Article Version of Record

“I Have a Dream”: A Typology of Social Change Goals

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Sweetman, Joseph
Leach, Colin Wayne
Spears, Russell
Pratto, Felicia
Saab, Rim

Abstract / Description

To date, there is little in the way of theorizing or empirical work on the imagined endpoint of political action aimed at social change – the type of “dream” those engaged in action are attempting to bring into fruition. We suggest that previous approaches have focused narrowly on one type of social change – amelioration of collective grievances. In contrast, we argue that social change is much richer and imaginative than this narrow focus suggests. In the present article we draw on key constructs in social psychology (e.g., goals, efficacy, legitimacy, identity, social system, and social value) in order to develop a typology of social change goals. In doing so, we explain why people might support one type of social change (e.g., revolution) versus others (e.g., separatism or amelioration). The typology is used to discuss future directions for research and to highlight the implications for psychological (and broader) approaches to social change.

Keyword(s)

social change goals collective action efficacy legitimacy identity system

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2013-12-16

Journal title

Journal of Social and Political Psychology

Volume

1

Issue

1

Page numbers

293–320

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Sweetman, J., Leach, C. W., Spears, R., Pratto, F., & Saab, R. (2013). “I Have a Dream”: A Typology of Social Change Goals. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 1(1), 293–320. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.85
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Sweetman, Joseph
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Leach, Colin Wayne
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Spears, Russell
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Pratto, Felicia
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Saab, Rim
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-26T12:44:43Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-26T12:44:43Z
  • Date of first publication
    2013-12-16
  • Abstract / Description
    To date, there is little in the way of theorizing or empirical work on the imagined endpoint of political action aimed at social change – the type of “dream” those engaged in action are attempting to bring into fruition. We suggest that previous approaches have focused narrowly on one type of social change – amelioration of collective grievances. In contrast, we argue that social change is much richer and imaginative than this narrow focus suggests. In the present article we draw on key constructs in social psychology (e.g., goals, efficacy, legitimacy, identity, social system, and social value) in order to develop a typology of social change goals. In doing so, we explain why people might support one type of social change (e.g., revolution) versus others (e.g., separatism or amelioration). The typology is used to discuss future directions for research and to highlight the implications for psychological (and broader) approaches to social change.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Sweetman, J., Leach, C. W., Spears, R., Pratto, F., & Saab, R. (2013). “I Have a Dream”: A Typology of Social Change Goals. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 1(1), 293–320. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.85
    en_US
  • ISSN
    2195-3325
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1320
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1701
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.85
  • Keyword(s)
    social change
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    goals
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    collective action
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    efficacy
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    legitimacy
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    identity
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    system
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    “I Have a Dream”: A Typology of Social Change Goals
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    1
  • Journal title
    Journal of Social and Political Psychology
  • Page numbers
    293–320
  • Volume
    1
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record