Critically Assess the Potential for Resource Mobilization Theory to Explain the Emergence of Particular Social Movements at Particular Times

Abstract

Resource mobilisation theory provides an important theoretical perspective and rational analytical paradigm for interpreting social movements, and can better answer the basic logic and motives of people's participation in social movements. This article will firstly introduce the basic concepts and development of resource mobilisation theory, research directions and research dimensions.The second part will introduce the explanatory power of the theory in the context of specific social movements, such as the Occupy Wall Street movement in the US and the Arab Spring movement in Tunisia and Egypt. This article will critically analyse resource mobilisation theory in relation to the various schools of thought. Finally, we will conclude that although it ignores certain irrational and macro factors and does not constitute a unified theoretical system, resource mobilisation theory represents a major advance in our understanding of socialmovements and still has great potential in its own right.

The influence of subjective socioeconomic status on inclination to offline collective action: a sequential mediation framework of group relative deprivation and online collective behavioral intentions

“…Moreover, individuals experiencing a sense of group relative deprivation may seek to address their circumstances through various means, such as striving to alter their social status or adjusting their reference groups Leviston et al, 2020). Resource mobilization theory (Tianhang, 2022;Xu, 2023;Knoke, 1990) posits that the decision to engage in collective behavior is intricately linked to individuals' assessments of costs and benefits, as well as their interactions while mobilizing resources. Participants in the current study consisted of college students, a demographic typically constrained by limited resources for mobilization.…”