Social Movements & Trends, FRA-HAI

The rules and cultural norms of an organized society may not be written in stone, but often it does take a dedicated collective effort to disrupt and revise them. Throughout history, people have come together in group campaigns to effect change in the structure or values of a society. Movements such as abolitionism, the women's rights movement, the American civil rights movement, and the gay rights movement illustrate how common citizens can influence legislative action and modify cultural norms when they unite with the shared goal of bringing about a certain social change. Societal change can also take place naturally as a result of the accumulation of many smaller changes within a society. Large-scale trends such as industrialization, modernization, and urbanization provide examples of this more passive process of change.
Back To Social Movements & Trends Page

Social Movements & Trends Encyclopedia Articles By Title

Francis of Assisi, St
St. Francis of Assisi ; canonized July 16, 1228; feast day October 4) was the founder of the Franciscan orders......
Franko, Ivan
Ivan Franko was a Ukrainian author, scholar, journalist, and political activist who gained preeminence among Ukrainian......
Frazer, Sir James George
Sir James George Frazer was a British anthropologist, folklorist, and classical scholar, best remembered as the......
Frederick II
Frederick II was the king of Prussia (1740–86), a brilliant military campaigner who, in a series of diplomatic......
Frederick II
Frederick II was the king of Sicily (1197–1250), duke of Swabia (as Frederick VI, 1228–35), German king (1212–50),......
Frederick III
Frederick III was the king of Denmark and Norway (1648–70) whose reign saw the establishment of an absolute monarchy,......
Frederick VII
Frederick VII was the king of Denmark from 1848 who renounced absolute rule and adopted a representative government.......
Frederick William
Frederick William was the elector of Brandenburg (1640–88), who restored the Hohenzollern dominions after the devastations......
Frederick William I
Frederick William I was the second Prussian king, who transformed his country from a second-rate power into the......
Frelimo
Frelimo, political and military movement that initiated Mozambican independence from Portugal and then formed the......
Freudenthal, Axel Olof
Axel Olof Freudenthal was a philologist, Swedish nationalist, and the leading ideologist for the nationalist movement......
Freycinet, Charles-Louis de Saulces de
Charles-Louis de Saulces de Freycinet was a French political figure who served in 12 different governments, including......
Fried, Alfred Hermann
Alfred Hermann Fried was an Austrian pacifist and publicist who was a cofounder of the German peace movement and......
Frietschie, Barbara Hauer
Barbara Hauer Frietschie was an American patriot whose purported act of defiant loyalty to the North during the......
Friis, Johan
Johan Friis was a Danish statesman who, as chancellor under Christian III, king of Denmark and Norway, helped to......
Frobenius, Leo
Leo Frobenius was a German explorer and ethnologist, one of the originators of the culture-historical approach......
Frunze, Mikhail Vasilyevich
Mikhail Vasilyevich Frunze was a Soviet army officer and military theorist, regarded as one of the fathers of the......
Fry, Elizabeth
Elizabeth Fry was a British Quaker philanthropist and one of the chief promoters of prison reform in Europe. She......
Fry, Maxwell
Maxwell Fry was a British architect who, with his wife, Jane Drew, pioneered in the field of modern tropical building......
Gage, Frances Dana Barker
Frances Dana Barker Gage was an American social reformer and writer who was active in the antislavery, temperance,......
Gagern, Hans Christoph, Freiherr von
Hans Christoph, baron von Gagern was a conservative German administrator, patriotic politician, and writer who......
Gagern, Heinrich, Freiherr von
Heinrich, baron von Gagern was the second son of Hans Christoph von Gagern, a liberal, anti-Austrian German politician......
Gagern, Maximilian Freiherr von
Maximilian, baron von Gagern was a liberal Dutch and German diplomat and politician, who played a prominent part......
Gallienus
Gallienus was a Roman emperor who ruled jointly with his father, Valerian, from 253 until 260, then was the sole......
Galloway, Joseph
Joseph Galloway was a distinguished American colonial attorney and legislator who remained loyal to Great Britain......
Gambetta, Léon
Léon Gambetta was a French republican statesman who helped direct the defense of France during the Franco-German......
Gandhi, Kasturba
Kasturba Gandhi was an Indian political activist who was a leader in the struggle for civil rights and for independence......
Gandhi, Mahatma
Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, politician, social activist, and writer who became the leader of the Indian......
Garbett, Cyril Forster
Cyril Forster Garbett was the archbishop of York and an ecclesiastical writer who promoted a social conscience......
garden city
garden city, the ideal of a planned residential community, as devised by the English town planner Ebenezer Howard......
Gardener, Helen Hamilton
Helen Hamilton Gardener was an American writer, reformer, and public official, who was an eloquent and charismatic......
