Introduction
Chapter 1 — Overview
A — Social Action's Role in U.S. Experiment in Democracy B — US College Social Action C — Benefits of Social Action for Students, Campuses, and Society D — The Vision: Bringing Social Action into the Classroom E — Overcoming Challenges of Teaching Social Action
Chapter 2 — Developing a Social Action Class
A — Academic Course vs Co-Curricular / B — Prerequisites C — Creating a Social Action Syllabus D — Teaching Style / E — Classroom Norms F — The Students G — Building Campus Allies and Community Partners H —The Role of Place / I —Each Semester vs Every Year (or Other Year) J — Using Mural Board (option)
Chapter 3 — Launching Student Campaigns
A — On Your Mark: Preparing Students for the Road Ahead B — Go! Students Choose Their Issue C — Get Set: Setting the Tone D — Change Theory E — Building Power F — Walking Tour G — Research: Historical Overview, Power Mapping, & Target Analysis H — Group Dynamics I — Strategy & Tactics J — Campaign Kickoff
Chapter 4 — Campaign Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation
A — Timeline & Campaign Plan B — Campaign Implementation: "Series of Actions" Begins C — Campaign Execution & Case Studies D — Campaign Evaluation E — Day of the Final: Campaign Notebook & Group Presentation
Chapter 5 — Where to Go From Here
A — Next Semester B — Mainstreaming Social Action C — Social Action Internship Program D — Pipeline to Jobs & Graduate School E — Status of Current Campaigns F — Impact of Social Action on Former Social Action Students
Read CHANGE! A Guide to Teaching Social Action
- Chapter 3, A On Your Mark: Preparing Students for the Road Rarely Traveled (p. 52-56)
Sociology 164: Social Action assignment
See syllabus here.
Readings (from reader)
Two questions to consider about the Silicon Valley Pain Index, which I am the co-author of.
- Do the problems highlighted in the Silicon Valley Pain Index exist in your community? If so, which social problems?
- How can you use the Silicon Valley Pain Index, or a similar report for your community, to get the students to begin thinking about social solutions and problems from Day 1?
Watch Video Clips
Please note that everything done in the first 10 days of the Soci. 164: Social Action class is to get the students to believe that social action is possible. I do everything from the students being in a circle (to encourage participation), to inviting student alums into class who have won campaigns to talk to the new students (sometimes on Zoom), to reading about former student social action campaigns that have been victorious.
I also give them specific examples of change that have happened on the campus. Watch the video clip below.