Protest & Social Movements

Catalog description

While it is an inclination to assume protests and social movements emerge as instantaneous, unique responses to contemporary injustices, this class examines contemporary protests and social movements as continuations of longstanding rhetorical traditions held within a movement’s collective memory. Students will analyze contemporary and historical protests and social movement rhetorics, along with adversarial rhetorics, to identify common, foundational strategies. Students will also examine departures in protest rhetoric, and they will be asked to explain why the needs of a movement might demand an approach which diverges from previous strategies. By analyzing protests and social movements from the intersection of rhetoric and collective memory, students will have a better understanding of the long arch in struggles for justice and equity, and they will also have a strong understanding of the rhetorical legacies that support public persuasion within social movements. Satisfies Communication Studies major and minor requirement. Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing and Rhetoric requirement. Satisfies Justice, Equality and Community requirement.