GOVT 467: Comparative Social Movements v.1 Friday 1:15-4:15 PM Fall 2017 Sawyer 808

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1 GOVT 467 A Comparative Social Movements Suffolk University Fall 2017 Prof. Brian Conley Office: Room 1084, 73 Tremont, 10 th Floor Government Department Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 12:00-1:00PM, by appointment bconley@suffolk.edu Phone: Course Description: How do we explain the appearance or absence of social movements? What social or individual factors explain their development and decline? Who joins social movements? Who does not? Why? What ideas or ideals animate those who do participate? What is it like to be part of a social movement? What effect do they or have they had on politics, power and efforts at social change? These are some of the questions that have traditionally shaped debates concerning social movements, both domestically and internationally. They will form the analytical core of the work in this course. By critically evaluating several competing schools of thought in social movement theory and history we will attempt to highlight the social forces that have, at varying points in times, facilitated, maintained, as well as blocked the development of social movements in the US and beyond. Course Goals & Learning Objectives GOALS OBJECTIVES ASSESSMENTS Develop an advanced understanding of social movement theory, practice and history. Develop the ability to analyze and critically evaluate competing theories of social movement development and decline. Develop a general understanding of the social science writing process. Understand the mechanisms through which social, cultural or global differences are perceived, understood and constructed. Develop the ability to organize and write a research paper as it relates to social movement theory and analysis. -Identify the differences related to social movement theory and practice in their historical or geographical context. -Compare different standpoints and 1

2 Understand the relationships among conflicts, social, cultural or global differences, and power within the changing historical and cultural contexts. Analyze how convergent or conflicting perspectives of diverse communities influence change within a social, cultural or global context. Develop a general understanding of the social science research process. Develop a general understanding of how arguments are made and presented in the field of political science. Course Requirements perspectives about diverse communities. -Explain how differences are constructed or reinforced. - Understand how issues involving conflict and power within social movements evolved in historical or cultural context. - Explain how privilege and power play a systemic role in how culture is practiced. - Have self-knowledge about how different perspectives are active and impactful in your (the student s) life. - Analyze concepts and constructs taught in class - Review and analyze implications of research in order to apply course content to real classroom/institutional scenarios Develop the ability to gather and critically evaluate social science research as it relates to social movement theory and analysis. Develop presentation skills. - Class Presentations A key component of the course will be learning how to organize and write a research paper beginning with developing a research question, followed by the drafting of a literature review, research outline and concluding with a final research paper. Students will be evaluated on the basis of the following: Four (4) Writing Assignments Response Papers 2

3 Class Attendance Class Participation 1. Writing Assignments (4) The first assignment will be a research question. The second is a corresponding literature review, and the third a research outline. These three assignments will serve as the building blocks of the final assignment: a page research paper. Each assignment will be preceded by a writing seminar that focuses on that component of the paper. The readings for these seminars are available on the class blackboard website. Research Paper: Your paper should address one of the central questions raised in the class about the origins, development and decline of social movements in the US and abroad. You may do this by investigating a particular social movement (SNCC: Students Non- Violent Coordinating Committee, Greenpeace, Moral Majority, etc.) a type of social movements (the labor movement, the women s movement, etc), a particular movement theory (resource mobilization, political process, cultural analysis). Regardless of what you study, your paper must include a critical review (a literature review) of the competing schools of thought within social movement theory as they apply to your topic. You need to situation your analysis within the existing literature and theoretical debates: How does the theory of resource mobilization or social networks, or our readings on the civil rights movements inform your analysis, for example? 2. Response Papers You will also be required to submit two response papers per class. The papers should critically engage one of the weekly readings. The papers should be no longer than two pages. The papers will be due at the end of each section and should be submitted though the course Blackboard site. 3. Class Attendance and Participation: Class Discussion Questions Students are also expected to attend and participate in class. To facilitate this process, each student, together with at least one partner will be responsible for posting questions about the reading, and then leading the discussion in two separate classes over the course of the semester. Ideally, the questions should be ed to the class at least 24 hours in advance. The schedule for this assignment will be distributed during the second week of class. I also strongly encourage you to read any of the major national newspapers, journals of opinion, news magazines and political blogs as well as watch cable and broadcast news programs in order to stay abreast of current political issues and developments. You should feel free at any time to introduce issues you find relevant in our class discussion. 3

