ABSTRACT
People who are passionately attached to symbols as well as people who are trained in their use and manipulation are commonly termed intellectuals. To understand the situation of modern intellectuals, it is necessary to examine the master trends affecting their growth and common perspective. The basic transformation of the educational background of intellectuals and the organizational settings in which they are employed occurs within limits set by the political structure and culture. Social movements shape the identities of organizational intellectuals in two ways. First, they provide experiences that affect attitudes and perspectives during the period when activist intellectuals are making basic career choices. Second, if the movements are successful, new organizations and programs, leading to new career opportunities, are created because of their demands. Some organizational intellectuals may pursue their commitment to social change by taking full-time positions in social movement organizations. Mills saw the bureaucratization of the intellectual leading to a decline in intellectual criticism.
