Outlines elements of the mass society perspective, relative deprivation, and a differential socialization theory as explanations for individual activism. Integrates these into a structural equation model and applies the model to samples of White and Black adults, finding strong race-specific differences in the formation of political orientations.…

This document measures two sociological theories against patterns which emerge from six studies on former student activists. Because the existing data neither confirm nor contradict each theory, a third orientation is introduced. Briefly stated, the social integration theory suggests that former activists assume adult work roles, retreat from…