Beyond the Pales of Babylon: The Ideational Components and Social Psychological Foundations of Rastafari

Abstract

While resource mobilization theory has been the dominant paradigm for the study of social movements in the last several decades, critics contend that it is flawed because it glosses over the role of ideational elements in the development of such collective ventures. As a corrective to the weaknesses of this approach, we utilize a recently developed social psychological framework derived from the social constructionist perspective and the new social movement literature to examine a non-western social movement primarily located in the Caribbean, Rastafari. Concepts used to analyze the Rastafari include social movement community, framing, and collective identity. In directing attention to the symbolic beliefs and informal social processes of this group, we suggest that both political and religious motivations shape the Rastafarians' perceptions of the dominant order which they oppose (i.e., Babylon). Attention is also directed to the Rastafarians' ability to refashion their language and interpretations of the world. This study, we argue, is significant because it contributes to international, historical, and/or comparative research of collective enterprises, which is essential to a more comprehensive understanding of social movements.