reform movement (reform social movement)

Definition of Reform Movement

(noun) A social movement that wants to change a specific facet of society.

Reform Movement Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: re·form move·ment

Audio Pronunciation

International Phonetic Alphabet

• American English – /riˈfɔrm ˈmuvmənt/
• British English – /ˌriːˈfɔːm ˈmuːvmənt/

Usage Notes

• Plural: reform movements
• The terms “reform movement” and “reform social movement” are used interchangeably in a sociological context.
• Other social movements studied in social movement theory include:
  • alternative movements
  • religious movements
  • resistance movements
• Also called: reformative movement

Additional Information

• Word origin of “reform” and “movement” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com

Related Terms

• individual
• new social movement theory
• prognostic framing
• resource mobilization theory
• social action
• social change
• social movement

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Works Consulted

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Griffiths, Heather, Nathan Keirns, Eric Strayer, Susan Cody-Rydzewski, Gail Scaramuzzo, Tommy Sadler, Sally Vyain, Jeff Bry, Faye Jones. 2016. Introduction to Sociology 2e. Houston, TX: OpenStax.

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Ravelli, Bruce, and Michelle Webber. 2016. Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective. 3rd ed. Toronto: Pearson.

Scott, John, and Gordon Marshall. 2005. A Dictionary of Sociology. New York: Oxford University Press.

Shepard, Jon M. 2010. Sociology. 11th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Shepard, Jon M., and Robert W. Greene. 2003. Sociology and You. New York: Glencoe.

Stolley, Kathy S. 2005. The Basics of Sociology. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wiktionary, The Free Dictionary. Wikimedia Foundation. (http://en.wiktionary.org).

Cite the Definition of Reform Movement

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “reform movement.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 25, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/reform-movement/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

reform movement. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/reform-movement/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “reform movement.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 25, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/reform-movement/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“reform movement.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/reform-movement/>.