The Changing Face Of Social Movements In Australia: Activism

Rawls later played a major role in reviving an interest in political philosophy by describing civil disobedience as “…public non-violent conscientious act contrary to law done with the intent to bring about change…” (Cited in Goodman, 2002). Rawls saw those who participated in forms of civil disobedience as acting from moral principle and political conscience for the public good (Goodman, 2002; Nussabaum, 2002).

Throughout the history of Australia there have been a number of social movements and civil uprisings which have included: the McCarthy movement (1950s), Trade unionism (1950s), the movement against 54B and the Vietnam War (1960s), anti-war protests, anti-corporate globalisation, and ecological and green movements (Burgmann, 1993).

As with any movement, there are those who believe that the current system is as good as it gets, that we have reached an impasse. There are others who believe that civil disobedience and social movements are a threat to political and social order, rather than seeing them as an intractable and essential part (Goodman, 2002). These people tend to “be those who are in power, rather than out of power” (Goodman, 2002). Ironically, western democracy (from freedom of speech to representative parliaments) has been developed and shaped through previous acts of civil disobedience (Goodman, 2002).

New and reoccurring social movements have been given a face lift by the recent developments in technology. For example the anti-war protests that have taken place in regards to the war of terrorism have broken down the barriers of space and time. Although anti-war movements only emerge when governments engage in war or warlike activities, only to disappear with the war itself (Burgmann, 1993), the protest itself was able to be participated in by millions of people in a form of global protest. The mass media was used to spread word of street protests, meanwhile the internet was used to create online antiwar protests. Email petitions were circulated, polls were placed on websites, and online communities and forums focusing on the ‘war on terrorism’ were created.

Some topics in this essay:
Australia Indigenous, Wide Web, Indigenous Australian, Aboriginal Islander, John Arquila, Civil Disobedience, Cited Goodman, Constitution Act, Strait Islander, Vietnam War, burgmann 1993, civil disobedience, social movements, goodman 2002, brisbane nd, tripcony 2001, land rights, indigenous rights, indigenous people, rights movements, tripcony 2001 passing, 2001 passing acts, land caldicott 2002, cited goodman 2002, commonwealth franchise act,