syllabus

Course Information	Instructor: Dr. Timothy Kubal
units : 3	Office Number: SS 224
Time:   330-445	email : tkubal@csufresno.edu
Location:  SS203	Telephone: 278-5145
Website: Blackboard	Office Hours: MW 445-645, via email, and by appointment

Course Description

Theory of nonviolent direct action in the pursuit of social justice and social change. Discussion of goals, ideology, norms, organizational structure, leadership, strategy, tactics, and social roots of social movements.

Learning Outcomes

Students will display understanding of movement literature by finding and reading articles before class, and participating in class discussion about these articles.  Students will display their understanding of the literature through midterm and final exams.  Students will practice working with others by joining a group in class and participating in group meetings and tactics to draw attention to their cause.  Students will practice organizing through at least 5 papers that summarize five different campaigns undertaken by their group.  Students will develop the habit of learning about social movements through the news program Democracy Now! by submitting weekly papers summarizing at least two stories.

Assignments

The course will help develop understanding and skills in organizing social movements.  Students will practice different types of movement activism and write about their experience.  The class needs to break into groups of three to five people. The group will be charged with drawing attention to their cause on campus this semester.   The success of this will be demonstrated through documenting the tactics, and through a pre and post survey. 

 Beginning of the semester: Conduct a survey.  I will help you do this.

Throughout the semester:  In order to draw attention to your cause, you will need to devise a group name, a collective action frame, an organizational chart, blogpage, and an assessment of your resources, goals, opportunities, and constraints.  The group also needs to devise creative ways to impart your collective action frame, such as through an icon, mascot or logo.  The group will be responsible for working together to communicate with the public: organize, publicize, and conduct 5 events from the following tactic types:

1.     Movie/discussion -- Movie for all students with discussion afterwards (1 movie event required) 

2.     Listening table/writing wall campaign in free speech area (several days minimum)

3.     Street theater campaign in free speech area (two 10 minute events on two different days, minimum)

4.     Public event on campus (e.g., concert, comedy)

5.     Fund-raising event (e.g., fundraising walk or bowlathon)

6.     Informational picket on campus – hand flyers to students in front of entry ways to classrooms.  Several days minimum.

7.     Social media – must setup and maintain over one month at least

8.     Newspaper campaign (e.g., letter to editor – each person must write one, on different dates or different places)

9.     Direct action / occupation (must be formally approved in writing from the instructor and department chair)

10.  Protest march (group has budget for signs)

11.  Boycott

12.  Speaker/panel/debate on campus (there is be grant money to bring in a public speaker, if you know of someone good, we can ask for up to $1000 for a speaker honorarium)

13.  Push polling / online survey (required)

14.  Petition signing campaign (online/in person – done over at least 1 month period)

15.  Breach campaign (break norms; must be done several times; must be approved)

16.  Flyers/chalking/signs (posted around campus –must be done several times over at least 1 month period)

17.  face to face interviewing/Knocking on doors (must be done over several days)

18.  Volunteer 2+ hours per person for a local movement group that addresses your cause

You ought to spend at least 2 hours completing each of these, and ideally most of them should be done more than once on different days.  Most importantly, you must not break any campus rules.  Notice civil disobedience is not listed here.  It is not acceptable to do civil disobedience for this class.  Occupations and direct actions might be approved; if interested, the instructor can facilitate the approval process with a request sent via email.  These are all legal, serious tools of social change.  The ability to organize is cited as one of the reasons we go to war, and one of the reasons for our freedom – we have the right to organize.  This course is established to help your practice organizing.  Each of the above requires at least one week of planning, including professor approval of the general tactic planned.  I will provide more guidance about each of these, and I encourage you to ask as many questions as possible while planning.  We will have time in class for group planning meetings.  The movie series and push polling are required. I can work with you individually if you can’t do the movie due to scheduling.  I will show you how to do push polling in class.   Also, some of these are easier than others, and thus you cannot submit more than one of them for credit.  For example, you may only submit one of the following for credit: flyers, petition, informational picket.

