Social Movements 3102-FSM

Organized attempts to promote social change. Emphasis is on substantive investigation of the impact of social class, gender, and racialization on the social origins, development and success or failure of a variety of social movements. The analysis of social movements comprises one of the most vibrant areas of sociological research today. By joining together, individuals can work to transform social values or norms, establish collective identities, change laws, and prevent business from running as usual. This class will aim to further our understanding of social movements by examining how they develop, are sustained, and (sometimes) decline. Drawing upon the analysis of a wide range of social movements around the world, the course reviews social movement theories and attempts to answer questions such as: How do we explain why people participate in revolutions or social movements? Why is it that some people never revolt? What tactics do people use to resist the power of the state? Can governments repress revolutions or social movements? What determines whether a social movement or revolution is successful? What happens after the revolution? Because rebellions and revolutions may have an ambiguous legacy, the course seeks to show that the emergence, dynamics, and outcomes of social movements have come to encompass much of the study of contemporary politics and culture more generally.