PO 4520 - Political Social Movements

In this course, students will examine contentious politics through the lens of social movements and political participation in social movement organizations. The role of ordinary people coming together to challenge power using both conventional and unconventional political behaviors will be emphasized throughout the course. Students will use an interdisciplinary theoretical framework to examine the rise, nature and political influence of contemporary social movements. Finally, the course will train students to situate social movements as a form of contentious politics and apply their knowledge of dynamics of contention to a host of contentious collective behavior. (4 Credits)