The Effect of the Threat Perception on Social Movements

Abstract

The social movements arising from the social discontent comes to the forefront among the subjects that have begun to be studied after the 1960s within the sociology discipline. The explanation for the reasons of the social discontent which causes the emergence of the social movements may change according to the sociology schools. While the matters canalizing the society to step into reaction were assessed, the threat perception fed by the emotions which lead the actors to act was overlooked and thus this situation brought about mistakes in the examination of the movements. It is necessary to question the approaches on social movements in terms of the threat perception. This approach will bring the importance and necessity of the role of the emotions in human behavior to the attention of the researchers, as well.