Social movements bring together individuals with similar goals as they work to transform social norms, public policies, economic systems, and more. Through local and international examples addressing issues such as decolonial struggles for Indigenous sovereignty, sexual violence, peace activism, queer rights, and climate change, among others, this course explores what motivates and sustains activists, the diverse tactics and strategies activists use (for example, cultural politics, non-violent direct action, litigation), how movement successes and failures are measured, and how and why groups evolve, or fall apart, over time. We will look at the social, cultural and political forces that prompt social movements as well as the counter-movements that often occur, alongside the promises and challenges of collaborative and intersectional action. While the course will be grounded in the social science scholarship on social movements, it will regularly introduce students to this conceptual framework through examples of movements themselves.
This course is an approved elective for students majoring in Sociology, Gender Studies, Global Politics and Human Rights, and Communication and Social Change.