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SOCI 3821W-001 – Social Movements and Social Change
Fall 2010; TuTh 12:30-1:45; Lafayette Classroom
Professor: Jeremiah Coldsmith
Office Phone Number: 486-4279
Office Number: 111 Sociology
E-mail Address: [email protected]
Office Hours: TuTh 2-5 and W 9-5
Course Description:
Welcome to Sociology 3821W. The primary objective of this course is to help you form an
understanding of the study of reform, revolutionary, and other types of social movements; their
origins, social bases, careers, and consequences. This course is designed to help you understand
the development of theories and findings in the context of the shifting focus of an active
academic area. By the end of this course you will have a preliminary but well rounded
understanding of the social movements subfield in sociology.
Also, because this is a writing intensive course, it will focus on helping you to become a
better critical writer. “According to university-wide policies for W courses, you cannot pass
this course unless you receive a passing grade for its writing components” (University
Writing Center).
Readings:
You have one required text for this course. The text is intended to provide you with background
and context for the other readings in the course. The text is:
Snow, David A. and Sarah A. Soule. 2010. A Primer on Social Movements. New York,
NY: W.W. Norton and Company.
Your other readings can be found on the University of Connecticut’s library website from
the J-Stor article index. The full citation of each reading can be found on the date for which it
should be read. You can use this information to access the article from J-Stor. These readings
are either review articles written by the top scholars in the field or are original research. These
readings are intended to provide you with a firsthand account of topics and issues relevant to the
field of social movements.
The reason I make you find your readings on your own is to force you to become familiar
with some of the information gathering tools available from the University Library. The ability
to use the Library’s resources is a skill that will not only help you in your academic career but
also in many positions you hope to fill once your formal education has ended.
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Assignments, Exams, and Grading:
Policy on late and makeup work:
Work can be handed in late or made up only if you make arrangements with me prior to the
absence. Any unforeseeable absences must be documented in order for work to be accepted late
or made up.
Attendance:
Attendance is not assigned any points in this course. However, we will be discussing complex
issues and attempting to understand advanced material. Missing classes will likely result in you
missing crucial information. Therefore, it is important that you attend every class, if you wish to
do well in this course.
Assignments:
There are three take home writing assignments for this class. The assignments are intended for
you to synthesize the materials covered in class and in the readings and for you to add your own
thoughts and ideas on social movements and social movement theories. For each assignment
you will be given two questions to consider. You can choose either question on which to write.
The responses are to be 4-6 pages in length, double spaced, with one inch margins, and 12pt.
Times New Roman font. You must bring 2 copies of your essay to class the day it is due. You
will receive these questions one week before they are due. Each take home writing assignment is
worth 100 points.
On the day a take home writing assignment is due, you will hand one copy in to me and
will be randomly assigned someone else to whom to give your essay. You will then critique the
other person’s essay, focusing on the logic and the clarity of their argument. The critique should
be no longer than two pages and is due one week after the writing assignment is turned in. Each
critique is worth 50 points.
After you receive your critiques from me and your fellow student, you will then have one
week to improve your essay and turn it in again. Along with the improved essay, you must turn
in both my and your fellow student’s critique and a separate document briefly explaining how
you addressed your reviewer’s concerns. For this assignment you can earn up to 10 points back
on your original essay.
Grading:
The class has a total of 450 points, which means the grade distribution breaks down as follows:
405-450 A
360-404 B
315-359 C
270-314 D
269 and below F
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University Policies:
Please see the Student Code available at: www.community.uconn.edu/student_code.html for
information on academic integrity and issues of cheating and plagiarism. I hate filling out
paperwork, so if I catch you cheating and I have to fill it out anyway, you can be sure I will be
filling it out for the maximum penalties.
Schedule of Classes:
Day
Topic
Readings and Assignments
Week 1
Tuesday, August 31st
Introduction to the Course
Thursday, September 2nd
Week 2
Tuesday, September 7th
Thursday, September 9th
Defining Social Movements
Snow and Soule Ch1
Defining Social Movements – Social Problems
Blumer, Herbert. (1971) “Social Problems as Collective Behavior.”
Social Problems. Vol. 18, pp. 298-306
Defining Social Movements – Social Organizations
McCarthy, J. and M. Zald. (1977) “Resource Mobilization and Social
Movements: A Partial Theory.” American Journal of Sociology. Vol.
82, pp. 1212-41
Note: Paper 1 questions handed out.
Week 3
Tuesday, September 14th
Early Studies of Social Movements
Young, James T. (1903) “The Basis of Present Reform Movements.”
Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Vol.
21, pp. 86-99
AND
Boettiger, L. A. (1924) “Organic Theory of Social Reform
Movements.” Journal of Social Forces. Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 60-64
Thursday, September 16th
1st Paper Due and Discussion
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Week 4
Tuesday, September 21st
Origins of Social Movements and Deprivation and Breakdown Theories
Snow and Soule Ch2 AND Ch3
AND
Useem, Bert. (1998) “Breakdown Theories of Collective Action.”
