Social Movements: Analyzing Factors Affecting Movement Participation among College Students

As the prevalence of social justice efforts and social movements has risen in today’s political climate, activist groups are always searching for more participation. Because youth participation is crucial to the functioning of social movements, the aim of the current paper is to analyze the factors affecting attitudes and perceptions of social movements among young adults. I draw on survey data collected from students at a small, Midwestern liberal arts university to analyze the factors that may influence movement participation. I find that social movements that focus on issues such as human rights, women’s rights, environmental justice, and equality for marginalized groups most strongly compel student participation. In addition, students were motivated to join social movements based on their beliefs and personal experiences. Social frame theory, social identity theory, and the impact of social media inform my analysis and the implications for my findings