Division of Sociology
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
HS4016: Social Movements
AY 20014/15 Sem 1
Mondays, 1230pm-430pm (HSS Sem Rm 4)
Asst Professor Teo You Yenn
Tel: 6316 8933
Email: [email protected]
Mailbox: HSS05-32
Office: HSS-05-46 (consultations by appointment)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
From revolutionary movements that overthrew regimes, to women’s movements
that have radically altered and continue to challenge gender norms, to contemporary
environmental and labor movements that shape the ways governments and
businesses behave, social movements have been and continue to be major forces in
human history. They account for why power relations are organized in particular
ways in given contexts; they shape group identities and boundaries; and they help
us understand the limitations and possibilities of social change in our own times and
contexts.
This course serves as an introduction to the vast and rich research in sociology on
this important subject. We will explore social movements through a sociological lens,
asking: what are the conditions for their emergence? What are social movement
organizations’ and activists’ tactics and strategies, and how do these come about?
How do social movements shape the worlds in which we live?
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
This is a class designed for advanced Sociology majors. Students are expected to
attend all classes and complete all required reading and writing assignments in a
timely manner. You are also expected to actively participate in class discussions.
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Students will be evaluated in these areas:
1. Reading notes (10%)
Please make sure all readings are completed by class time.
Beginning from Week 2, you are expected to submit notes on the readings, relating
the theme of that week to the assigned required readings. Your notes should be
between 800-1000 words.
Use the questions posed in the syllabus to reflect on the authors’ main arguments.
Also consider what sort of evidence they used, and how the readings for that week
relate to each other.
Please submit your notes via Turnitin by 10pm every Sunday. Please also bring a
hard or soft copy to class so that you can refer to them during class discussions.
Each week, I will randomly select a few students’ notes to read. You will receive
credit for each memo that you turn in over the course of 11 weeks.
2. Essay (40%)
Due: 22 October, 1pm (both hard and soft copies)
As part of this course, you are required to write an essay, between 2800-3000 words
(excluding references and appendices) on one of these topics:
1. Pick an event with social movement elements that took place within the past
two years. Using specific theories and concepts discussed in this course, construct
an essay interpreting the event. Include in an appendix five to seven news
articles (preferably from different sources) that cover your chosen event. You
should not use the same event that you choose for your PechaKucha
presentation (see below).
2. Select an organization in contemporary Singapore that is aimed at advocating
for social change along some clearly defined parameters, e.g. environmental
protection; women’s rights; gay rights; heritage preservation, etc. Interview 3
to 4 of the group’s members. Ask them about how the group came into
existence, what they aim to accomplish, what their activities are, how they
carry out their activities, and what their successes and limitations have been.
Write an essay that reflects on how the group is similar to and/or different
from a comparable social movement organization (e.g. targeted at similar
goals/issues) discussed in the course. Include in an appendix your interview
questions.
Whichever topic you choose, there should be a clear set of arguments in your
essay—stated early in the paper, developed throughout, and tied together in the
conclusion. Arguments must be supported by appropriate evidence.
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Include a bibliography and ensure proper citation of other people’s work. Also
include a word count on the first page. Essays without word counts and/or outside
the stipulated length will be marked down. Essays with plagiarized sections will
receive an immediate F.
Before committing to a topic, make sure: (a) you can find sufficient material (access
to interviewees, documents, books, articles, etc); (b) you set yourself a manageable
task given the time and length constraints of the assignment.
3. “PechaKucha” Presentation (10%)
20 slides, 20 seconds each.
In groups of 3 or 4, design a visual presentation around a social movement that took
place between 2011-2014.
Select one or two theoretical concepts/arguments discussed in the course and use
that to interpret your chosen case. Anchor your presentation with one or two key
questions.
Find or create 20 visuals that answer the question you pose; plan to speak about each
slide for 20 seconds. Keep text to a minimum.
For inspiration, go to: http://www.pecha-kucha.org/
Groups will present on Weeks 7, 8, 10 and 11. We will organize groups/dates by
Week 3. Be sure to plan ahead, to divide up the work fairly, and to ensure that all
group members have opportunities to speak.
4. Attendance and participation (10%)
You should participate, ask questions, and challenge the material. The success of the
class depends on your active and informed engagement. During class, please refrain
from using your electronic devices for purposes other than taking notes.
5. Final examination (30%)
The final examination will consist of essay questions, covering the entire semester’s
material. Students are expected to grasp key concepts and be able to use specific
examples discussed in the course to illustrate them.
OTHER CLASS POLICIES
Deadlines/penalties: Unless you have a legitimate and documented excuse for not
being able to turn in an assignment on time, deadlines will not be extended and late
assignments will result in lowered grades. Assignments turned in late will be
marked down by 1/2 of a letter grade per day. I require both hard and soft copies to
be turned in by the stipulated times.
