10.3b2 Reform Movement

A reform movement seeks change in norms or policy but does not seek broad structural change. Reform movements often aim for slow change using social institutions, such as the courts, to achieve their goals. For example, a reform movement appeared in Flint, Michigan, in the 2010s. In 2014, Flint switched its source of fresh water from Lake Huron to the Flint River (Kwong et al., 2024). Because of differences in the water composition from these sources, this change caused the lead in the pipes to leach into the water. No amount of lead exposure is safe. It causes damage to the brain, nervous system, kidneys, and more (Centers for Disease Control, 2024). A pediatrician, Mona Hanna, began collecting data on the number of children testing positive for elevated levels of lead to prove the scope of the problem to the state of Michigan, which initially dismissed her findings (Kwong et al., 2024).

Meanwhile, Mari Copeny (known as Little Miss Flint) was just 8 years old when she wrote a letter to President Barack Obama in 2016 seeking help with the Flint, Michigan, water crisis (see Photo 10.9). As a result of their and others’ activism, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2024b) issued a rule to replace all lead pipes supplying drinking water in the United States and set the strictest limits on lead in drinking water.

Photo 10.9

President Barack Obama with Mari Copeny “Little Miss Flint,” Age 8