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SOC20450

Academic Year 2025/2026

Social Movements (SOC20450)

Subject:
Sociology
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Sociology
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Ana Ivasiuc
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

You probably heard of – and perhaps engaged with – groups such as Extinction Rebellion, Fridays for Future, the Black Lives Movement. Perhaps you have taken part in Pride parades, or went to protests demanding action from the government. But have you thought about what you were doing in sociological terms? This module will introduce you to concepts and theories that social scientists have produced to understand how collective action shapes societies, how actors get involved in social movements, and how they tackle the challenges that they encounter. We will study social movements by means of case studies, and engage with actors involved in such movements locally or globally.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the module, students will be able:
* To understand various forms of collective action in different social, cultural, and political contexts;
* To describe and summarise social science theories and concepts on social movements;
* To critically analyse the stakes, discourses, tactics, and strategies of various social movements.

Indicative Module Content:

Social movements and social change
Social movement theories
Tactics and strategies
Dimensions of contention
Gender, race, class in social movements
Radicalism and violence in social movements
The institutionalisation of struggle
Emotions and humor in social movements
All these dimensions will be illustrated by concrete case studies.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

20
Small Group

20
Autonomous Student Learning

80
Total

120

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Lectures; flipped classroom; reflective learning; case-based learning; student presentations; group work; critical writing.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): 1) Annotated interview with an activist of your choice OR
2) Vlog on a strand of activism that you are involved in (5-7 min of video) OR
3) Essay (2.000 words, topic to be discussed with lecturer)		 Week 15 Graded Yes
50
 Yes
Group Work Assignment: Group work: Creation and presentation of a zine.

[A zine is self-published material used by many activist movements. It is like a brochure/pamphlet and serves the purpose of disseminating info]		 Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 14 Graded Yes
50
 Yes

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

- Feedback individually to students, post-assessment - Feedback to students, on the group project prior to summative assessment (on demand) - Group/class feedback, post-assessment - Peer review activities Students will be provided group and individual feedback on the group project and individual assessment. The group project will also receive peer-review feedback.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 15:00 - 16:50
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