Annual Review of Sociology. Vol. 24, pp. 215-38
AND
Useem, Bert. (1985) “Disorganization and the New Mexico Prison Riot
of 1980.” American Sociological Review. Vol. 50, No. 5, pp. 677-88
Thursday, September 23rd
Week 5
Tuesday, September 28th
Thursday, September 30th
Week 6
Tuesday, October 5th
Thursday, October 7th
Week 7
Tuesday, October 12th
Thursday, October 14th
1st Paper Critiques Due and Discussion
Resource Mobilization Theory
Jenkins, Craig. (1983) “Resource Mobilization Theory and the Study of
Social Movements.” Annual Review of Sociology. Vol. 9, pp. 527-53
1st Paper Corrections Due and Discussion
Political Opportunity Structure
Jenkins, Craig and C. Perrow. (1977) “Insurgency of the Powerless:
Farm Worker Movements, 1946-1972.” American Sociological Review.
Vol. 42, No. 2, pp. 249-68
Social Movement Participation
Snow and Soule Ch4
Biographical Availability
McAdam, Doug. (1986) “Recruitment to High-Risk Activism: The Case
of Freedom Summer.” American Journal of Sociology. Vol. 92, No. 1,
pp. 64-90
Social Psychology and Resource Mobilization
Klandermans, Bert. (1984) “Mobilization and Participation: SocialPsychological Expansions of Resource Mobilization Theory.” American
Sociological Review. Vol. 49 pp. 583-600.
Note: Paper 2 questions handed out.
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Week 8
Tuesday, October 19th
Thursday, October 21st
Week 9
Tuesday, October 26th
Other Reasons for Participation
Oliver, Pamela. (1984) “’If You Don’t Do It, Nobody Else Will’:
Active and Token Contributors to Local Collective Action.” American
Sociological Review. Vol. 49 pp.601-610.
2nd Paper Due and Discussion
Framing
Snow, David, E. B. Rochford, Jr, S. K. Worden, and Robert Benford.
(1986) “Frame Alignment Processes, Micromobilization, and Movement
Participation.” American Sociological Review. Vol. 51, pp. 464-81.
AND
Benford, Robert and David Snow. (2000) “Framing Processes and
Social Movements: An Overview and Assessment.” Annual Review of
Sociology. Vol. 26, pp. 611-40
Thursday, October 28th
Week 10
Tuesday, November 2nd
Thursday, November 4th
Week 11
Tuesday, November 9th
2nd Paper Critiques Due and Discussion
Social Movement Dynamics
Snow and Soule Ch5
2nd Paper Corrections Due and Discussion
Waves of Protest
Koopmans, Ruud. (1993) “The Dynamics of Protest Waves: West
Germany, 1965-1989.” American Sociological Review. Vol. 58 pp. 637658.
AND
Minkoff, Debra C. (1997) “The Sequencing of Social Movements.”
American Sociological Review. Vol. 62 pp. 779-799.
Thursday, November 11th
Ecology and Social Movements
Olzak, Susan and S.C. Noah Uhrig. (2001) “The Ecology of Tactical
Overlap.” American Sociological Review. Vol. 66 pp. 694-717.
Note: Paper 3 questions handed out.
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Week 12
Tuesday, November 16th
Social Movement Outcomes
Snow and Soule Ch6
AND
Earl, Jennifer. (2000) “Methods, Movements, and Outcomes.”
Research in Social Movements, Conflicts, and Change. Vol. 22 pp. 3-25.
(Not available from J-Stor. I’ll show you how to find this one.)
Thursday, November 18th
3rd Paper Due and Discussion
Week 13
Tuesday, November 23rd
Thanksgiving Break
Thursday, November 25th
Thanksgiving Break
Week 14
Tuesday, November 30th
Thursday, December 2nd
Week 15
Tuesday, December 7th
Political Outcomes
King, Brayden, Marie Cornwall, and Eric C. Dahlin. (2005) “Winning
Woman Suffrage One Step at a Time: Social Movements and the Logic
of the Legislative Process.” Social Forces. Vol. 83 pp. 1211-1234.
3rd Paper Critiques Due and Discussion
Individual Outcomes
McAdam, Doug. 1989. "The Biographical Consequences of Activism."
American Sociological Review 54:744-760.
AND
Taylor, Verta and Nicole C. Raeburn. 1995. “Identity Politics as High
Risk Activism: Career Consequences for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual
Sociologists.” Social Problems 42:252-273.
Thursday, December 9th
3rd Paper Corrections Due and Discussion
Thursday, December 16th
Final Exam would be -- 10:30-12:30