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Social Movements and Collective Action
Social Movements and Collective Action
May 9, 2024

Pro-Palestinian protests are being led by college students.  Worldwide, students have established encampments at nearly 100 universities and colleges demanding their campuses divest from Israel. Students have faced counter-protesters and violent and forceful removal by police with support from their campus administrators. These are not the first campus encampments or student-led protest. The Social Movements and Collective Action Resource Collection includes teaching activities to help you teach topics relevant to the current moment. Please note, many resources in this collection were published prior to the 2023-2024 academic year and may need updating to better reflect most recent events.

Palestinian flags wave at a Pro-Palestian protest
A crowd looks at protesters on the steps of a government building
Tagart Sobotka
Social Movement Strategic Action Plan
August 27, 2024
Subject Area(s):
Collective Behavior/Social Movements, Social Change
Resource Type(s):
Assignment
Class Level(s):
College 100, College 200, College 300, College 400
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:

Students will demonstrate and apply their understanding of sociological theories and concepts about social movements by working in groups to: 1) identify an issue around which there is no current social movement; 2) develop a detailed plan for mobilizing people in...

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A pile of newspapers next to a mug of tea
William A. Gamson
William A. Gamson Collection: Media Framing of Arab-Israeli Conflict
May 10, 2023
Subject Area(s):
Collective Behavior/Social Movements, Mass Communication/Public Opinion, Peace, War, World Conflict, and Conflict Resolution, Political Sociology
Resource Type(s):
Class Activity
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:

This learning group activity was created by William A. Gamson for teaching about media frames. 

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Police at a protest
William A. Gamson
William A. Gamson Collection: Social Conflict Learning Group Activities
February 17, 2023
Subject Area(s):
Peace, War, World Conflict, and Conflict Resolution, Political Sociology
Resource Type(s):
Class Activity
Class Level(s):
College 100, College 200, College 300, College 400
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:

These learning group activities were created by William A. Gamson for teaching social conflict. These activities cover a wide range of topics including: the causes of social conflict, the role of inequality, the concept of national interests, democratic peace...

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Sarah Gaby
Social Movement and Institution Interactions
October 25, 2019
Subject Area(s):
Collective Behavior/Social Movements
Resource Type(s):
Class Activity
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:
Social movement actors interact with various types of institutions as they seek to leverage challenges. Commonly, these include federal and local governments, corporations, and the media. In this simulation, students act as either social movement actors or...
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Julie A. Pelton, Alecia Anderson
Social Justice and Social Change
October 2, 2019
Subject Area(s):
Social Change
Resource Type(s):
Syllabus
Class Level(s):
College 400
Class Size(s):
Small
Abstract:
Social Justice and Social Change investigates the economic, political and social constraints on equality present in local, national and global arrangements. Students will gain an empirical and theoretical understanding of the causes, consequences, and possible...
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Alecia D Anderson, Amy C Schindler
Social Justice and Social Change Zine Assignment
September 20, 2019
Subject Area(s):
Social Change
Resource Type(s):
Assignment
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:
This assignment allows students an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and compassion for a social justice topic using a creative approach. Students choose topics that they are most passionate about and explore them using a variety of sources and approaches. Zine is...
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Jennifer Earl, Thomas V Maher, Thomas Elliott
Youth, activism, and social movements
July 3, 2018
Subject Area(s):
Collective Behavior/Social Movements
Resource Type(s):
Syllabus
Class Level(s):
College 300
Class Size(s):
Medium
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...
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Tal Peretz
Feminist History in Waves Activity
April 17, 2018
Subject Area(s):
Collective Behavior/Social Movements
Resource Type(s):
Class Activity
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Medium
Abstract:
In this activity, students research and share moments of women’s history, create a timeline on the board, then work together to draw patterns out of the historical timeline, performing a basic version of historiograpy. By laying out a thorough, if haphazard, history...
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Renae Wilkinson, Robert A. Thomson, Jr.
Structure, Agency, and Social Change in a "Lost Generation"
October 26, 2017
Subject Area(s):
Introduction to Sociology/Social Problems
Resource Type(s):
Class Activity
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:
This in-class activity is designed for students to learn and creatively apply the concepts of structure and agency. Structure and agency are often difficult to disentangle, or, alternatively, they are treated as a fixed dichotomy. As such, it can be challenging to...
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