Sociology

The other side of social mover was described and identified in this article. These people may be classified as insurgents, but in another perspective. They are the actors that play as informant or agent provocateur, who are on the side of the state or the government. Given that the government regularly has branches or departments that handle domestic and internal security, such informants are actually deemed as necessary, but are often categorically neglected. Their characters and schemes are important that perform roles in a social movement. These social movements happen when people are discontented to how government functions in the society, and as well as they have separate leanings or beliefs that are contrary to what the government believes examples of these include anti capitalists, anti free trade, anti neoliberal globalization, pro environment groups, and the like. It is an action of dominant social groups, and the way this collective action aims at the maintenance or modification of a dominant structure (Nilsen, 2009, p. 132).

The neglected social movement participants in this article are those who are from the other side. They seems neglected or ignored because it is their job to be so, as a matter of fact, this write-up calls for another investigation. The other side is revealed, and these people turned out to be police officers, like FBI, and some are civilians. These secret agents responsibility is to conceal their true identity from the original social movers. Given that such peoples movements against the government and against established institutions may actually serve as a security threat or as a source of destabilization by the government, then the government will do necessary steps to address these, including the hiring of secret agents. These secret agents usually believe in patriotism and nationalism, and have a deep sense of commitment in serving the country. They believe that what they are actually doing is beneficial to the country that they serve,

Their role as police offers to investigate and stop any form of social movement or rise of social instability always fail, due to their original role as police officers, and the like. Since police officers were seen as sympathetic who never fails to join the riot itself in social movements (Marx, 1970, p.14), officers were barred from being one of the two or they are always the last choice. Therefore, there are very low chances that they can serve as undercover agents for the government. This brought the existence or the necessity for the states side to get civilians who can be their external effort (Marx, 1979 n.p.) or outside-undercover of the state. This is where these people and their corresponding roles come in, taking in roles as unsuspected undercover agents for the government.

There are two choices for being this kind of insurgent, either undercover or lead the order. The two identified actors the agent-provocateur and the informant exist to find out the plans of the militants, to damage their solidarity. The informant plays an informant-gathering role (Marx, 1974, p.404)meaning his task is to get all information through taking pictures, collecting documents, opening mails, and the like, sometimes too they intentionally misinform and exaggerate documents retrieved. Both roles and tasks are risky but being an agent-provocateur is riskier. This agent faces the consequences of being and doing agent-provocateur actions that are more obvious because their roles may go along with the illegal actions (Marx, 1979, n.p.). Meaning they play their roles through disguising as one of the social movers or protesters rebels in order to destroy their relationship through making up a quarrel or conflict within. Likewise they provoke the protesters to do unconventional or illegal ways inside their organization.

Investigating from the other side of actors of social movements seems interesting. Getting inside their camps is exciting and destroying their solid frameworks is thrilling. Imagine setting oneself up, mastering to be one of the members of the movement, provoking them, as well as risking own life just to gather and destroy them. Sometimes, according to the article this scheme may backfire, and once this happen it will weaken the legitimacy of the government, thus social movement organizations will gather more sympathizers and supporters (Marx, 1974, p.427).

This article made me wonder why government needs to strive hard just to get information, block them, and intervene in social movements. I get to see how desperate they are just to stop social movements. This is a call to another level of understanding to the other side of the story behind social movements. As a conclusion of this article, understanding the role of agents provocateurs and informants can call attention to the importance of micro level analysis for understanding social movements and of the need to study movements in relation to their political environments (Marx, 1974, p.440). This article has successfully elaborated the role and consequences of the false (Marx, 1974, p.440) individual that may heighten the conflict between the nation and the state. This also wants to present some of the violence and violations of civil liberties and due process to which irresponsible agents may contribute (Marx, 1974, p.440).  In addition, I also personally believe that such undercover agents may actually serve as a threat to the governments legitimacy due to impressions of violating privacy.