The impacts of event cancellation on social movements

Abstract

ABSTRACT Social movements use a variety of methods to drive social change, including the use of events. Events can be used to drive social change because they provide a space for like-minded individuals to gather and mobilise networks and resources, growing the social movement community’s self-efficacy. These three aspects of the social movement framework were applied to event experience in light of event cancellation, in the context of Pink Dot Singapore, a social movement for LGBTQ equality. Through interviews with attendees of the event in its physical and virtual formats, this study found that the cancellation of a physical event inspired appreciation of its consciousness-raising potential. It also spurred attendees to develop self-efficacy. The event’s virtual iteration also benefited from the resource mobilisation that had developed from its physical iteration. Recommendations are made in relation to risk management and scenario planning to provide policy guidelines that will enable responses to disruptions.