You are encouraged to become your own student group, which will make you eligible for your own $1000 per semester allocation for campus events.  If you don’t become your own organization, we can put forward your grant applications through the sociology club.  Going through the club means it has to be approved by the club, using our $1000 budget. This is fine for a few things that have common interest, but isn’t feasible for everyone.  Create your own student organization if you want to organize larger events that cost money.  

Each group will be given a spending allowance of $100 for your events.  To access these funds, you will need to submit an itemized receipt after your event.   It is acceptable if you want to spend your own money.  I have a free survey program we will use at the beginning and end of the semester, and I have a free telephone interviewing program that you will use for push polling. 

  You will be graded on the best five papers you submit that document each of your events.  Document your event with pictures, written summary of at least 300 words, and perhaps video or other ways to document your event.  Each person needs to provide their own documentation and summary of your event.   In your summary, make sure to summarize what you did to publicize/setup the event, how it went down, and how you would improve if you did the same thing again in the future.  Make sure to clearly discuss the extent of your involvement in the actual event.  Also, make sure to document how well you think the event did to alter opinion about your issue. 

Send completed papers to:

 tkubal2.2009.protest@blogger.com

Make sure your name is on your paper.  Paste the paper into the email (do not attach) before sending.

Conduct/analyze a survey at the end of the semester.  I will help you do this.

Alternative to one or two of five required group papers -- Get involved – For each of the 5 events you are not able to participate in (up to two), you may substitute 5 hours of volunteering for a local movement group.  Find a local group, get the group approved by the instructor as a legitimate local movement group, and introduce yourself to at least one of their leaders.  Find out about how you can get involved and volunteer.  Volunteer 5 hours of time for each of the campus events you miss, and summarize the experience in the paper.

Discussion – weekly 300 word summary of at least two stories from Democracy Now! (or other news outlets) from the previous week on social movements.  Include links to stories.    Include your name in the body of the email message. Send to tkubal2.2009.protest@blogger.com

Literature – midterm and final  -- Unique 5 page synthesis of 5 unique articles from class reading list.

Class participation – complete assigned reading before class and participate in teaching and learning about the assigned readings.  

Grading

Papers summarizing movement tactic 100 pts x 5 = 500

Weekly Discussion 10pts x 10 = 100

Midterm = 50 points

Final = 50 points

Class participation and attendance throughout semester = 100

800 – 720 A

719 – 640 B

639 – 560 C

559 – 480 D

479 - 0  F

University Policies

The syllabus must note the university Policy on Students with Disabilities, the University Honor Code, the Policy on Cheating and Plagiarism, a statement on copyright, and the university computer requirement University policies can be included in the syllabus by reference to statements in the University Catalog and Class Schedule. For example, one might state: "For information on the University's policy regarding cheating and plagiarism, refer to the Class Schedule (Legal Notices on Cheating and Plagiarism) or the University Catalog (Policies and Regulations)." These may also be incorporated by directing students to the online required syllabus policy statement page (http://www.csufresno.edu/academics/documents/RequiredSyllabusPolicyStatements_001.doc) 

Below are some sample statements that provide more than just the reference. In all instances, it is recommended that specific examples of what you consider to be cheating and plagiarism be included. See also those listed in the University Policy.

Students with Disabilities:

Upon identifying themselves to the instructor and the university, students with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodation for learning and evaluation. For more information, contact Services to Students with Disabilities in the Henry Madden Library, Room 1202 (278-2811).

Honor Code:

“Members of the CSU Fresno academic community adhere to principles of academic integrity and mutual respect while engaged in university work and related activities.”  You should:

a)      understand or seek clarification about expectations for academic integrity in this course (including no cheating, plagiarism and inappropriate collaboration)

b)      neither give nor receive unauthorized aid on examinations or other course work that is used by the instructor as the basis of grading.

c)       take responsibility to monitor academic dishonesty in any form and to report it to the instructor or other appropriate official for action.

Instructors may require students to sign a statement at the end of all exams and assignments that “I have done my own work and have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this work.” If you are going to use this statement, include it here.