4 Grading Response Papers: 20% Research Question: 10% Literature Review: 20% Paper Outline/Research Design: 10% Final Research Paper: 30% Class Attendance: 5% Class Discussion: 5% Due Dates Weekly September 29 November 3 December 1 December 15 *** *** The following reader is required for the course. It is available for purchase at the Suffolk University Bookstore and on reserve at the Sawyer library. Goodwin, Jeff and James Jasper, eds The Social Movement Reader: Cases and Concepts. 3rd Edition. Boston: Blackwell Publishing. The Suffolk University Bookstore is located at 120 Tremont Street. The phone number is (617) suffolkuniversity@bkstr.com Class Website: The syllabus as well as the remainder of the class readings will be posted on the following class website: Password: govt467 Student Engagement Hours: To complete this course, students will need to dedicate, at a minimum, the following amount of time to the listed activities: Item Activity Hours (total) Course 804 Pages x 8 min per Page Response Papers 22 Hours 22 Review Power Points: 47 PP x.30 Hour per PP 23.5 Research Question: 2 Hours Preparation 2 Literature Review: 20 Hours Preparation 20 Research Outline: 8 Hours Preparation 8 Final Paper: 10 Hours Preparation 10 Class Attendance: 12 Classes x 160 minutes 32 Total: University Policies: 4

5 Disability Statement: Absence and Attendance Policy from the Student Handbook: Academic Misconduct Policy: Academic Resources & Student Support Services: Academic Grievances Policy: Unexpected Course Cancellation Plan (Inclement weather, illness, etc.) In the event that the university cancels classes, such as for severe weather, students are expected to continue with readings as originally scheduled. Any assignments scheduled during those missed classes, such as an exam or paper, are due at the next class meeting unless other instructions are posted at the course website or communicated via . *********************************************************************** The separate readings are noted as follows: Goodwin and Jasper: (GJ) Class Website: (CW) *********************************************************************** Friday: Sept 8: Introduction: Review Syllabus (i1) Friday: Sept 15: (w1) Origins of Social Movements Key Question/Issue: What three features define, in Tilly s analysis, what is commonly referred to as a social movement? (GJ) Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper Introduction. In The Social Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, 3-7. (CW) Charles Tilly Social Movements, Boulder: Paradigm Publishers, Chapter 1. (CW) David Kirkpatrick and David Sanger A Tunisian-Egyptian Link that Shook Arab History. New York Times, February 13: 1-7. (CW) Micah White Revolution in America: Will Corporatocracy or Democracy Prevail? Adbusters. April 21. (CW) Brian Montipoli Tax Day Brings Out Tea Party Protestors. CBSNews. July 27. (CW) Jesse Myerson and Mychal Denzel Smith We ll Need an Economic Program to Make #BlackLives Matter. Here Are 5

6 Three Ideas. The Nation. January 7. Friday: Sept 22: Development of Social Movements: From Resources to Politics to Culture (w2) Writing Seminar: Research Questions (CW) Wayne Booth et al The Craft of Research. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Chapter 3, 14. (CW) Lisa Baglione Writing a Research Paper in Political Science: A Practical Guide to Inquiry, Structure, and Methods. New York: Thomson, Wadsworth Resource Mobilization Key Question/Issue: How important is good organization to the success of a social movement? (GJ) Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper Introduction. In The Social Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, (GJ) John D McCarthy and Mayer Zald Social Movement Organizations. In The Social Movement Reader: Cases and Concepts, eds. Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, Friday: Sept 29: Research Question Due (w3) Social Networks Key Question/Issue: In what ways does one s social network, or social life impact the likelihood that they will participate in a social movement? (GJ) Jo Freeman The Women s Movement. In The Social Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, (CW) Ahmad Shokr The 18 Days of Tahrir. Middle East Report (Spring) (CW) Esam Al-Amin Egypt s Fateful Day. Counterpunch June 26. Political Opportunity and Cultural Analysis Key Question/Issue: How important is a liberalizing of state power or a political opening to the development of a social movement? (CW) Charles Kurzman The Iranian Revolution. In The Social Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, (GJ) Ruth Milkman, Steohanie Luce and Penny Lewis Occupy Wall Street. In The Social Movement Reader: Cases 6

