On Social Mobilization

Social mobilization refers to unique and initiative activities of human society, which have played a promoting role in transforming the human world. In class society, for the sake of their respective interests, different countries, ethnic groups, different classes and strata have established their own goals and tasks in different historical periods in the process of achieving desired social objectives and completing major tasks. Great emphasis has been placed on social mobilization to lead the direction, to inspire the masses, to coordinate action, to integrate resources, to enhance development and protect national, ethnic, class interests.Social mobilization refers to social activities generated from and also the inherent and essential requirement of social practice. The development of social practice is inseparable from social mobilization and social mobilization exists in all social activities. The former comes from and serves the latter, particularly in fulfilling important social objectives and tasks and in performing significant social practice. Just as social practice cannot be separated from social cooperation, neither is social cooperation from social mobilization. Without social practice, social mobilization becomes like "water without a source, a tree without roots". Originated in the social practice, social mobilization follows the path Social Practice←�'Social Cooperation←�'Social Mobilization, eventually serving social practice.The author starts from the social practice and focuses on the basic issues concerning the significance of social mobilization, its nature, and ways how to carry it out. The thesis gives an illustration that social mobilization is the prerequisite of social practice, clarifies the significance of social mobilization, advances a comprehensive analysis of its nature, modes, principles and ways to carry it out. The author is trying to study and answer a series of basic theoretical questions of social mobilization in order to better guide the practice of social mobilization.The thesis emphasizes on the combination of theory and practice and tries to make a systematic and thorough research about social mobilization. Besides the introduction, the thesis is made up of five chapters. Each chapter is as follows.Chapter One gives an analysis of the significance of social mobilization, the main points are in the following:First, the chapter illustrates that as people’s practice, social practice requires a broad and depth social mobilization based on the Marxism theory---The masses are the subject of people’s social practice and the people’s social practice is the initiative to social and historical development. Social mobilization is thus an important prerequisite. Second, in terms of the Party’s governance capability, this chapter clarifies the importance of social mobilization capability in leading organizations and groups to achieve crucial development and points out the representative function of social mobilization capability for the Party’s governing capability. Third, the chapter reviews the fine tradition of the CPC’s social mobilization; analyzes its characteristics and style in different historical periods of the CPC’s revolution and construction; and it also concludes the experiences of the CPC in its long-time social mobilization in which ideological mobilization, organization mobilization, interests’ guidance and multiple valuable ways are very important. Fourth, the chapter analyzes the practical value of social mobilization in globalization and modernization, and points out the necessity for a new social mobilization. All the new social mobilization is the result of many needs---the needs of social competition and cooperation, the needs of leading orientation over diversity, the needs of information exchange and interactive communication, the needs of coordination and integration of social interests, and the needs of democratic participation and political development.Chapter Two shows the origin and development of social mobilization, presents its definition and analyzes its nature and characteristics. Based on the analysis in the evolvement of the definition, particularly on the research about the history of CPC theory and practice in social mobilization, and from the reference given by the western scholars, the definition is given to social mobilization---the activities in which certain national, political or social groups influence and change the attitude, values and expectations of their members to achieve certain objectives in many different ways. Social mobilization is organized activities, whose core is ideological mobilization, the purpose of which is to realize certain social objectives. Its nature is to launch activities to inspire and encourage the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity from the masses to participate in the major social practice and tasks. Social mobilization involves purposiveness, participation, cooperative, and repetition.Chapter Three discusses the type, situation, elements, and mode of social mobilization. The type includes political mobilization, economic mobilization, cultural mobilization and military mobilization according to its nature and content. Different type of social mobilization is made up of two situations---conventional and emergency. The elements constitute subject, object, vector and environment. According to the linking style between the different factors, particularly because of the different transmission in the process between subject and object, social mobilization can be classified into vertical mobilization mode, horizontal mobilization mode, radial mobilization mode and network mobilization mode.Chapter Four discusses the basic process and its objective laws of social mobilization. The process, gradual and progressive, is made up of stages of preparation, implementation, feedback. Preparation stage includes the confirmation of mobilization objectives, the determination of the subject, the analysis of the object and the draft of the plan. Implementation stage includes the determination of the key points in mobilization, the grasp of the opportunity, integration of resources and the promotion of public participation. Feedback stage includes the improvement of the mobilization capability and the enhancement of the effect through the assessment and feedback performance. The implementation of social mobilization is the process of the mobilization of the subject to influence the object, also the process of the masses responding to the mobilization. The real truth is that it is a two-way interaction, and a process of mobilization from the masses to the masses. Some principles must be followed:objective linkage of interests, reasonable blend of law and sentiment, appropriate mobilization, and strengthening of the implementation.Chapter Five illustrates the basic approach to and the specific method of the implementation of social mobilization. Both are means to achieve certain goals. To mobilize the society, social mobilization must follow the right approach--from the spontaneous to conscious, from thinking to action, from individual to group, from the leader to the masses, from the economy to the politics. And in order to activate, guide, unite and organize community members to join in the social practice, to complete common social tasks and achieve important social objectives so as to promote the social development, a variety of mobilization methods could be applied such as theory mobilization, practice mobilization, organizing mobilization, media mobilization, model mobilization and art mobilization.