Neil Smelser’s theory of collective behavior

Neil Smelser’s theory of collective behavior

The paper consists on using Neil Smelser’s theory of collective behavior, which has been summarized in the course’s textbook, to the study of the
Charter 77 social movement in Socialist Czechoslovakian the 1970s.

The paper consists on using Neil Smelser’s theory of collective behavior

The paper consists on using Neil Smelser’s theory of collective behavior, which has been summarized in the course’s textbook, to the study of the
Charter 77 social movement in Socialist Czechoslovakian the 1970s.

For this purpose, you will read selections from his Theory of Collective Behavior.

You will then use Smelser’s six determinants of collective behavior to analyze the Charter 77 movement.

Lastly, you will specifically focus on the Ideas by Vaclav Havel as corresponding to the third determinant (growth and spread of generalized belief) by expressing the grievances of the people in the country and the course of action to remedy such grievances.

You will read some sections of Havel’s work The Power of the Powerless for this purpose. This work aims at explaining to people in Czechoslovakia and Poland the problems with the Socialist totalitarian system as it was live d in East Europe countries at the time, all of them under the influence of the Soviet Union.

Your paper will have four sections:

The introduction

It will explain the context of the birth of Socialist Czechoslovakian 1946 and the development there of a dissident movement later on. Length: 400 words.

In the following part

You will summarize Smelser’s views on the determinants of collective behavior in his Theory of Collective Behavior (pp. 1-21), and particularly on the dissemination of generalized beliefs (pp. 79-84).You will then use Smelser’s six determinants for a social movement to analyze the case of Charter77. Length: 600 words.

For the third party

Further, You will use Smelser’s third determinant to analyze Havel’s discourse, which is aimed at explaining to other dissidents in Czechoslovakia, Poland, and other countries of the Soviet Bloc of the time what was the problem with the Socialist system enforced in those countries and what would a successful strategy of resistance would look like. You will read sections 1 to 15, 17 and 21 from the Power of the Powerless.
You will end your paper with;

Lastly, A conclusion, summarizing your findings. Length: 100. Words. Format The paper will be 2000 words long and will comply with the APA style, including all its sections.