Co-operative and Socialist Movement

Definition of Co-operatives

Co-operatives are defined as “an autonomous association of persons united

voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and
aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically controlled enterprise”
(Conn, 2003, 3). Cooperatives are founded on the values of self-help, self-
responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. Based on the founding
principles of co-operatives, members believe in the ethical values of honesty,
openness, social responsibility and caring for others (Canadian Business Service
Centre, 2004).

The co-operative movement first emerged in Europe during the nineteenth

century. Although scholarly research remains in disagreement about exactly where
the movement began, many trace its origins back to a number of cooperative
experiences that developed in Britain and France in the eighteenth century,
especially in the farming industry and consumer organizations (Holyoake 1908).
During the years of the industrial revolution, co-ops spread across all Western
countries as a reaction to the negative side effects of industrialization. At that
time, cooperatives became a means of economic organization for workers.

Social Movement

A social movement is an organized activity that encourages or discourages social

change. Social movements are among the most important types of collective
behavior because they often have lasting effects on our society.
Social movements, such as the political movements are common in the modern
world. Preindustrial societies are tightly bound by tradition, making social
movements extremely rare. However, the many subcultures and countercultures
found in industrial and postindustrial societies encourage social movements
dealing with a wide range of public issues. In today’s society, almost every
important public issue gives rise to a social movement favoring change and an
opposing countermovement resisting it.

Types of Social Movements

Sociologists classify social movements according to several variables (Aberle, 1966;

Cameron, 1966; Blumer, 1969). One variable asks, who is changed? Some
movements target selected people, and others try to change everyone. A second
variable asks, How much change? Some movements seek only limited change in
our lives, and others pursue radical transformation of society. Combining these
variables results in four types of social movements.

Alterative social movements are the least threatening to the status quo because
they seek limited change in only a part of the population. Their aim is to help
certain people alter their lives. Promise Keepers, one example of an alterative
social movement, encourages men to live more spiritual lives and be more
supportive of their families.

Redemptive social movements also target specific people, but they seek radical
change. Their aim is to help certain people redeem their lives. For example,
Alcoholics Anonymous is an organization that helps people with an alcohol
addiction to achieve a sober life.
Reformative social movements aim for only limited social change but target
everyone. Multiculturalism is an educational and political movement that
advocates social equality for people of all races and ethnicities. Reformative social
movements generally work inside the existing political system. Some are
progressive, promoting a new social pattern, and others are reactionary, opposing
those who seek change by trying to preserve the status quo or to revive past social
patterns. Thus just as multiculturalists push for greater racial equality, white
supremacist organizations try to maintain the historical dominance of white
people.

Revolutionary social movements are the most extreme of all, seeking the
transformation of an entire society. Sometimes pursuing specific goals, sometimes
spinning utopian dreams, these social movements reject existing social institutions
as flawed in favor of a radically new alternative. Both the left-wing Communist
party (pushing for government control of the entire economy) and the right-wing
militia groups (advocating the destruction of “big government”) seek to radically
change our way of life (van Dyke & Soule, 2002).
 Types of social Movement

How much Change?

Limited Radical
Specific individual

Who is changed?

Every one

Four Types of Social Movements