CHANGE! A Guide to Teaching Social Action
- Chapter 3E: Building Power: Student Recruitment and Alliances Theory: (p. 79-84)
Sociology 164: Social Action Assignments
TEXTBOOK: CHANGE! A Student Guide to Social Action, Ch. 4 — Building Power
- What is Power? (p. 44-46)
- How to Get Power (p. 47-48)
- Recruitment: Base-Building for Power (p. 48-50)
- People Came, Now What? (p. 53)
- Case Studies (p. 53-56)
- Privilege and Power: A Word of Caution (p. 57-58)
READER
- Myers-Lipton, “Chicano Commencement”
- Student Reflection: David Salinas, Class of ‘19
WRITING ASSIGNMENT
Worksheet
Discussion
There are 3 types of power (i.e., power over, power with, power for, p. 44-45) and they manifest in 3 ways (organized people, organized money, and organized violence, p. 47).
Once the students understand what is power, it is important to explore with them how to get power. If they don't like the world as it is, it is because their ideas do not have enough power behind them, and that they will have to gain power in order to change the world.
Building Power: Recruit
Build Knowledge--> Build Power
Class Mural Board Can Manage Building Power Activities
Campaign Case Study
The Students for Filipino Farmworkers campaign developed the following plan for building power (as posted on the class Mural Board):
Here are the above campaign activities of the Students for Filipino Farmworkers:
1. Organizational Rap
2A. Sign-up Sheet
2B. Interest Form via Google Forms
3. Fliers
4. Tabling
5. Social Media
Course Development Questions
- What part of how students “build power” did you find the most interesting?
- What might you use from this book and CHANGE! A Student Guide to Social Action, as well as other sources, to explain power?
- What other ways might you teach building power?