Unit 1: Foundations - Introduction to Social Movements Unit Page

Module 1 Overview

In this unit we will first meet one another and get acquainted with the expectations of this class, to help facilitate having conversations about tough topics with one another.

Our primary focus then becomes learning about the basics of Social Movements, including what different types of SM exist and theories of social movements.

Here is this unit's PowerPoint!

Unit Objectives

Introductions to one another
Introduction to the course
Understand the basics of what constitutes a social movement
Introduce theories of SM & SM Literacy
Form one's own definition of social justice

Weekly Materials & Assignments

Be cognizant of the assignment deadlines throughout the weeks and which assignments need which readings to be completed.

Week 1

Week 1: Welcome & Defining Movements

Welcome to week 1! This week, we're focusing on getting to know each other, getting grounded in the rhythm of the course, and dipping our toes in some introductory material about social movements. Please take a moment to review the syllabus and course schedule (you'll thank yourself later!). Please note that modules (including assignments) will be updated as the course goes along, so don't be alarmed if you are unable to access a module until the week before.

Read & View

Syllabus
Schedule
Discussion Guidelines
Reading Response Guidelines

Grassroots International. (2021, December 30). 2021 in review and resistance: 12 Movements from 2021. https://grassrootsonline.org/blog/12-movement-moments/?gclid=CjwKCAiAzKqdBhAnEiwAePEjkqUHGGeeGXEztH1QVFiDeKifRfATyUTVxVuavzIR1Cmm1ju539GL7RoCrDsQAvD_BwE
Del Gandio, J. (2017) "Social Movement Literacy: A Conceptual Overview," Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed Journal: Vol. 2, Article 5. https://scholarworks.uni.edu/ptoj/vol2/iss1/5. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License
Petrossian, F. (2022, September 23). Protests erupt in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini. https://globalvoices.org/2022/09/23/protests-erupt-in-iran-over-the-death-of-mahsa-amini/#. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.

Week's Assignments

Email Communication Assignment
- due Friday
Weekly Discussion: Discussion: Introductions - Who am I/ Positionality
- initial post by Wednesday
- replies to two peers on 2 different days across Thurs - Sun. Each week for discussions, plan on interacting on the discussion board across at least three days of the week, talking with multiple peers. You can then expect me to review your discussion post from the prior week no later than Wednesday.

Week 2

Week 2: Social Movement Basics and Theories

As you read and view these materials be thinking about what key terms are addressed and explained, and how the news articles from last week connect to the more theoretical/conceptual information found in the readings this week.

Read & View

Conerly, T., Holmes, K., & Tamang, A. (2021). Introduction to Social Movements and Social Change. In Introduction to sociology 3E. OpenStax. The book is licensed under CCBY 4.0
San Diego Foundation. (2016, March 24). What is social justice? https://www.sdfoundation.org/news-events/sdf-news/what-is-social-justice/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CSocial%20justice%20is%20the%20view,Social%20justice%20encompasses%20economic%20justice
John Lewis Institute for Social Justice. (n.d.) Our definition of Social Justice. https://www.ccsu.edu/johnlewisinstitute/terminology.html
Kent State Online. (2020, July 30). The Five Principles of Social Justice. https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/political-science/master-of-public-administration/community/five-principles-of-social-justice

Week's Assignments

Reading Response 1: Introduction to Social Movements
- due Sunday
Weekly Discussion: Definition of social justice
- initial post by Wednesday
- replies to peers on 2 days across Thurs - Sun
Unit Assignments Selection Survey
- due Sunday
- You are able to select which assignments you want to complete to wrap up units 2, 3, and 4. This survey links to all the assignment descriptions and provides you the opportunity to select which you're interested in.

Looking Ahead

Expect to see a similar weekly schedule in the upcoming weeks. I aim for regular weekly due dates so that you can plan ahead for class. Until Unit 5, every week features a weekly discussion, and either a reading response or unit assignment. There are other assignments such as final project planning steps that pop up along the way. The Social Movements Schedule gives you a big-picture sense of what to expect for class. The Unit overviews provide the weekly details.

As a reminder, while you are able to complete readings and some assignments early if your life schedule requires it, discussions can only be completed in the week they are assigned.

I'll send out Announcements at least weekly, and sometimes more often, to help you stay on track and provide insights, resources, and comments as we work our way through the semester.