Social movements open new avenues for redress in closed and open political systems, facilitate cultural renewal and transformation, challenge a society’s most fundamental beliefs and traditions, and offer a new way to conceive of democracy in an era of globalization. Some of the questions we will consider in this course include: What are social movements, and under what circumstances do they emerge? What is the relationship between grievances and mobilization? How do movements develop viable protest tactics? Are violence or civil disobedience legitimate (and effective) strategies for social change? Are social movements a threat to the social order, or do they represent a healthy (and necessary) dynamic in a democratic (and non-democratic) society? Some of the movements which may be explored in the course include the American civil rights movement, environmentalism, Aboriginal rights, religious cults, student movements, gay and lesbian liberation, the women’s movement or the labour movement. This course emphasizes inter-disciplinary learning.
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Visit the section on Research Tools for preparing submissions for this course.
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