ABSTRACT
Researchers classify the causes of Social Movement Organizations (SMOs) in terms of the two variations of: first, macro-, meso-, or micro scale of social organization, time, and geography, and, second, standing arrangements versus situational changes in fostering or inhibiting SMO formation. This chapter reports standing arrangements and situational changes in macro variables affecting the formation of SMOs. One of the variables that stimulates or sharpens a sense of injustice is the degree to which incidents occur that serve to dramatize, heighten, or focus otherwise unfocused or diffuse discontent. Cases with the same composite casual force that have led to SMO formation may be composed of variables that are individually quite different in the strength of specific variables. One commonsense or "folk" belief about the causes of SMOs is that people most economically deprived are the most prone to react to this deprivation by forming SMOs with the aim of ending their deprivation.
