Introduction
Chapter 1 — Social Action: An Overview
A & B —Social Action’s Role & US College Social Action
C & D — Benefits & Bring It Into Class
Chapter 2 — Developing a Social Action Class
A & B — Course vs Co-Curricular & Prerequisites
C — Creating a Social Action Syllabus
D & E — Teaching Style & Norms
H & I — Role of Place & Each Semester v Every Year
Chapter 3 — Launching Student Campaigns
B — Students Choose Their Issue
Chapter 4 — Planning, Implementation, & Evaluation
A — Campaign Plan & Timeline B & C — Implementation & Execution D — Campaign Evaluation E — Finals: Binder & Presentation
Chapter 5 — Where Do We Go From Here?
A & B — Next Semester & Mainstreaming TSA C & D — Internships & Pipeline to Jobs E — Status of Current Campaigns
CHANGE! A Guide to Teaching Social Action
- Chapter 3D: Change Theory: (p. 73-79)
Change Theory
Before discussing change theory, I have a conversation with the students about whether they think “change is possible”. Most of my students do not believe it is possible, or they think it is possible, but not that they can bring about change, so it is an important question to address head on. Take a listen to what Scott discussed with his students.
Scott used the Portfolio to have his students explore the components on social action in more depth Here is a student response to Portfolio #2 on whether they think change is possible:
Student Response to Portfolio #2 Questions
After discussing whether change is possible, you may want to explore the various social theories that might explain the student campaign issue. It is recommended that you draw on any theories from your field that are applicable. If you are using CHANGE (i.e., the student guide), you can explore how materialist and ideationalist theories explain the student campaigns, as well as discuss whether they see themselves as part of the women-centered and/or Alinsky model of change. Below are two videos that highlights the women-centered and Alinsky model of change:
- Video: Jo Ann Robinson, Women’s Political Council of Montgomery, Alabama (0-4:30)
- Video: Saul Alinksy, “I’d Organize Hell” (2:38-8:32)
Click here to watch Scott discuss how he applied theory to action in his social action course.
Below is a student response to Portfolio #3 on applying Change Theory to their campaign issue:
Student Response to Portfolio #3 Questions
In the above video, Scott discusses the image of Rafael's “School of Athens”, which has Plato and Aristotle in the center. Below is a closeup of that image.
Tracking Campaign Activities Connected to Change Theory
When Scott taught his course, he posted the below “box” on Mural Board as a way to track the Campaign Activities connected to Change Theory.
As an update, TSA created the below worksheet to help you and your students keep track of the Campaign Activities associated with Change Theory. Many faculty are now using this worksheet with great success.
Questions
- How did materialist (i.e., economy and technology) and ideationalist (i.e., beliefs, values, and ideas) factors motivate and drive the change efforts of the January 6 insurrectionists?
- How might you use macro social theory (i.e., materialist and ideationalist factors) in your class? What might you use from this book and CHANGE! A Student Guide to Social Action, as well as other sources, to explain macro social change? What other ways might you teach macro social theory?
- How might you use in your class the women-centered model of organizing and the Alinksy model? What might you use from this book and the Student Guide, as well as other sources, to explain community change? What other ways might you teach community change?
Case Study
Scott posted on Mural Board "MATERIALIST and IDEATIONALIST FACTORS and asked the Students for Filipino Farmworkers to explore how each theory applied to the social problem and solution connected to their issue. The above worksheet has taken the place of these boxes; however, the questions in the worksheet could still be added to a visual workspace like Mural Board.
