Social Thought & Polic. Econ 491H - STPEC Focus Seminar I
Fall
2020
01
4.00
Kevin Young
TU 4:00PM 6:30PM
UMass Amherst
67371
Fully Remote Class
kayoung@umass.edu
A four credit honors seminar for STPEC students who have completed STPEC 391H. Seminar topic changes each semester. Fulfills the STPEC Focus seminar requirement.
STPEC students only STPEC 391H Course Topic: Strategies for Liberation
How can politically marginalized groups wield collective power? This seminar explores this question through a survey of theoretical, historical, and contemporary perspectives on mass-based resistance. The course understands "politics" as much more than just elections and voting: political action often employs other strategies, such as marches, sit-ins, boycotts, strikes, divestment campaigns, and armed resistance. Why do social movements choose the strategies that they do? And what makes movements effective? Scholars and activists have offered many different answers to these questions. Case studies will come particularly from the U.S. context, but also from Egypt, Syria, Russia, El Salvador, and elsewhere. The last month of the semester will be partly structured around students? own interests, with each student researching and presenting on a social movement of their choosing.
How can politically marginalized groups wield collective power? This seminar explores this question through a survey of theoretical, historical, and contemporary perspectives on mass-based resistance. The course understands "politics" as much more than just elections and voting: political action often employs other strategies, such as marches, sit-ins, boycotts, strikes, divestment campaigns, and armed resistance. Why do social movements choose the strategies that they do? And what makes movements effective? Scholars and activists have offered many different answers to these questions. Case studies will come particularly from the U.S. context, but also from Egypt, Syria, Russia, El Salvador, and elsewhere. The last month of the semester will be partly structured around students? own interests, with each student researching and presenting on a social movement of their choosing.