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Social Movement as a Catalyst for Social Change: the Case of Tobacco

Md. Shairul Mashreque
Professor
Department of Public Administration, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The study of dynamics of movement has led us to identify five key factors which are operationally significant and which we believe must be present and interacting before a collectivity of whatever size becomes a true movement. These five key factors are (Luther P. Gerlach and Virginia H. Hine, 1970, pp. xvi-xvii.) : 1. A segmented, usually polysepalous, cellular organization composed of units reticulated by various personal, structural, and ideological ties. 2. Face-to-face recruitment by committed individuals using their own pre-existing, significant social relationships. 3. Personal commitment generated by an actor or an experience which separates a convert in some significant way from the established order (or his previous place in it), identifies him with a new set of values, and commits him to changed patterns of behavior. 4. An ideology which codifies values and goals, provides a conceptual framework by which all experiences or events relative to these goals may be interpreted, motivates and provides rationale for envisioned changes, defines. the opposition, and forms the basis for a conceptual unification of a segmented network of groups. 5. Real or perceived opposition from society at large or from that segment of the established order within which the movement has arisen. Mass movements mobilize people who are alienated from the going system, who do not believe in the legitimacy of the established order, and who therefore are ready to engage in efforts to destroy it. The greatest number of people available to mass movement will be found in those sections of society that have the fewest ties to the social order(William Kornhauser.1959, p. 212. Inevitably, the anti-tobacco movement will face 'unpredictable challenges and move in unanticipated ways'. As new crusades, such as the 'appropriateness of harm reduction strategies, replace the past emphasis on enacting clean indoor air and youth tobacco laws, core values and goals need to guide the movement to avoid costly fragmentation. Strengthening the social movement that lies at the heart of the tobacco control movement is essential'. Using human rights rhetoric is one strategy that can provide momentum and a 'sense of purpose to the movement'. A strong social movement is imperative to resist or prevent erosion in the salience of tobacco control (that is, to prevent relapse) and to provide the political and economic support to achieve future goals.

Keywords: Tobacco, Tobacco production, Anti-tobacco, Society, Totacco smoke

Location: In Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Knowledge Management

Commodity: Cigarette, Tobacco

Objectives:

To identify five key factors which are operationally significant and which we believe must be present and interacting before a collectivity of whatever size becomes a true movement. These five key factors are: 1. A segmented, usually polysepalous, cellular organization composed of units reticulated by various personal, structural, and ideological ties. 2. Face-to-face recruitment by committed individuals using their own pre-existing, significant social relationships. 3. Personal commitment generated by an actor or an experience that separates a convert in some significant way from the established order (or his previous place in it), identifies him with a new set of values, and commits him to changed patterns of behavior. 4. An ideology which codifies values and goals, provides a conceptual framework by which all experiences or events relative to these goals may be interpreted, motivates and provides a rationale for envisioned changes, defines the opposition, and forms the basis for a conceptual unification of a segmented network of groups. 5. Real or perceived opposition from society at large or from that segment of the established order within which the movement has arisen.

Methodology:

In Bangladesh, some professionals, medical practitioners and health officers carry forward anti-tobacco campaigns. They are trying to make it clear that how smoking ruins a person and leads him to death. Cigarette smokes harm even non-smokers when s/he comes in touch with any smoker. Some national NGOs are trying to give anti-tobacco advocacy through project interventions. The change catalysts work with a missionary zeal to purge the society from the evils of intoxication and addiction. They approach the project beneficiaries with motivation techniques. Sometimes they organize movements with mass signature collection. Effective mass media campaigns are a key part of any tobacco control intervention. Mass media campaigns are critical as they can create population-wide changes in knowledge about tobacco and attitudes toward tobacco use. We cannot feel the suffering of the oral patients better than sufferers themselves. After realizing the severity of the ill effects of tobacco, some of these patients have turned into anti-tobacco crusaders pleading for giving up addiction. They may happen to prevent others, especially the younger generation, from taking to tobacco use. 'Besides these addicts turned crusaders, there are those running anti-tobacco campaigns because they are either closely related to cancer victims or who have suffered cancer despite never having consumed tobacco.'World No Tobacco day is observed around the world every year on May 31. It is intended to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption around the globe. The day is further intended to draw attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and to negative health effects which currently lead to nearly 6 million deaths each year worldwide, including 600,000 of which are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. The member states of the World Health Organisation (WHO) created World No Tobacco Day in 1987. In the past 20 years, the day has been met with both enthusiasm and resistance around the globe from governments, public health organisations, smokers, growers, and the tobacco industry. More or less every smoker smokes a lot without trying to foresee its damaging consequences. Among them the chain smokers care little about health problems. Previously advertisements of smoking appearing on TV and in newspapers encouraged people in smoking. Now any advertisement in connection with tobacco is illegal in Bangladesh. Now, what we need is the proper use of all anti-tobacco campaigning techniques along with media participations. But such advocacy projects with all modern trajectories must appeal society at its depth. Mind that social cost of smoking is heavier than economic ones. Ant- tobacco activists observed 'no tobacco day holding various programmes expressing grave concerns over the tobacco companies promoting tobacco use. They pointed at the need for awareness building on the dangers of smoking and the use of tobacco products. The Bangladesh Anti-tobacco Alliance (BATA) alleged that 'tobacco companies are violating tobacco control law illegally doing advertisement promoting addiction and smoking.' They think that punishment should be given to those tobacco companies who encourage smoking and tobacco consumption through the sponsorship of tobacco. An expert added that campaign television commercials can be adapted at a low-level by: l changing the voiceover to suit local accents l translating the script into the local language l changing/ adding to the script to suit local tobacco cessation issues and smoking rates l Amending the end frame A television commercial can be adapted at a moderate-level by: l reducing the television commercial length to suit media strategies l adding/ deleting or replacing visual elements of the campaign to address local issues, saving costs on talent. Although Bangladesh has enacted a tobacco control law in 2005 in accordance with some of the provisions of WHO FCTC, its regulations also came into force in September 2006. However, these guiding documents are not sufficient for implementing tobacco control programmes. The provisions of the FCTC/Law should be appropriately reflected in the strategic plan of actions in order to reduce tobacco consumption, to promote cessation of tobacco use, to protect nonsmokers from environmental tobacco smoke and to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke. This strategic plan of action provides a framework for comprehensive tobacco control in Bangladesh for four years, 2007-2010

Source of Information: Social Change, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2015, pp. 1-17, @ 2015 YPSA; ISSN : 1997-938X

Article Link (Online Journal): www.ypsa.org/social-change

Funding Source:

1.

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Inevitably, the anti-tobacco movement will face 'unpredictable challenges and move in unanticipated ways'. As new crusades , such as the 'appropriateness of harm reduction strategies, replace the past emphasis on enacting clean indoor air and youth tobacco laws, core values and goals need to guide the movement to avoid costly fragmentation. Strengthening the social movement that lies at the heart of the tobacco control movement is essential'. Using human rights rhetoric is one strategy that can provide momentum and a 'sense of purpose to the movement'. A strong social movement is imperative to resist or prevent erosion in the salience of tobacco control (that is, to prevent relapse) and to provide the political and economic support to achieve future goals.

Knowledge Management: Journal