The impact of social action courses is felt by students, campuses, and in the communities where they focus their energy.
Student Outcomes
This student-led transformative model develops critical thinking and democratic skills, and prepares students to be leaders in the non-profit, government, and business sectors. Students develop skills in analyzing issues, communicating in public forums, developing action plans, and working effectively in a team.
Students who participate in social action:
- increase their critical thinking skills
- develop a better understanding of how systems and structures work
- learn how to solve problems and overcome challenges
- develop a greater sense of social responsibility.
- develops the students’ leadership skills
In light of the challenge raised by anti-democratic forces in the United States and other democracies, these benefits have taken on even greater importance.
Scott Myers-Lipton developed the following Learning Outcomes for this Sociology 164 Social Action course.
Campus Outcomes
Campuses are animated by student energy and idealism. Students engaged in social action create—along with campus leaders—a discursive space for the ideas raised by the students to be discussed and analyzed, and where multiple campus stakeholders can be exposed to the grievances raised.
Research shows that campuses that emphasize social action foster the larger student body to be more civically engaged. Importantly, the Administration response to the students’ social action helps the campus leaders define the values and commitments of the college, which will affect the students’ experience and their understanding of the college, and provides the administration the opportunity to demonstrate whether their approach to equity, diversity, and freedom are effective.
As Drs. Cassie Barnhardt and Kimberly Reyes reflect on the scholarship of college social action, they argue that the legitimacy of the university stems in part from its commitment to foster “excellence, integrity and a sense of community among their students” and that social action creates “a space for institutions to be thoughtful about enacting those very commitments”.
Societal Outcomes
Communities benefit when students align with local leaders to make a change.
Most periods of societal change from colonial times to today tell a complementary story that plays out on college campuses. Thus, college student social action provides the opportunity to work out in a positive fashion some of the political dynamics of the country, but in a local and focused setting.