In his piece “From Civil Rights to Megachurches,” Charles Duhigg outlines a basic formula in order for a social movement to me successful. He says “A movement starts because of the social habits of friendship and the strong ties between close acquaintances” (87). Based on Duhigg’s example of Rosa Parks, her friends and close acquaintances began the protest against segregation. The next part of the formula is described as a form of peer pressure where “the social habits that encourage people to conform to group expectations… spread through weak ties” (92). People in Montgomery began following in Parks’ friends’ footsteps which amplified the civil rights movement. The final part of the formula requires the movement to become self-propelled. Duhigg says “For an idea to… become self propelling… [leaders] give people new habit that help them figure out where to go on their own” (100). After the movement no longer requires so much effort from the leaders, the people can carry on that idea infinitely. This idea that cohesion is the solution to failing social movements is very realistic. If everybody isn’t on board with your idea then you won’t be able to be successful. Duhigg makes another good point that not only are strong ties between friends important but the weaker ties between strangers in a community is also important.
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