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Social Movements and Mobilization (454-0-20)

Instructors

Wendy Pearlman
8474912259
2001 Sheridan Road, 3201
Office Hours: By appointment only

Meeting Info

2001 Sheridan GPC GN350: Tues 9:00AM - 11:50AM

Overview of class

This graduate-level seminar will explore the conditions and processes shaping social and political mobilization. While we engage insights from multiple disciplines, we will focus on major topics in the fields of political science and sociology about social movements: collective challenges to authority that aim to change society or institute structural or policy changes. We will consider competing explanations of the emergence of collective action, the conditions under which people do or do not mobilize, various aspects of the strategic interaction between social movements and states, and the determinants of movement outcomes, among other topics. We will read theoretical works and case studies on a range of social movements across time and space, occurring in both democratic and nondemocratic state settings. This examination of major debates, varied empirical material, and diverse research methods aims to give students a solid foundation on which to build their own research projects.

Learning Objectives

The goals of this course are for students to

  1. Acquire advanced knowledge and nuanced understanding of the field of social movement studies;
  2. Engage in critical analysis and thoughtful discussion of a range of scholarly texts;
  3. Gain practice in doing original research that connects theories to empirical evidence in order to explain some aspect of social movements or mobilization; and
  4. Develop skills in in offering constructive feedback on colleagues' work. Assignments are designed to advance these objectives and thereby assist students' intellectual formation and doctoral-level academic training.

Evaluation Method

Research paper, participation, weekly question posts

Class Materials (Required)

Doug McAdam, Political Process and the Development of Black Insurgency, 1930-1970. Second edition (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1999).

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Graduate Students.