Social Movements

Course Taught By: Dr. Hava Gordon

Course ID: SOCI 2719

Meeting Times: Winter 2025 Check Schedule

Course Description: The study of social movements is fundamentally the study of how and why groups collectively try to make social change.  This course explores the following questions:

• How do movements mobilize people?

• Under what historical conditions are movements likely to emerge?

• What makes a movement successful? What are reasons for a movement’s decline?

• What kinds of strategies do different movements use to effect social change?

• How and why do movement participants construct collective identities?

• What is the relationship between movements and counter-movements?

In order to explore these theoretical questions, we will examine some of the historic watersheds of social movements in the U.S. (including labor, civil rights, and feminist struggles), their more contemporary manifestations, and other important contemporary movements such as global justice movements, racial justice and LGBTQI* movements. This course is designated as a service-learning course, which means that students will be examining the links between past and present racial justice organizing in Denver through community engaged learning.

Prerequisites:

SOCI 1810: Understanding Social Life.