Students

SOC 350 – Activism and Social Change

2018 – S1 External

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and lecturer
Justine Lloyd
Contact via justine.lloyd@mq.edu.au
Lecturer
Ben Spies-Butcher
Contact via ben.spies-butcher@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(39cp at 100 level or above) or admission to GDipArts
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
Social movements are an important presence in contemporary societies. How are they organised? Why do they emerge? What shapes their development? This unit provides a framework for answering these questions. It focuses on both the history of social activism, including campaigns like the suffragettes and civil rights movement through to the Arab Spring and climate campaigning; as well as prominent theories and concepts for understanding the rise and success of social movements. As part of the assessment students will examine a contemporary campaign, looking first hand at how movements organise and evaluating their success. This unit also allows students to progress to SOC352 where they have the opportunity to work in a placement with a social change organisation.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • identify the major theories developed to explain social movements
  • evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the dominant theories
  • apply social movement theory to contemporary Australian and international movements
  • analyse strategic and ethical problems that arise in the quest for political change
  • reflect on practical realities of social movements through participation in activities of social movements and social movement organisations
  • design and execute primary research on a particular social movement campaign

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Reading Reflection 20% No End of Week 4
Campaign analysis outline 20% No End of Week 7
Campaign analysis 40% No End of Week 13
Workshop participation 20% No Ongoing

Reading Reflection

Due: End of Week 4
Weighting: 20%

1 page (250 words) reflection based on one selection from weekly contributions to online forums (approx 200-300 words per week, weeks 2-4).


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • identify the major theories developed to explain social movements
  • evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the dominant theories

Campaign analysis outline

Due: End of Week 7
Weighting: 20%

Short (750 words) plan for campaign analysis


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • identify the major theories developed to explain social movements
  • evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the dominant theories
  • apply social movement theory to contemporary Australian and international movements
  • analyse strategic and ethical problems that arise in the quest for political change

Campaign analysis

Due: End of Week 13
Weighting: 40%

This assignment is a campaign analysis, based on action research on a current campaign that you select.

You will have an option to present your findings in one of two forms:

 i) 2000-2500 word report (excluding reference list and appendices) on current campaign or social movement event.

OR

ii) 10 Minute Conference Presentation, including electronic presentation, abstract and reference list (this option means presenting in Week 12 or 13).


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • identify the major theories developed to explain social movements
  • evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the dominant theories
  • apply social movement theory to contemporary Australian and international movements
  • analyse strategic and ethical problems that arise in the quest for political change
  • reflect on practical realities of social movements through participation in activities of social movements and social movement organisations
  • design and execute primary research on a particular social movement campaign

Workshop participation

Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 20%

Attendance and participation in online fora plus compulsory attendance on campus at conference presentation (if you aren't presenting, part of your mark for this component will be gained by giving peer feedback on others' presentations) in compulsory on-campus sessions in weeks 12 & 13.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • identify the major theories developed to explain social movements
  • evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the dominant theories
  • apply social movement theory to contemporary Australian and international movements
  • analyse strategic and ethical problems that arise in the quest for political change
  • reflect on practical realities of social movements through participation in activities of social movements and social movement organisations
  • design and execute primary research on a particular social movement campaign

Delivery and Resources

Class format: Weekly online activities responding to set course materials (readings, videos, podcasts etc.) with independent study and contributions to online discussion.

Technologies used in this course: Important information about the weekly topics, course readings and assessment are all available on the course iLearn page. If you do not have access, please contact IT help. You are requred to check iLearn and your student email regularly for course updates and communications.

Recommended and further readings for each week are available through the course e-reserve page via the library website.

Unit Schedule

Week

Topic

 1

Introduction 

 2

A Brief History of Social Action in Australia

 3

Social Movement Theory

 4

Action Research: How to research social action

 5

EASTER FRIDAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY: No Lecture or Tutorials

 6

Mass politics, mass organising

 7

New Social Movement Theory

 

Mid-semester break: 16-30 April

 8

Global Justice: From Alt Globalisation to Trump

 9

Direct Action and Nonviolence

 10

Green Washing, Pink Washing: Corporations and Movements

 11

New Media, New Strategies

 12

Conference

 13

Conference

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • analyse strategic and ethical problems that arise in the quest for political change

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the dominant theories
  • apply social movement theory to contemporary Australian and international movements
  • analyse strategic and ethical problems that arise in the quest for political change
  • reflect on practical realities of social movements through participation in activities of social movements and social movement organisations
  • design and execute primary research on a particular social movement campaign

Assessment tasks

  • Campaign analysis outline
  • Campaign analysis

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • reflect on practical realities of social movements through participation in activities of social movements and social movement organisations

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • identify the major theories developed to explain social movements
  • evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the dominant theories
  • apply social movement theory to contemporary Australian and international movements
  • reflect on practical realities of social movements through participation in activities of social movements and social movement organisations

Assessment tasks

  • Reading Reflection
  • Campaign analysis outline
  • Campaign analysis
  • Workshop participation

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • identify the major theories developed to explain social movements
  • evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the dominant theories
  • apply social movement theory to contemporary Australian and international movements
  • reflect on practical realities of social movements through participation in activities of social movements and social movement organisations
  • design and execute primary research on a particular social movement campaign

Assessment tasks

  • Reading Reflection
  • Campaign analysis outline
  • Campaign analysis
  • Workshop participation

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • identify the major theories developed to explain social movements
  • evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the dominant theories
  • apply social movement theory to contemporary Australian and international movements
  • reflect on practical realities of social movements through participation in activities of social movements and social movement organisations
  • design and execute primary research on a particular social movement campaign

Assessment tasks

  • Reading Reflection
  • Campaign analysis outline
  • Campaign analysis

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Assessment task

  • Workshop participation

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • apply social movement theory to contemporary Australian and international movements
  • analyse strategic and ethical problems that arise in the quest for political change
  • reflect on practical realities of social movements through participation in activities of social movements and social movement organisations

Assessment task

  • Campaign analysis

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • apply social movement theory to contemporary Australian and international movements
  • analyse strategic and ethical problems that arise in the quest for political change
  • reflect on practical realities of social movements through participation in activities of social movements and social movement organisations

Assessment task

  • Campaign analysis

Changes from Previous Offering

A compulsory on-campus session has been added to enable external students to participate in the student conference.

Changes since First Published

Date Description
31/05/2018 Clarification of word limit for final campaign analysis assignment. CHANGED FROM: i) 2500 word report on current campaign or social movement event. TO: i) 2000-2500 word report (excluding reference list and appendices) on current campaign or social movement event.