Garibaldi, Giuseppe
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian patriot and soldier of the Risorgimento, a republican who, through his conquest......
Garnet, Henry Highland
Henry Highland Garnet was an American abolitionist and clergyman who became known for his militant approach to......
Garnier, Tony
Tony Garnier was a forerunner of 20th-century French architects, notable for his Cité Industrielle, a farsighted......
Garrison, William Lloyd
William Lloyd Garrison was an American journalistic crusader who published a newspaper, The Liberator (1831–65),......
Garvey, Marcus
Marcus Garvey was a charismatic Black leader who organized the first important American Black nationalist movement......
Gaspee, Burning of the
Burning of the Gaspee, (June 10, 1772), in U.S. colonial history, act of open civil defiance of British authority......
Gaudin, Martin-Michel-Charles, Duc De Gaëte
Martin-Michel-Charles Gaudin, duke de Gaëte was the French finance minister throughout the French Consulate and......
gay rights movement
gay rights movement, civil rights movement that advocates equal rights for LGBTQ persons (i.e., for lesbians, gays......
German National People’s Party
German National People’s Party, right-wing political party active in the Reichstag (assembly) of the Weimar Republic......
Gerő, Ernő
Ernő Gerő was a Hungarian communist and first secretary of the Hungarian Workers’ (communist) Party (1956). In......
Ghadr
Ghadr, (Urdu: “Revolution”), an early 20th-century movement among Indians, principally Sikhs living in North America,......
Ghaffar Khan, Abdul
Abdul Ghaffar Khan was the foremost 20th-century leader of the Pashtuns (Pakhtuns, or Pathans; a Muslim ethnic......
Gibbons, Abigail Hopper
Abigail Hopper Gibbons was an American social reformer, remembered especially for her activism in the cause of......
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins
Charlotte Perkins Gilman was an American feminist, lecturer, writer, and publisher who was a leading theorist of......
Gladstone, William Ewart
William Ewart Gladstone was a statesman and four-time prime minister of Great Britain (1868–74, 1880–85, 1886,......
glasnost
glasnost, Soviet policy of open discussion of political and social issues. It was instituted by Mikhail Gorbachev......
globalization
globalization, integration of the world’s economies, politics, and cultures. German-born American economist Theodore......
glocalization
glocalization, the simultaneous occurrence of both universalizing and particularizing tendencies in contemporary......
Glover, Donald
Donald Glover is an American writer, comedian, actor, and musician who has won acclaim in all his disparate arts.......
Gneisenau, August, Count Neidhardt von
August, Count Neidhardt von Gneisenau was a Prussian field marshal and reformer, one of the key figures in rebuilding......
Gobat, Charles-Albert
Charles-Albert Gobat was a Swiss politician, administrator, philanthropist, and author, who co-won the Nobel Prize......
Goldmark, Josephine Clara
Josephine Clara Goldmark was an American reformer whose research contributed to the enactment of labour legislation.......
Golitsyn, Dmitry Mikhaylovich, Knyaz
Dmitry Mikhaylovich, Prince Golitsyn was a Russian statesman who unsuccessfully tried to transform the Russian......
Gongsun Hong
Gongsun Hong was a scholar who helped establish Confucianism as the official doctrine of the Chinese state. According......
Gorbachev, Mikhail
Mikhail Gorbachev was a Soviet official, general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from......
Gordon, Anna Adams
Anna Adams Gordon was an American social reformer who was a strong and effective force in the American temperance......
Gotthard, Saint
Saint Gotthard ; canonized 1131; feast day May 4) was an abbot and archbishop, who helped foster the development......
Gotō Shimpei
Gotō Shimpei was a statesman, who, together with General Kodama Gentarō, successfully modernized the Taiwanese......
Gouges, Olympe de
Olympe de Gouges was a French social reformer and writer who challenged conventional views on a number of matters,......
Gouvion-Saint-Cyr, Laurent, marquis de
Laurent, marquis de Gouvion-Saint-Cyr was a French soldier and statesman who distinguished himself in the Napoleonic......
Gołuchowski, Agenor, Count
Agenor Romuald, Count Gołuchowski was a conservative Polish aristocrat and statesman who as Austria’s minister......
Grabski, Władysław
Władysław Grabski was a political economist, prime minister of Poland (1920, 1923–25), and statesman who reorganized......
Gracchus, Gaius
Gaius Gracchus was a Roman tribune (123–122 bce), who reenacted the agrarian reforms of his brother, Tiberius Sempronius......
Graham, Sir James, 2nd Baronet
Sir James Graham, 2nd Baronet was a British politician, confidant and adviser of prime minister Sir Robert Peel,......
