The main purpose of this class is to encourage your engagement with the tradition and ongoing practice of movement for social change in the United States. I believe this goal requires some history so that we can become familiar with the ways in which social change agents have used communication—from oratory to the internet—to raise awareness of injustice, demand redress, mobilize others in the cause, and prompt other kinds of direct action including civil disobedience and strikes. This historical knowledge is key to understanding the renaissance of social movements going on around us today—from the WTO to the University Staff Association. After the historical survey of social movements, the second part of the course asks you to become involved as an observer and/or as a participant in a local social movement. We will specifically address two prominent causes locally, the movement against the death penalty and the movement of University staff for higher wages and better treatment. We will also discuss some other current social movements including the fight against corporate globalization and the movement against sanctions in Iraq.

 The guiding questions for the course are (1) How does social change happen? And (2) How can we use communication to intervene effectively and with integrity in the process of social change? 

Course Texts (available at Co-Op): *Books marked with an asterisk are required reading for everyone. The other books are available for student reports on specific movements.  They are recommended for everyone’s reading as well.  
- *Howard Zinn, People's History of the United States  Harper 1980, ISBN 0060907924
- *Bowers, Ochs, and Jensen, Rhetoric of Agitation and Control, Waveland 1993, ISBN 0881337129
- *Packet of supplemental readings, consisting mainly of documents and speeches from social movements, available at Longhorn copies.  
- Miriam Schneir, Feminism: The Essential Historical Writings, Vintage, 1992, ISBN 0679753818
- Jeremy Brecher, Strike! South End 1997, ISBN 0896085694
- Lillian Faderman, Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers, Penguin 1991, ISBN 0140171223
- Andrea Dworkin, Letters from a War Zone, Lawrence Hill, 1993 ISBN 1556521855
- Peter Levy, The Civil Rights Movement, Greenwood 1998, ISBN 0313298548
- Peter Levy, America in the Sixties, Praeger 1998, ISBN 0275955168
- Francisco Rosales, Chicano! Arte Publico, 1997, ISBN 1558852018
- Eleanor Flexner, Century of Struggle, Belknap, 1996, ISBN 0674106539  

Course Requirements--Grading is based on a percentage of 200 total points, as follows:

1)   Reading and Participation (25 points): You must keep up with class readings, and come to class prepared with notes and questions for discussion.  

2)   Team Movement Report (50 points): In groups of  three or four, you will be responsible for presenting a timeline and description of the major themes of a major American Social Movement. The report should also provide examples of speeches or other communication from the movement with analysis of themes and strategies in those documents. How did the movement use communication to raise consciousness, mobilize support, overcome obstacles and resistance, and prompt action for change? Were the strategies and messages effective? Why or why not? Report should include a handout for students to facilitate study for the exam. Students should meet with Dr. Cloud to discuss and locate core readings for each movement. 

3)   Exam (50 points): Essay and short answer questions covering lecture, readings and discussion on the historical portion of the class.  

4)   Current Social Movement Journal and Report  (75 points): Based on your observation and/or participation in a local social movement. Divided into four sections (use a binder or portfolio): a) weekly log of activity and observations (what do local activists do and say? with what effects? what do you think of their strategies and messages?); b) interview with an activist about history of the movement, plans for the future, thinking about strategies and messages, what has gone well, what has not gone so well, etc.; c) research summary (with bibliography)  of how local movement fits into a larger picture (what issues and arguments does the movement address, what national or regional or international movements does the local activity take part in, what varieties of response, criticism, growing popularity is the movement experiencing, what historical analogues or parallels does this movement have?); d) two public documents produced by you as if or actually as a participant in the movement (may include a speech, newspaper op-ed or letter to the editor, web site (or plan for a web site), brief radio program, flyer or poster, etc. Include a brief rationale for how your strategies and messages are tailored to a particular situation, purpose, and audience. Total Points: 200 

Course Schedule

 Week/Date                 Unit/Topic                              Readings/Other Due TodayReadings                                                                    *=In course packet   

Week 1                      

Unit I: What is Social Change and What Does Communication Have To Do With It?W 8/30                                    Course introduction                            noneF   9/1                          Defining social movements                 Bowers et al 1-3                                                                                    Decide report/movement topics

