Uranan Kou Yang

SOC 122

MW 5:30

Movie: Civil Rights and Social Movements

            In the movie, "Civil Rights and Social Movements" there were many parts of the movie that highlighted the theories of political opportunity and resource mobilization. Although the movie gave examples of political opportunity and resource mobilization there was little use of framing. Political opportunity can be found in the parts of the civil rights movements especially the Montgomery Bus Boycott that was boycotted by African Americans. This movement happened on December 1, 1955 when Rosa Park one of the many African Americans who was one of the many African Americans who were a part of the boycotting, ignited and made the issue of the civil rights movement well known throughout the nation. Another example that showed political opportunity was the bombing of the church on 16^th Street Baptist Church that enraged the civil rights activists leading the civil rights movement to take advantage of that opportunity to further their movement. The resource mobilization theory was seen especially when there was a participation of not only black men and women fighting for civil rights, but white men and women.  This gave the movement such a strong foundation to be able to influence others about the inequality of African Americans that was happening at that time. There were millions of people who joined in to the civil rights movement, which clearly highlighted the resource mobilization theory. Another example would be the boycotting of the buses which made it very difficult for the Montgomery Bus to run their business and earn profit which in return suffered greatly. Another political opportunity would be the media and coverage of displaying the civil rights movement and with the overwhelming and powerful speech of Martin Luther King the opportunity made the civil rights movement that much more effective.