The politics of common sense : how social movements use public discourse to change politics and win acceptance / Deva R. Woodly.

Introduction: the talk of movements -- Mainstream discourse, public meaning, and the political character of persuasion -- A tale of two movements: living wage -- A tale of two movements: marriage equality -- The discursive architecture of resonance -- Political acceptance and the process of political change -- From marginal to mainstream -- Conclusion: after acceptance: the tea party, occupy, and the prospects for political transformation.

"The way that movements communicate with the general public directly affects their chances of lasting success. In The Politics of Commons Sense, Deva R. Woodly argues that the potential for movement-led political change is rooted in mainstream democratic discourse-specifically, in the political acceptance of new issues by news media, the general public, and elected officials. This is true to some extent for any group wishing to alter status quo distributions of rights and/or resources, but is especially important for grassroots challengers who have not established a recognizable presence withing the polity. Woodly develops a theory of resonance and applies it to two contemporary movements-the living wage and marriage equality campaigns-during the critical decade after their emergence between 1994 and 2004. Woodly argues that while the Living Wage movement attained over 120 policy victories, they lacked a broad discursive strategy, which hindered their ultimate success. Meanwhile, the gay marriage movement experienced a meteoric rise in both visibility and popularity despite suffering many policy defeats. Woodly credits the gay marriage victories with the movement's deliberate effort to change the mainstream political discourse, and thus the public understanding of the issue. These cases, she argues, show that resources such as money and connections are not always the main driver of the difference in the success or failure of political movements. Without shifting the mainstream discourse, other movement successes-recruiting and empowering members in an expanding social organization; raising public direction-may prove ephemeral. By contrast, a movement that effectively alters the terms of discourse can overcome considerable opposition ans structural disadvantages to achieve sustained, meaningful change."--Provided by the publisher.