Michael Maxsenti: Marshall Ganz on Making Social Movements Matter

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An important interview by Bill Moyers.

Marshall Ganz on Making Social Movements Matter

One of Ganz’s themes is the crucial role narrative plays in social movements. “I think it’s particularly important because doing the kind of work that movements do requires risk-taking, uncertainty, going up against the odds. And that takes a lot of hope,” Ganz tells Bill. “And so where do you go for hopefulness? Where do you go for courage? You go to those moral resources that are found within narratives and within identity work and within traditions.”

Phi Beta Iota: The below comment at the website is worthy of note. Occupy was manipulated and neutralized. Perhaps next time this will not happen.

DHFabian • a year ago

I personally think Occupy is an outstanding example of what we can expect in the near future when it comes to any chance of a movement for change. Remember Occupy? What sprang into life as a vibrant people's movement with the potential to change the course we're on was almost immediately redefined, largely by media marketed to liberals, as a movement of middle class workers alone. The discussion that followed was all about, only about, the middle class. (By definition, if you're still in the middle class, you're doing great!) So the rest of us walked away, and Occupy died. This isn't the first time the US has been in this situation, when the richest few gained a dangerous degree of power, to the great harm of the country. Each time in the past, the poor and middle class united to successfully push back, to everyone's benefit. Not this time. The oldest political strategy was used on this generation — Divide and Conquer.