A social movement is a loosely organized effort by a large group of people to achieve a particular goal, typically a social or political one. This may be to carry out a social change, or to resist or undo one. It is a type of group action and may involve individuals, organizations, or both. Social movements have been described as "organizational structures and strategies that may empower oppressed populations to mount effective challenges and resist the more powerful and advantaged elites". They represent a method of social change from the bottom within nations. On the other hand, some social movements do not aim to make society more egalitarian, but to maintain or amplify existing power relationships. For example, scholars have described fascism as a social movement.
The Gordon Riots, depicted in a painting by John Seymour Lucas
The Great Chartist Meeting on Kennington Common, London in 1848
Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader in the civil rights movement, one of the most famous social movements of the 20th century.
Photo taken at the 2005 U.S. Presidential inauguration protest
Social change is the alteration of the social order of a society which may include changes in social institutions, social behaviours or social relations. Sustained at a larger scale, it may lead to social transformation or societal transformation.
A set of social changes proposed for climate change mitigation
