Social Movements

Description

Apartheid was washed away in South Africa.  Gay marriage went from anathema to everyday occurrence. Communism collapsed in Poland. New Zealand went nuclear free.  Free range eggs are now available in your local supermarket. Women have rights to vote, get an education and work in the professions.  The Treaty of Waitangi plays a major role in Kiwi public life.  We have the right to work an eight hour day, and to get that tea break while on the job.  In so many ways, social movements have changed the world. Many social movements achieve very little, but when major historical change occurs – and especially when it's change for the better – you will often find that the protests and activism of ordinary people have played a big part in making it happen.

This course is about the how and why of social movements. What part do emotions play in motivating people to get involved? How do people create a collective identity and hold it together in the face of official indifference or even repression?  How has the arrival of social media changed the face of protest?  Why do movements start at particular times and places, and why do they later decline? We will address these questions, and more.

In this course, we will dip into a wide variety of differing social movements, from the anti-abortion movement to the Arab Spring. You will also have the opportunity to go in depth, studying a social movement of your choice.