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Academic integrity: All members of the NTU community are responsible for
upholding the values of academic integrity in all academic undertakings. At the
beginning of the semester, students are required to submit a signed declaration
guaranteeing the originality of all graded and non-graded work throughout the
semester. Students are expected to have fully read current academic policies
regarding academic honesty at http://www.ntu.edu.sg/ai/ForStudents/Pages/index.aspx. I
require all students to submit their assignments via Turnitin.
PART I: INTRODUCTION
1. 18 AUGUST
Introduction to the course
** NO READINGS FOR THE WEEK **
2. 25 AUGUST
What are social movements?
What do sociologists want to know about them?
Why is it important to study social movements?
Film: Berkeley in the Sixties
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Chapter 1 in Tilly, Charles. 2004. Social movements, 1768-2004. Boulder; London:
Paradigm Publishers.
Tarrow, Sidney G. 2008. "Power in Movement." Pp. 145-51 in Social movements: a
reader, edited by Vincenzo Ruggiero, Nicola Montagna, and Sonia E. Alvarez.
London; New York: Routledge.
Huang, Jianli. 2006. "Positioning the student political activism of Singapore:
articulation, contestation and omission." Inter-Asia Cultural Studies 7(3): 403-430.
3. 1 SEPTEMBER
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Why do people join social movements?
Who does, and under what conditions?
Piven, Frances Fox, and Richard A. Cloward. 2005. "Rule Making, Rule Breaking, and
Power." Pp. 33-53 in The Handbook of Political Sociology: States, Civil Societies, and
Globalization, edited by Thomas Janoski, Robert Alford, Alexander Hicks, and Mildred
Schwartz. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
McAdam, Doug. 1986. "Recruitment to High-Risk Activism: The Case of Freedom
Summer." American Journal of Sociology 92(1): 64-90.
Hirsch, Eric L. 1990. "Sacrifice for the Cause: Group Processes, Recruitment, and
Commitment in a Student Social Movement." American Sociological Review 55(2):
243-254.
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PART 2: CONDITIONS THAT SHAPE EMERGENCE AND DYNAMICS
4. 8 SEPTEMBER
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Under what conditions do social movements arise?:
Introduction to resource mobilization and political
process theories of social movements.
McCarthy, John D., and Mayer N. Zald. 1977. "Resource Mobilization and Social
Movements: A Partial Theory." American Journal of Sociology 82(6): 1212-1241.
Chapter 3 (pp. 36-59) in McAdam, Doug. 1982. Political process and the development
of Black insurgency, 1930-1970. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Buechler, Steven M. 1993. "Beyond Resource Mobilization? Emerging Trends in
Social Movement Theory." Sociological Quarterly 34(2): 217-235.
5. 15 SEPTEMBER
Evaluating the value of our newly acquired theoretical
tools: how well do the theories account for the Student
Movement in Berkeley, and the women’s movements in
the U.S. and in Singapore?
Film: Freedom on My Mind (1994)
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Freeman, Jo. 2003. "The Women's Movement." Pp. 22-31 in The social movements
reader: cases and concepts, edited by Jeff Goodwin and James M. Jasper. Oxford,
UK: Blackwell Publishing.
Chapters 1 and 4 (pp. 3-36; 94-140) in Rosen, Ruth. 2001. The world split open: how
the modern women's movement changed America. New York: Penguin.
Chew, Phyllis Ghim Lian. 1994. "The Singapore council of women and the
women's movement." Journal of Southeast Asian Studies 25(1): 112-140.
6. 22 SEPTEMBER
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States and formal political structures: how do they
shape and limit opportunities?
Chapters 3 and 4 (pp. 72-105; 106-133) in Goodwin, Jeff. 2001. No Other Way Out:
States and Revolutionary Movements, 1945-1991: Cambridge University Press.
Chapters 1 and 2 (pp. 1-44) in Ray, Raka. 1999. Fields of protest: women's movements
in India. Minneapolis Minn.: University of Minnesota Press.
Chapter 2 (pp. 16-40) in Ng, Cecilia, Maznah Mohamad, and beng hui tan. 2006.
Feminism and the Women's Movement in Malaysia: An Unsung (R)evolution.
Abingdon; New York: Routledge.
** RECESS **
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7. 6 OCTOBER
“Culture”—what is it, and how does it influence social
movements?
** PechaKucha **
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Swidler, Ann. 1995. "Cultural Power and Social Movements." Pp. 25-40 in Social
movements and culture, edited by Hank Johnston and Bert Klandermans.
Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press.
Luker, Kristin. 2003. "World Views of Pro- and Anti- Abortion Activists." Pp. 134146 in The social movements reader: cases and concepts, edited by Jeff Goodwin and
James M. Jasper. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing.
