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 4C: Campaign Execution and Case Studies (p. 127-131)
Sociology 164 - Social Action Assignments
WRITING ASSIGNMENT
Discussion
After discussing the importance of including their campaign actions into their timelines, and the three possibilities for their campaigns, we now move into "campaign execution", as the students work to conduct a series of campaign actions during the rest of the semester. The goal for all campaign teams is to do at least one campaign action, but I have had many groups do two actions, and a few have even done three campaign actions.
Public Narratives
Dr. Marshall Ganz has created the "public narrative" as a tool to frame social change work. Below are some resources he has created:
Campaign Case Study
Below is the 2nd action that the Students for Filipino Farmworkers took, which was a Target Meeting with the campus President, which resulted in her agreeing to the demands of the students.
The students brought the President flowers to help "mend the fence", as she was frustrated with the students for doing an action without taking to her first. However, the had a meeting setup with her several weeks before their action, but the President's office had cancelled it, and the students were running out of time before the semester ended, so they went ahead with their action.
As this campaign action approached, the Students for Filipino Farmworkers launched a letter writing campaign on social media.
Reflect on Course Development Questions
- What will you do with the last one-third of the class? (i.e., case studies, course material from your discipline, or something else?)
- Will you teach public narratives? Why or why not? If yes, will you teach a short or long version of it?
- Our democracy is being threatened. We live in a world where authoritarianism and plutocracy are on the rise both in the USA and around the world. How has what you learned in this book provided you with information to strengthen it, and perhaps even help save it?