A hypothetical city introduces a congestion fee that applies to all drivers. A protest coalition forms, but participation is highest among middle-income commuters who report they are "worse off than before" even though their income has not changed. Organizers explicitly apply relative deprivation theory and emphasize the role of shifting expectations after the policy change. Which outcome is most consistent with the theory applied?
- Participation will be highest among those with the greatest organizational ties, regardless of perceived unfairness
- Participation will be highest among those who perceive the fee as violating expected entitlements compared with prior conditions (correct answer)
- Participation will be unrelated to perceptions and will track only the city's overall unemployment rate
- Participation will decline if the coalition gains resources, since resources substitute for grievances
Explanation: This question tests understanding of social movements and collective action within social structures (Foundational Concept 9B). Relative deprivation theory emphasizes that collective action arises from perceived violations of expected entitlements, particularly through temporal comparisons (before vs. after). The scenario shows middle-income commuters feeling "worse off than before" after the congestion fee, despite unchanged income, indicating shifted expectations drive participation. Option B correctly predicts participation will be highest among those who perceive the fee as violating expected entitlements compared with prior conditions, aligning with relative deprivation theory's focus on expectation gaps. Option A incorrectly emphasizes organizational ties, which belongs to resource mobilization theory rather than the relative deprivation framework being applied. When applying relative deprivation theory, focus on how policy changes create new comparison points that violate previous expectations.