Noonan, Rita K. 1995. "Women against the state: Political opportunities and
collective action frames in Chile's transition to democracy." Sociological Forum
10(1): 81-111.
PART 3: MOVEMENT STRATEGIES AND DYNAMICS
8. 13 OCTOBER
What do social movements organizations do, and why
do they use certain strategies and not others?
Film: The Take (87 minutes)
** PechaKucha **
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Della Porta, Donatella, and Sidney G. Tarrow. 2005. "Transnational protest and
global activism: an introduction." Pp. 1-20 in Transnational protest and global
activism, edited by Donatella Della Porta and Sidney G. Tarrow. Oxford: Rowman
& Littlefield.
Maisano, Chris. 2011. "From Protest to Disruption: Frances Fox Piven on Occupy
Wall Street" in A Democratic Socialists of America Pamphlet.
Chapters 1, 3, 7 in Lee, Ching Kwan. 2007. Against the law: labor protests in China's
rustbelt and sunbelt. Berkeley; Los Angeles, London: University of California
Press.
9. 20 OCTOBER
Mobilizing consensus: identity and discourse as
strategies
** ESSAYS DUE on 22 OCTOBER, 2pm **
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Pp. 269-292 in Jasper, James M. 1997. The art of moral protest: culture, biography, and
creativity in social movements. Chicago; London: University of Chicago Press.
Chapters 1 and 3 in Thayer, Millie. 2010. Making Transnational Feminism. New
York: Routledge.
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10. 27 OCTOBER
Interactions with opponents: inter-movement dynamics;
counter-movements; regime responses
** PechaKucha **
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Meyer, David S. and Suzanne Staggenborg. 1996. "Movements,
Countermovements, and the Structure of Political Opportunity." American Journal
of Sociology 101(6):1628-1660.
McAdam, Doug. 1983. "Tactical Innovation and the Pace of Insurgency." American
Journal of Sociology 92(1): 64-90.
Liu, Hwa-Jen. 2011. "When Labor and Nature Strike Back: A Double Movement
Saga in Taiwan." Capitalism Nature Socialism 22(1): 22-39.
PART 4: HOW DO SOCIAL MOVEMENTS MATTER?
11. 3 NOVEMBER
How do social movements shape society, and what are
the limits to their effects?
Film: McLibel (2005)
** PechaKucha **
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Hsiao, Hsin-Huang Michael, and Hwa-Jen Liu. 2002. "Collective Action toward a
Sustainable City: Citizen's Movements and Environmental Politics in Taipei." Pp.
67-94 in Livable cities?: urban struggles for livelihood and sustainability, edited by
Peter B. Evans. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Chapter 8 and Epilogue in Rosen, Ruth. 2001. The world split open: how the modern
women's movement changed America. New York: Penguin.
12. 10 NOVEMBER
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What is the relationship between democracy and social
movements?
What have we learnt?
Chapter 6 (pp. 123-143) in Tilly, Charles. 2004. Social movements, 1768-2004.
Boulder; London: Paradigm Publishers Boulder.
Moon, Seungsook. 2002. "Carving Out Space: Civil Society and the Women's
Movement in South Korea." The Journal of Asian Studies 61(2): 473-500.
Thum, Ping Tjin. 2014. "The old normal is the new normal." Pp. 139-167 in Hard Choices:
Challenging the Singapore Consensus, edited by Donald Low and Sudhir Vadaketh.
Singapore: NUS Press.
MONDAY 3 DECEMBER, 9-1130am
**FINAL EXAMINATION**
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Assignment Cover Sheet
Academic Year and Semester: AY 14/15, Sem 1
Course code and Title:
HS4016, SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Student’s Name(s) (official):
__________________________________________
Course Coordinator’s Name:
TEO YOU YENN
Academic Dishonesty
All members of the NTU community are responsible for upholding the values of academic integrity in
all academic undertakings. Students should not plagiarise or pass off as their own, the writing or ideas
of another, without acknowledging or crediting the source from which the ideas are taken. NTU takes
a serious view of any form of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of
academic dishonesty are considered serious offences for which disciplinary penalties will be imposed.
Declaration
I have read and understood the NTU Academic Integrity Policy (available online at http://
academicintegrity.ntu.edu.sg/policy/) and declare that all graded and non-graded assignments will be
my/our group’s own work and will not involve plagiarism or collusion. The sources of other people’s
work will be appropriately referenced. Quotation marks will be used around materials written verbatim
from other sources; citations will clearly indicate paraphrasing of other sources.
I will not submit any work for this course/module that is (in whole or part) graded work for another
course/module.
Student’s Signature: _____________________________
Date: ___________________
No assignments will be marked until the student has submitted this form.
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