Education in Social Movements

The contribution of education to social protest movements within the United States and Canada is analyzed. The purpose of the study was to call attention to educational programs which have succeeded in facilitating social change. The method used was evaluation of advantages and limitations of education through case studies of 28 social movements. Research focused on origins of the movement; educational response and rationale; and evaluation of the perceived contributions of education to movement objectives. Results of the 28 case studies indicate that education developed within a movement context increases the capacity for collective action and augments movement opportunity and solidarity. Detailed analyses of a United Farm Workers case study and a Feminist Women's Health Movement case study are presented. Results of these analyses indicate that the key to social movement organization development is increased individual, group, and organizational competence. The authors conclude that development of organizational competencies over time is the most obvious evidence of the influence of educational programs on social protest movement organization.