Social movements go through a stage process. A movement begins when people become aware of an issue and leaders emerge, then people join and organize the group. Once the social movement becomes institutionalized, it may even have a paid staff. If people fall away or if the movement becomes successful enough in its goals, the movement falls into decline.

Four.

Explanation:

A social movement can be defined as an organised group of people that come together for a specific cause or common social goal.

A social movement is divided into four stages namely emergence, Coalescence, Bureaucratisation, and Decline.

At the first stage, a social movement sprouts or emerge, when people become aware of a social cause. At the second stage, the cause no longer remains individual but it becomes a collective cause. This is an important stage, as, at this stage, the movement starts becoming strategic and organised.

The third stage is the formalisation or bureaucratisation stage. At this stage, trained staffs begin to form who will carry the message and the functions of the organisation. Politically, the social movement becomes stronger at this stage.

The last and the fourth stage is the decline stage. As the name suggests, the social movement, at this stage begins to decline, not necessarily because of failure. A social movement may decline because it successfully achieved its purpose, or because of repression by the government, or when leaders co-opt.

So, the correct answer is four stages.