Post for Harlan County, USA movie

In the Thomas, Walker and Zelditch article, they examine how the validity of an issue affects collective action through their study. The authors found “that when change is legitimate, mobilizing collective action to correct inequity becomes a routine aspect of ongoing activity…” The findings in this article are well supported in the Harlan County, USA movie. The mine workers and their families knew that the change toward substantive pay and benefits would be a tough one but they also knew that the change was valid and that they would be bettering the conditions for future generations. The workers were willing to risk being killed (which some were) at the possibility of receiving better conditions. Also, the workers knew that this would be a long, step by step battle, which was further emphasized when the first contract was negotiated and agreed upon and then soon after they were on strike again to ask for something else. This was also found in the Thomas, Walker and Zelditch study, that the collective action to correct inequity would become a regular practice for the group and it would not be as hard to motivate others to participate in the protest.