This course is an introduction to social movement theory and the empirical sociological study of collective mobilization. Social, political, and economic institutions are highly resistant to change; stable and unequal social orders are buttressed by powerful ideas, habits, rules, and interests. Occasionally, however, people can act collectively to challenge the prevailing social order. These collective actions—what we call social movements—are very often the key drivers of social, political, and economic change. The sociological study of social movements examines the why and the how of these moments of collective action to challenge, defy, and transform existing social relations. This course will explore the key concepts developed by sociologists studying social movements, while empirically examining some of the movements that have shaped social life in the United States.

Unit 1 introduces some of the key concepts and ideas we will use during the semester, through an examination of the Civil Rights Movement. Unit 2 examines how social movements mobilize and exercise power. Unit 3 examines movements from an interactive lens, focusing on the relationships between movements and their targets. The final weeks of the course are dedicated to examining several case studies of contemporary social movements, with the goal of using the concepts we have gleaned from earlier readings to understand and compare them.

This course is organized as an upper-level undergraduate course, emphasizing the reading and analysis of empirical studies, as well as active, student-led discussion. You should expect a significant reading load. Evaluation is based on brief reading reaction papers, section participation, and a final paper on a topic you develop in consultation with the instructor/GSI.