CULTURE AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

Catalog description

This course focuses on the culture and politics of social movements, interest groups, NGOs, and collective protest activity. This course explores theoretical approaches to understand the organizational, tactical, and affective dimensions of social discontent, resistance, collective action, and protest. It will also examine histories of direct action such as public provocation and moral shock, occupation of buildings and sit-ins, marches and street blocking, performance and 'art-activism'. The students will be required to select and conduct an independent research project. Possible examples: Black Lives Matters, the Tea-Party, 'white rage' and the election of Donald Trump, neo-fascist movements in Europe and elsewhere, the Arab Spring, environmental protest movements, labor activism, and suicide as a form of protest. 001342