What is Activism?
A protestor in the streets? A hacker sitting in their underwear in their basement? Perhaps the founder of an NGO or an “intentional community”? Or even a dissident or revolutionary fighting an authoritarian regime? In this course we explore varieties of alternative, extra institutional, “rigorous” political action, and their contexts and participants, towards building our own personal definitions of “activism” as it relates to our lives and the materials presented in the class.
This first part of the course focuses on individuals and groups as they relate to the societies they live in: states, citizens, or neither; marginalization, suppression, and control; and the actions and movements these relationships spawn. Wholly, we look at people, and discuss the extent to which they will go to have their voices heard. If one person standing on the street corner yelling doesn’t feel they are heard, when do they recruit more and take the streets? And if that does not work, at what point then do they start throwing rocks, maybe carrying guns, or even engaging in open revolt?
Part two of the course critiques several political contexts – from modern (capitalist) “democracies,” to socialist and monarchic systems, to non-hierarchical communities – and explore the ways political power is distributed within these systems. Ultimately, we will isolate the power dynamics and political inequities of these systems, and identify both mainstream and “non-institutionalized” political action within them. In these first two parts, we work to identify whose voice(s) are not heard (in a representative democracy, a socialist dictatorship, an anarchist commune, etc.), why they are not heard, and what those people or groups can do about it.
In Part III of the course we look at examples of what people and groups have (and are) doing about it! From pre-modern peasant revolts and the Paris commune; to the Zapatistas, Alter-Globalists, and recent color/spring/Occupy movements; and even to “NGO activism” across the globe; we read concrete examples of political action that engages beyond “mainstream” politics and which can help us – both as individuals and a class – come to our own understandings and definitions of “activism.”
Pre-Assessment:
All students will attend and take “field notes” at an “activist event” (BA one event, MA three events). Students will scan and hand in their notes with a one to three page analytical and reflective writing assignment.
Masters students:
Will write a one page response to each week’s readings, and submit them prior to class. They will also be required to do one 5 minute presentation during the semester from either the book Orgasms of History, or another predetermined topic or movie.
Assessment:
Building upon their pre-assessment assignment, course materials, and own experiences, students will write a paper presenting a critical definition of activism as they understand it. This paper will be reflexive and personal, but academic in its engagement with and citation of course materials and their experience “as an activist.”
BA students: 5000 words
MA students: 7000 words.
- Trainer/in: Ursula Rao