Graham, Sylvester
Sylvester Graham was an American clergyman whose advocacy of a health regimen emphasizing temperance and vegetarianism......
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, American group that was instrumental in the development of hip-hop music.......
Granger movement
Granger movement, coalition of U.S. farmers, particularly in the Middle West, that fought monopolistic grain transport......
Grant, George
George Grant was a Canadian philosopher who achieved national renown with his pessimistic 97-page book, Lament......
grassroots
grassroots, type of movement or campaign that attempts to mobilize individuals to take some action to influence......
Grattan, Henry
Henry Grattan was a leader of the Patriot movement that won legislative independence for Ireland in 1782. Later......
Great Leap Forward
Great Leap Forward, in Chinese history, the campaign undertaken by the Chinese communists between 1958 and early......
Greeley, Horace
Horace Greeley was an American newspaper editor who is known especially for his vigorous articulation of the North’s......
Greenback movement
Greenback movement, (c. 1868–88), in U.S. history, the campaign, largely by persons with agrarian interests, to......
Gregorian Reform
Gregorian Reform, eleventh-century religious reform movement associated with its most forceful advocate, Pope Gregory......
Gregory the Great, St.
St. Gregory the Great ; Western feast day, September 3 [formerly March 12, still observed in the East]) was the......
Gresham, Sir Thomas
Sir Thomas Gresham was an English merchant, financier, and founder of the Royal Exchange. Gresham was educated......
Griffin, Walter Burley
Walter Burley Griffin was an American architect, landscape designer, and city planner whose most ambitious work......
Griffing, Josephine Sophia White
Josephine Sophia White Griffing was an American reformer and a strong presence in the women’s rights movement in......
Griffith, Arthur
Arthur Griffith was a journalist and Irish nationalist, principal founder of the powerful Sinn Féin (“We Ourselves”......
Grimké, Charlotte Forten
Charlotte Forten Grimké was an American abolitionist and educator best known for the five volumes of diaries she......
Grinius, Kazys
Kazys Grinius was a Lithuanian patriot and statesman who was active in the struggle for independence from Russia......
Grivas, Georgios
Georgios Grivas was a Cypriot patriot who helped bring Cyprus independence in 1960. His goal was enosis (union)......
Groulx, Lionel-Adolphe
Lionel-Adolphe Groulx was a Canadian priest and historian who for 50 years strongly influenced the Quebec nationalist......
Gruen, Victor
Victor Gruen was an Austrian-born American architect and city planner best known as a pioneer of the regional shopping......
Guerrero, Vicente
Vicente Guerrero was a hero of the Mexican efforts to secure independence. Guerrero began his military career in......
Guild Socialism
Guild Socialism, a movement that called for workers’ control of industry through a system of national guilds operating......
Gurley, Ralph Randolph
Ralph Randolph Gurley was for 50 years an administrator (secretary, then vice president, and finally director for......
Gustavus Adolphus
Gustavus Adolphus was the king of Sweden (1611–32) who laid the foundations of the modern Swedish state and made......
Guéranger, Prosper-Louis-Pascal
Prosper-Louis-Pascal Guéranger was a monk who restored Benedictine monasticism in France and pioneered the modern......
Gwangju Uprising
Gwangju Uprising, mass protest against the South Korean military government that took place in the southern city......
Gálvez, José, Marqués De La Sonora
José Gálvez, marquis de la Sonora was a Spanish colonial administrator particularly noted for his work as inspector......
Gómez Farías, Valentín
Valentín Gómez Farías was the leader of Mexican liberalism in the mid-19th century, notable for his social reforms......
Gómez y Báez, Máximo
Máximo Gómez y Báez was the commander in chief of the Cuban revolutionary forces in the unsuccessful Ten Years’......
Gökalp, Ziya
Ziya Gökalp was a sociologist, writer, and poet, one of the most important intellectuals and spokesmen of the Turkish......
Görgey, Artúr
Artúr Görgey was a Hungarian army officer famous for his role in the Revolution of 1848–49. Görgey served as a......
Habibie, B.J.
B.J. Habibie was an Indonesian aircraft engineer and politician who was president of Indonesia (1998–99) and a......
Hadi, Sayyid Shaykh bin Ahmad, al-
Sayyid Shaykh bin Ahmad al-Hadi was a Malay Islamic writer and polemicist, journalist, and publisher who made significant......
Haile Selassie I
Haile Selassie I was the emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974 who sought to modernize his country and who steered......
Haitian Revolution
Haitian Revolution, series of conflicts between 1791 and 1804 between Haitian slaves, colonists, the armies of......

Social Movements & Trends Encyclopedia Articles By Title