Week 2M 9/4                           No class—Labor Day             USA sick out, media coverageW 9/6                          CHANGED CLASS LOCATION TBA       Bowers et al. 4-8F 9/8                            CHANGED CLASS LOCATION TBA       discuss USA activity 

Week 3                                  

Unit II: History of U.S. Social MovementsM 9/11                         Social Movement History through Reconstruction    Zinn 1-205W 9/13                                    Student report on anti-slavery movement                                    Casey Fry__________________________________________                                    Parveen Baldeosingh                                    _________________________________________________F 9/15                          Continued                                           *Douglass, *Garrison, *Grimke

Week 4                       M 9/18                         History of Labor Movement                                       Zinn, 11, 12, 13W 9/20                                    Student Reports _Matt Anderson______________________________________                                    Andrea Gohn_________________________________                                    _________________________________________________F 9/22                          Wrap labor movement                         * Brecher, *Sweeney                                                                                                            *Dollinger

Week 5M 9/25                         Early Women’s Movement                 W 9/27                                    Student Reports                      *Declaration, *Stanton, *Truth                                    Kacey Wayne__________________________________                                    Lisa Minjarez                                    Diana Sanchez________________________________F 9/29                          Wrap early women’s movement 

Week 6M 10/2                         Second Wave Women’s Movement   *Friedan, NOW, Miss America          W 10/4                                    Student Reports                                  *Dworkin, *Title IX material                                                                                                *H. Clinton, *Davis                                    Janis Gorton___________________________________                                    Erika Garza                                    Sherry Rollo___________________________________ F 10/6                          catch up                                      

Week 7M 10/9                         The Anti-Death Penalty Movement Today    ,*Mumia, *RuderW 10/11                      Media and Movements I: The Death Penalty *Chicago Tribune Articleswww.nodeathpenalty.org, www.essential.net/dpic F 10/13                                    Socialism in America—Lecture                      Zinn 13 review, *Debs 

Week 8M 10/16                       Civil Rights Movement; discuss march          *MLK, *Malcolm X,                                                                                                             *DuBois, W 10/18                      Student Report on Civil Rights                      Zinn 17Claire Hamker_________________________________                                    Tate Santee______________________________                                    Riley Malone______________________________________ F 10/20                        Wrap Civil Rights Movement                          

Week 9M 10/23                       View Eyes on the Prize excerptsW 10/25                      The 1960s                                                        Zinn18-19F 10/27                        Student Report on 1960s Student Movement            *Port Huron, *Savio,                                                                                                            *Geier                                    Hannah Heinz_________________________________                                    Ladye Keck____________________________________                                    Ryan McManus_______________________________________ 

Week 10M 10/30                       Student movement, cont. Visit LBJ museumW 11/1                                    Student Report on anti-war movement          * Potter, *Duncan                                    Craig Burk____________________________________                        Caroline Wharton______________________________________                                    _________________________________________________F 11/3                          Student Report on Chicano Movement          *Rosales, *Chavez                                    Scott Prath__________________________________                                    Mark Stroube_______________________________________                                    Mario Villafranca_____________________________________           

Week 11M 11/6                         Student Report Gay/Lesbian Movement        *CNN, *Jones, *Vaidwww.stopdrlaura.com                                    Carla Harleaux                                    Erin Mosow______________________________________                                    _________________________________________________ W 11/8                                    Student Report Environmental Movement                 *Carson                                                                                    *Greens, *Cousteau, *WeintraubSpencer Tenney__________________________________                                    Tara Taylor____________________________________                                    Jason Lee____________________________________________ F 11/10                                    Exam covering history and theory of social movements 

Week 12                    

Unit III: Intervening in Contemporary Social MovementsM 11/13                       Introduction: Issues in Current Social Movements    Zinn 21-23, Afterw0rdW 11/15                      WTO, IMF, World Bank Protests      *WTO Documents                                    Possible special performance        see www.seattle99.orgF  11/17                       Media in Movements II          *Gitlin See www.indymedia.org 

Week 13M 11/20                       Your Movements—Progress ReportsW 11/22                      NO CLASSF 11/24                                    NO CLASS                 

Week 14M 11/27                       Other current social movements: Iraq sanctions  *Arnovewww.voicesinthewilderness.orgW 11/29                      Anti-racist movements today              *JacksonF 12/1                          Progress Reports                                 see www.rainbowpush.org