INTS 332 The Politics of Social Movements and Grassroots Organizing

This community-integrative course introduces students to the politics of social movements and activism both within the United States and abroad. The main focus will be urban-based movements seeking to represent communities who have been politically marginalized on the basis of class, race, ethnicity, gender and/or sexuality. Students will investigate the strategies participants in such movements use to identify pressing social problems, to mobilize support for their cause, and to influence policy making. Comparative analysis of local/national forms of activism and movements that have emerged overseas is central to the course. All students will engage in community-based learning by working with local organizations involved in advocacy.