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 — Maintaining Momentum
Chapter 3 — Launching Student Campaigns
A — On Your Mark: Preparing Students for the Road Ahead B — Students Choose Their Issue - GO! C — Group Dynamics, part 1-Setting the Tone (Get Set) D — Change Theory E — Building Power F — Social Action Campus Tour G — Research: Historical Overview, Power Mapping, & Target Analysis H — Group Dynamics, part 2 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
CHANGE! A Guide to Teaching Social Action
- Chapter 5A—Next Semester (p. 137-138)
Discussion
Our long-term goal in mainstreaming the teaching of social action is for every campus to have a social action course taught every semester. The reason for this is simple: the student campaigns are usually not won in a single semester. As described in the Issue Development section, we encourage faculty to arrange to have these prior student campaigns presented as options for the next class of social action students to consider.
In Scott Myers-Lipton Sociology 164 Social Action class, it was not uncommon for some campaigns continued semester after semester for two or three years. And, occasionally, a campaign would be dormant for a semester or two before being chosen by a new group of students.
Course Development Question
- Can your social action class be taught every semester? Can you ask your chair?
- If not, who else might you get to teach a class using social action so that the campaigns have institutional support to thrive and develop?