How does a revolution happen?

Dr. Neil Smelser – a contemporary sociology professor and renowned American researcher – has given a theory about revolution in his book “The Theory of Collective Behavior” that is considered the most authoritative global perspective on revolution today. Dr. Neil’s theory is taught in prestigious universities around the world. Dr. Smelser believes that revolution is the most extreme form of social transformation in a society.

Dr. Neil Smelser has used the concept of value-added to describe how collective behavior occurs.

He believes that if six social elements are placed together, a collective behavior is added to that community simply because of their gathering; in this regard, one can refer to the gathering of air, gasoline, and spark, to which an explosion is added.

Revolution is one of those collective behaviors that is the result of the combination of these six social elements; but according to Dr. Neil Smelser, those six social elements are as follows:

• Creating a structure for a social reaction: That is, the structure of a society must be such that there is a basis for protest. For example, one can point to racial discrimination, gender discrimination, or excessive class differences, or any other important issue in society that provides a reason for a social reaction.

• Structural pressure : There must be pressure on society that comes from the structure of the social system. That is, the existence of discrimination and class differences is not enough, but discrimination and differences cause pressure on people. For example, it can be poverty, excessive inflation, unemployment, injustice and government corruption, and people feel that pressure in their daily lives; and society comes to understand that the rulers either do not have the ability to do it or do not want to take appropriate action to improve it.

• A generalized belief, a general belief: People should know where the problem lies and what the solution is! For example: the problem of the rulers' insistence on nuclear power, which has led the country to poverty. The solution to this issue is also known and clear to everyone. Or, for example, the problem of Sharia law is accompanied by force, whipping, and imprisonment, which again has a clear solution.
  People must believe in those pressures and consider the factors of those pressures to be caused by the social system of the rulers. And the general public must have an understanding with each other to overcome those factors. Today, in Iran, these factors have all reached a point together, to this point.

• Accelerating factors : Events must occur to act as a spark and ignite those factors that come together.
  In the Tunisian Arab uprising of 2010-2011, a young street vendor sparked a popular uprising that resulted in a change of government in Tunisia. In fact, all the factors came together and that unjust self-immolation became the spark that ignited an explosion for the Tunisian people.
  Today, in Iran, the unjust death of a young girl named Mahsa Amini has sparked an explosion among the people.

• Mobilization for action : This means that people prepare and organize for action and incite protests.
  Today, information is disseminated very quickly via the Internet, and in Iran, each trade union organizes its own activities. For example, they announce that the trade union council of teachers, university professors, truck drivers, or market workers has joined the strike. This means that each trade union organizes itself in line with its rights and decides to protest collectively.

• Operation or failure of social control : This means the reaction of the rulers. How the rulers confront the will of the people, so that a movement or revolution does not take place. Of course, this important issue depends on the behavior of the rulers.

At this stage, democratic governments either cave in to the people or implement reforms, remove the guilty individuals, and even compensate for the damage, and ultimately the protests subside.

But dictatorial governments at this stage think about suppressing the people. Of course, even if governments succeed in suppressing their nations, we must know that all these factors remain in society and suffocation and repression will be added to these stages. It also waits for the next spark, which is much more difficult and bigger. That is, by suppressing social and civil problems, it only remains silent for a while and is more prepared for the next stages. In the second case, the rulers do not succeed in extinguishing the people's protests and after a while, the forces of repression become tired and frustrated and as a result, they become vulnerable and differences and divisions arise among themselves; because it is a fact that the forces of repression are from the people themselves and on the other hand, they are pressured by the thoughts of society. The collapse of the repressive forces leads to a lack of control over the rule of power and causes a sudden transformation of the social system and as a result leads to the victory of the revolution.

 Hoping for the victory of the Iranian people

Analytical article written by: Pastor Yohanna Maru