Youth, activism, and social movements

Abstract

This course provides an undergraduate level introduction to the study of youth political socialization and political activism. Young people are the backbone of most social movements from the Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War movements to more contemporary examples like Black Lives Matter, #Occupy, and the anti-gun violence movement. The first half of the...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Collective Behavior/Social Movements

Resource Type(s):

Syllabus

Class Level(s):

College 300

Class Size(s):

Medium

Usage Notes

This resource is for a semester-long undergraduate elective on youth and activism. It may be cross-listed with a youth studies program, communication, or political science. The approach to the course starts with an overview of the field and concludes with areas of activity where youth are pushing the boundaries of political engagement. The course was...

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. Students demonstrate knowledge of research on youth political engagement as well as more contemporary research on how current youth engagement is changing and expanding what it means to politically engage.
2. Students will also develop data collection and analysis skills will researching a youth-oriented social movement.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Students’ knowledge of research on youth engagement will be assessed through two essay exams, and weekly instructor-led class discussions that ask students to apply the readings to current events.
2. Student’s ability to collect and analyze data will be assessed through a research project that is broken up into multiple sections in order to facilitate feedback and assess the student’s progress throughout the semester.