7 and Concepts, eds. Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, (CW) Jennifer Preston Movement Began with Outrage and a Facebook Page that Gave it an Outlet. New York Times, February 5: 1-4. Friday: Oct 6: Participating in Social Movements: (w4) Writing Seminar: Literature Review (CW) Lisa Baglione Writing a Research Paper in Political Science: A Practical Guide to Inquiry, Structure, and Methods. New York: Thomson, Wadsworth. Chapter 3. (CW) Laurence Jones and Edward Olson Political Science Research: A Handbook of Scope and Methods. New York: Longman, Structuralist: Social Networks Key Question/Issue: What does McAdam s mean by the idea of biographical availability in the context of determining who is more or less likely to participate in a social movement? (GJ) Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper Introduction. In The Social Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, (GJ) Mancur Olson The Free-Rider Problem. In The Social Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, (GJ) Doug McAdam Recruits to Civil Rights Activism. In The Social Movement Reader: Cases and Concepts, eds. Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, Friday: Oct 13: (w5) Post-Material Politics: Values and Beliefs: Key Question/Issue: In what ways do values or beliefs shape how social movements behave? (CW) William Finnegan Affinity Groups and the Movement Against Corporate Globalization. In The Social Movements Reader: Cases and Concepts, Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, (CW) James Aho Christian Patriots. In The Social Movement Reader: Cases and Concepts, eds. Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, Who is in, Who is Out? Key Question/Issue: In what ways does how movement participants view the world impact who is and is not likely to participate in a 7

8 Friday: Oct 20: (w6) particular movement? (GJ) Elisabeth Jean Wood The Emotional Benefits of Insurgency in El Salvador. In The Social Movement Reader: Cases and Concepts, eds. Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, (GJ) Jocelyn S. Viterna Women Mobilization into Salvadoran Guerrilla Army. In The Social Movement Reader: Cases and Concepts, eds. Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, How do Social Movements Think? Key Question/Issue: How important is it to social movement research to understand how social movements think? (GJ) John D Emilio The Gay Liberation Movement. In The Social Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, (GJ) Robert J. Brym Suicide Bombing. In The Social Movement Reader: Cases and Concepts, eds. Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, Suggested: Ziad Munson The Making of Pro-Life Activists. Chicago: Chicago University Press. Friday: Oct 27: Part IV: Movement Organization and Function (w7) Structure of Protest Key Question/Issue: How does strategy and ideology interact and inform each other in Piven s and Cloward s research? (GJ) Introduction In The Social Movement Reader: Cases and Concepts, eds. Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, (CW) Francis Fox Piven and Richard Cloward Poor People s Movements: Why They Succeed, How they Fail. New York: Vintage Books. Chapter 1. Strategy and Tactics Key Question/Issue: Which of Alinsky s rules for social movement organizing do you think is most important to the longevity and power of a social movement? How critical was the Catholic church, in Loveman s analysis, to the development of human right organizing under military regimes in South America in the 1970s? 8