Cheating and Plagiarism:

"Cheating is the actual or attempted practice of fraudulent or deceptive acts for the purpose of improving one's grade or obtaining course credit; such acts also include assisting another student to do so. Typically, such acts occur in relation to examinations. However, it is the intent of this definition that the term 'cheating' not be limited to examination situations only, but that it include any and all actions by a student that are intended to gain an unearned academic advantage by fraudulent or deceptive means. Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating which consists of the misuse of the published and/or unpublished works of others by misrepresenting the material (i.e., their intellectual property) so used as one's own work." Penalties for cheating and plagiarism range from a 0 or F on a particular assignment, through an F for the course, to expulsion from the university. For more information on the University's policy regarding cheating and plagiarism, refer to the Class Schedule (Legal Notices on Cheating and Plagiarism) or the University Catalog (Policies and Regulations).

Computers:

"At California State University, Fresno, computers and communications links to remote resources are recognized as being integral to the education and research experience. Every student is required to have his/her own computer or have other personal access to a workstation (including a modem and a printer) with all the recommended software. The minimum and recommended standards for the workstations and software, which may vary by academic major, are updated periodically and are available from Information Technology Services or the University Bookstore (http://www.kennelbookstore.com). In the curriculum and class assignments, students are presumed to have 24-hour access to a computer workstation and the necessary communication links to the University's information resources."

Disruptive Classroom Behavior:

"The classroom is a special environment in which students and faculty come together to promote learning and growth. It is essential to this learning environment that respect for the rights of others seeking to learn, respect for the professionalism of the instructor, and the general goals of academic freedom are maintained. ... Differences of viewpoint or concerns should be expressed in terms which are supportive of the learning process, creating an environment in which students and faculty may learn to reason with clarity and compassion, to share of themselves without losing their identities, and to develop and understanding of the community in which they live . . . Student conduct which disrupts the learning process shall not be tolerated and may lead to disciplinary action and/or removal from class."

Copyright Policy:

Copyright laws and fair use policies protect the rights of those who have produced the material. The copy in this course has been provided for private study, scholarship, or research.  Other uses may require permission from the copyright holder.  The user of this work is responsible for adhering to copyright law of the U.S. (Title 17, U.S. Code).  To help you familiarize yourself with copyright and fair use policies, the University encourages you to visit its Copyright Web Page (http://libguides.csufresno.edu/copyright).

Technology Innovations for Learning & Teaching (TILT) course web sites contain material protected by copyrights held by the instructor, other individuals or institutions. Such material is used for educational purposes in accord with copyright law and/or with permission given by the owners of the original material.  You may download one copy of the materials on any single computer for non-commercial, personal, or educational purposes only, provided that you (1) do not modify it, (2) use it only for the duration of this course, and (3) include both this notice and any copyright notice originally included with the material.   Beyond this use, no material from the course web site may be copied, reproduced, re-published, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any way without the permission of the original copyright holder.  The instructor assumes no responsibility for individuals who improperly use copyrighted material placed on the web site.

Date	Topic	Reading Assignment
Wed., Jan 29	Introduction to sociology	Online chapter
Wed., Feb 5	Intro to sociological method	Online chapters
Wed., Feb 12	Intro to Movements	Online chapter
Wed., Feb 19	Media and movements	Any 2 articles from list
Wed., Feb 26	Movements and memory	Online chapter -- excerpt from Kubal’s Cultural Movements and Collective Memory
Wed., Mar 5	Movements and memory	Online article – forthcoming article from Kubal and Becerra and any one article from list
Wed., Mar 12	Movement processes	Any 2 articles from list
Wed., Mar 19	Animal rights movements	Any 2 articles from list
Wed., Mar 26	Education movements	Any 2 articles from list
Wed., Apr 2	Environmental movements	Any 2 articles from list
Wed., Apr 9	Labor / Sweatshop	Any 2 articles from list
Wed., Apr 16	Food / Hunger Movements	Any 2 articles from list
Wed., Apr 23	Criminal Justice Movements	Any 2 articles from list
Wed., Apr 30	Peace Movements	Any 2 articles from list
Wed., May 7	Movement Theory	Any 2 articles from list

Final Exam Preparation & Faculty Consultation Days:	Thursday and Friday	May 8-9
Final Semester Examinations	Monday-Thursday	May 12-15
Final Exam DUE in this course STEP 5 PAPER DUE	MAY 15, 10PM