Unit Assignment: Informational Interview with Social Movement Org Member

This is a class about social movements, so I want to know what you care about and how you engage with it outside of class. This assignment stresses the creative elements of sharing your message, and I hope you are able to make something you're excited to share with others. 

 Assignment Details

What better way to learn more about how social movements work than to interview someone who's in one? Or even better, who founded or leads one? 

Reach out to someone who directly works on behalf of a social movement (it doesn't need to be a paid "work" position) and request an informational interview. If you plan on recording, make sure you ask permission before doing so. 

Don't know anyone? You'd be surprised how many people on campus take part in organizations related to social issues! Some good places to start: 

• The Forever Buffs Network - thousands of CU Alums have signed up because they want to connect with and help students (and other alums). Sign up and seek out some folks working with issues you're interested in!  If their contact information is listed, it's because they're open to have people reach out. Send a polite inquiry for an interview (I can help with this if you're nervous about it).  FYI, this is also an amazing resource as you seek internships and post-college career paths. 
•  Check out all the centers and offices we have on campus related to social issues and change! Reach out and connect. 
• Ask the people in your life to help you make connections 

But what do I ask? 

See some of the example interviews below for inspiration. Especially consider asking about how they got started their work with the movement, what changes they've seen take place since they've been part of it, the role of communication or persuasion in their work (there are lots of ways to ask about this), their hopes of the future, etc. 

 

What to turn in

A file or url link from which I can access your work. 

It should clearly convey who you interviewed, what social movement organization they are part of, at least some of the questions and answers (these can be summarized rather than transcribed), and ultimately, some big take-aways you got from talking with them. Please do not simply turn in an hour-long recording of a conversation; process the information in some way. 

It should have been created specifically for this class, not a recycling of something you've created for another class or purpose. If it's not self explanatory, include a brief description of what I need to know to better understand what you're turning in and how it meets the needs of this assignment. 

Reminder:  When taking part in a community's movement when you are an outsider to that community, be particularly aware of amplifying voices rather than speaking for them.

Additional Resources/Inspiration

• Understanding Movements for Social Change: An Interview with Sean Thomas-Breitfeld
• Interview with leader of the Social Movement in Ukraine
• Interview With #BlackLivesMatter Cofounder Alicia Garza: ‘Fight Against Despair And Keep Doing The Work Needed To Change The World’

 

 Objectives

This assignment addresses the learning objectives:

• • Examine and explain how theories and concepts of communication apply to contemporary social movements, including, for example, how persuasive/rhetorical forces affect public ideas and discourse and how social movements function through a persuasive/rhetorical lens.
  • Explore, express, debate, and evaluate ideas and issues which matter to you personally, professionally, publicly, and ethically, for a variety of audiences.
  • Demonstrate ethical awareness, empathy, and being an informed consumer of messages,  such as through the ability to draw conclusions that reflect an understanding of multiple (and possibly conflicting) perceptions of a situation or sources of information

*This assignment used with permission from Christy-Dale Mauer, University of Colorado Boulder Department of Communication