Public Disputes & Societal Transformation Writing II: Anlysis and Synthesis

Catalog description

How do public disputes help transform societies? What roles do leadership and followership play in advancing societal change in the context of democratic governance? Anthropologist Margaret Mead famously asserted: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.” With that, an understanding of public dispute for social change is one of the important strategies in the change process. The seminar emphasizes experiential learning and introduces students to local, regional, and global cases of public disputes with the main emphasis placed on how they transform societies through new ideas, modes of thought, and strategies of social mobilization. Additionally, the course discusses change theories, public protests, political followership, global followership and global citizenship frameworks, and societal actions around planetary health, among other topics. Guest experts are invited to facilitate a number of synchronous conversations.