9 (GJ) Saul Alinsky Protest Tactics. In The Social Movement Reader: Cases and Concepts, eds. Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, (GJ) Aldon Morris Tactical Innovation in the Civil Rights Movement. In The Social Movement Reader: Cases and Concepts, eds. Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, (CW) Mara Loveman High Risk Collective Action: Defending Human Rights in Chile, Uruguay and Argentina. The American Journal of Sociology 104, 2 (September): Friday: Nov 3: Movements, the Media and State Power: Literature Review Due (w8) The Media and State Power Key Question/Issue: How critical is a coherent media strategy to the success or reach of a social movement? (GJ) Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper Introduction. In The Social Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, Media and the Unmaking of a Movement Key Question/Issue: How can media coverage potentially undermine or weaken a social movement? (GJ) Todd Gitlin The Media in the Unmaking of the New Left. In The Social Movement Reader: Cases and Concepts, eds. Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, (CW) Octavio Paz The Media Spectacle Comes to Mexico. New Perspectives Quarterly 11, 2 (Spring): States and Social Movements Key Question/Issue: What role, if any, does violence play in the development or survival of a social movement? Which force, a social movement or the state is, in your analysis, more likely to be violent? (CW) Catherine Besteman Introduction. In Violence: A Reader, ed. Catherine Besteman. New York: New York University Press, 1-9. (CW) Vincent Boudreau State Repression and Democracy Protest in Three Southeast Asian Countries. In Social Movements: Identity, Culture, and the State, eds. David Meyer, Nancy Whitter and Belinda Robnett. Oxford: Oxford University Press, (GJ) Gay Seidman Armed Struggle in South African Anti- Apartheid In The Social Movement Reader: Cases and Concepts, eds. Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, Friday: Nov 10: Veteran s Day: No Class 9

10 Friday: Nov 17: Tales of Social Movement Decline (w9) Writing Seminar: Research Outline (CW) Wayne Booth et al., Writing a Research Paper in Political Science: A Practical Guide to Inquiry, Structure, and Methods. New York: Thomson, Wadsworth, chapter 12. Lisa Baglione Writing a Research Paper in Political Science: A Practical Guide to Inquiry, Structure, and Methods. New York: Thomson, Wadsworth. Chapter 6. Social Movement Decline Key Question/Issue: What factors in Schock s analysis contributed to the failure of democracy movements in Burma and China? (GJ) Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper Introduction. In Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper, eds. The Social Movements Reader: Cases and Concepts. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, (CW) Patricia Cayo Sexton The Decline of the Labor Movement. In The Social Movements Reader: Cases and Concepts, eds. Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing (CW) Kurt Schock People Power Suppressed: Burma and China. Unarmed Insurrections: People Power Movements in Non- Democracies. Minneapolis: University of Minneapolis. Chapter 4. (CW) Berg, John C Waiting for Lefty: The State of the Peace Movement in the United States. Tamkang Journal of International Affairs 12, 4 (April): Friday: Nov 24: Thanksgiving Break: No Class Friday: Dec 1: Politics of Change: Research Outline Due (w10) Key Question/Issue: How important are internal narratives or a sense of optimism to the success of a social movement? How should social movement success be measured or defined? (GJ) Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper Introduction. In Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper, eds. The Social Movements Reader: Cases and Concepts. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, (CW) Marshal Ganz Why Stories Matter: The Art and Craft of Social Change. Sojourners Magazine (March): 1-3. (GJ) William Gamson Defining Movement Success. In The Social Movements Reader: Cases and Concepts, eds. Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, Suggested: Marshal Ganz Why David Sometimes Wins. New York: Oxford University Press. 10

11 (GJ) Eric Hirsch Generating Commitment Among Students. In The Social Movement Reader: Cases and Concepts, eds. Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing, Polletta, Francesca It Was Like a Fever: Storytelling in Protest and Politics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Chapter 2. Friday: Dec 8: Technology and Social Movements (w11) Key Question/Issue: How has technology enhanced or diminished the power and reach of social movement organizing? (CW) Brendan Smith, Tim Costello and Jeremy Breacher Social Movements 2.0. The Nation (January). (CW) Eric Lee How the Internet Makes Union Organizing Harder. (CW) Sean Captain Occupy Geeks Are Building a Facebook for the 99%. Wired Magazine. December 27. (CW) John Dvorak How Social Media Distorts the Occupy Movement. PC Magazine. November 15. (CW) Jennifer Preston Protestors Look for Ways to Feed the Web. New York Times. November 24. Friday: Dec 15: Final Paper Due 11