Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Lana Silva

SOC 122 MW 5:30-6:45

13 April 2016 

            The movie "Iron Jawed Angels" focused on the various struggles that the women's suffrage movement faced in order to gain support for women's rights, and in particular the right to vote. Some examples of framing are seen when Alice Paul says things like, "In prison or out, American women are not free" and "Give me liberty or give me death." There is also evidence of political opportunity theory when the hunger strike Alice Paul starts gets attention from the press, making it a good time for their activism.  The movement also shows resource mobilization, when the hunger strike spreads from Alice Paul to the other prisoners while simultaneously having some women still work for the movement outside of the prison. It is likely that because the movement used all three tactics, they succeeded when they won the right to vote with the passing of the 19th amendment in 1920.

            The documentary on the Zapatista Army of Liberation movement also showed evidence of framing and political opportunity theories to promote their cause. The Zapatistas were a group of mostly indigenous peoples from the rainforest in Chiapas, Mexico who have fought against Mexico for land reform, land redistribution, and greater political and cultural autonomy for the people of Mexico. The Zapatistas are framed as "Robin Hood" or "Zoro" wearing ski masks. In addition, this movement received a lot of attention in 1994 on the Internet when it was still in its early stages. They had the opportunity to spread the word and get attention, even though they were in a remote jungle, and especially after some were attacked and some killed by the Mexican army.  This is an example of political opportunity theory, because they were events that created good times to spread the word about their cause.

 

             

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