The psychology of social movements.

Abstract

Hadley Cantril looked beyond surface of social movements to examine psychology behind them. What motivates people to follow an untried leader? What does social environment do to make people suggestible? What are people thinking about, puzzled about, and hoping for when they lose themselves in some cause that seems strange or esoteric to observer? Part I gives a systematic framework for interpretation of social movements. Part II examines specific social movements: lynching mob, kingdom of Father Divine, Oxford Group, Townsend Plan, and Nazl Party. Cantril uses technique of phenomenological analysis to straighten out tangle of mental context and motivation found in individual who is adjusting to social world. He notes that the principles of some social movements are 'wrong,' those of others are more nearly 'right.' Some are cruel illusions accepted by bewildered people who follow false prophets; others uncompromisingly base policies on assumptions which psychologist knows are untrue; some would completely prohibit search for an understanding of man and his social world; some unnecessarily destory capacity and talent of man in obtaining his objectives. The Psychology of Social Movements sets forth an outline by which social movements can be judged and their outcomes predicted. Cantril lays responsibility for making these evaluations at feet of social scientists who are best equipped to do so based on knowledge rather than ignorance or bias. This volume will be of continuing importance to sociologists and political scientists as well as psychologists and anyone interested in mechanisms that drive social movements. Before his death in 1969, Hadley Cantril was chairman of Institute for International Social Research. Earlier he was Stuart Professor of Psychology at Princeton University. He was author of 19 books, an advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and taught at Columbia, Dartmouth, and Harvard.

Keywords

Affiliated Institutions

• Princeton University US

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