SO 4500 (PS 4500) - Social Advocacy and Action

Social advocacy is about developing an informed position on a public issue and actively working to build support for this position among others who are opposed to it or unclear about where they stand. The advocate not only believes in a position, but makes a concerted public effort to insure that it prevails over competing perspectives when funds are allocated, policies are established, or other actions taken. In this course we will explore various forms of individual and collective advocacy used to advance a certain position on a social issue and ask: Why, and under what conditions, have some been effective and others not? What makes for an effective advocate? Students will be given many opportunities to grapple with these questions and, through various hands‐on assignments and projects, help cultivate their own social advocacy skills - skills that are useful, if not indispensable - in many settings. (4 Credits)