The emergence of a social movement often marks the culmination of years of struggle. But as challenging as launching a movement may be, creating an organizational framework that allows that movement to endure can be just as daunting.
The emotion that ignites a social movement can be based on any number of things, including grievances, anger, hope or rising expectations.
It's relatively easy to reel off a litany of well-known social movements, from civil rights to anti-war to the women's movement. Trying to pin down what actually constitutes a social movement can be a bit more challenging.
Most movements are populated by both moderates and militants. The role each plays, and the relationship between them, can be quite complex.