in the USA and Hong Kong. The Civil Rights Movement between the 1950s-60s and the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement of 2019 are used as case studies in this research. The paper examines the various attributes of both regions’ political input and output structures while examining how the movement was organised and strategised. It then considers whether either movement can be deemed successful. Through comparative analysis, it contrasts the assessments made in both case studies to determine which factor discussed had the most significant impact on the success of both campaigns. It finds that the initial hypothesis put forth can be disproved and that a fluid link between the movement and institutional elites plays the most critical role in the success of both movements.

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References or Bibliography

Kitschelt, H. (1986). Political Opportunity Structures and Political Protest: Anti-Nuclear Movements in Four Democracies. British Journal of Political Science, 16(1), 57-85.

Andrews, K. T., & Gaby, S. (2015). Local Protest and Federal Policy: The Impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Sociological Forum, 30(1), 509-527.

Clark, K. B. (1966). The Civil Rights Movement: Momentum and Organization. Daedalus, 95(1), 239-267.

Lee, F. L. F., Yuen, S., Tang, G., & Cheng, E. W. (2019) Hong Kong’s Summer of Uprising. China Review, 19(4), 2-32.

Mahatani, S., Denyer, S., Liang, T., & Kam, A. (2019) Hong Kong’s pro-democracy parties sweep pro-Beijing establishment aside in local elections. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/record-turnout-in-hong-kong-election-seen-as-a-referendum-on-the-pro-democracy-protest-movement/2019/11/24/31804b00-0df5-11ea-8054-289aef6e38a3_story.html

Giugni, M. G. (1998). Was It Worth the Effort? The Outcomes and Consequences of Social Movements. Annual Review of Sociology, 24, 371-393.

Published

03-11-2023

How to Cite

Sreekumar, A., & Daponte-Smith, N. (2023). How do Political Opportunity Structures affect the success of social movements in China and the USA?. Journal of Student Research, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v10i4.2111

Issue

Section

HS Research Articles