GLOBAL SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

The course is an “integrative” course both in the Global studies path of the RIC program and in the LCI program. It aims to provide students with the basic methodological tools for the study of social movements from a socio-historical standpoint, and with a specific understanding of the interactions between historical social movements and international politics between the 1960s and the present.

Expected results:
1) at the end of the course students will be able to address advanced questions regarding the field of global studies and social movements theory and history, with a focus on social movements of global relevance from the 1960s to the present;
2) at the end of the course students will have acquired the basic methodological tools for the study of social movements and the interaction between social movements and international politics, as well as the instruments to organize one’s own work (including the selection of an appropriate bibliography);
3) at the end of the course students will have acquired the capacity to identify problems and analyze the relationship between social movements and institutions (national and international), by using appropriately different sources of information and documents;
4) at the end of the course, students will have developed the ability to work in teams and in multicultural environments and to present their own works appropriately in both written and oral form;
5) at the end of the course students will have acquired the skills necessary to continue to undertake further studies in the social sciences with a high degree of autonomy.

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Social movements have long been a driving force behind political and cultural change. From the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s in the United States to the Occupy movement and the so-called “Arab Uprisings” of 2011, social movements have been fundamentally re-shaping global society and institutions.

This course takes a socio-historical approach in order to highlight the deep and multifaceted interactions between the challenges from “anti-systemic social movements” and responses of national and international institutions in the US-led world capitalist system from the 1960s to the present. Through readings, videos, and lecture/discussions (including guest lectures) will introduce students to core concepts and new research from the field of social movement theory and history, drawing on inter-disciplinary readings from history, political science and sociology.

A brief outline of the course’s program follows:

1. Intro: what do we study when we study “global social movements”?
2. Anticolonial movements, 1960s-1980s
3. Anticolonial movements, 1960s-1980s
4. The student movement and the “global 1968”
5. The student movement and the “global 1968”
6. The Feminist movement (Prof.. Gusmano)
7. Gay and lesbian liberation movements, 1960s-1980s (Prof. Gusmano)
8. Labor movements, 1960s-1980s
9. Political ecology 1960s-1980s
10. The “neoliberal counter-revolution”, 1979-1990s
11. Post-1990s: Queer and intersectional movements (Prof. Gusmano)
12. Post-1990s: “Global justice movements” from Seattle to Occupy Wall Street
13. Post-1990s: The “Arab uprisings” (Guest lecture with Prof. Massimiliano Trentin and Prof. Francesco Saverio Leopardi)
14. Post 1990s: Fridays For Future and the ecological transition movement
15. Post-1990s: Domestic workers' movements

The course avails itself of a special seminar, held by Prof. Beatrice Gusmano, entitled "How to write and present a grounded paper".

A detailed calendar of regular classes and seminar meetings is in the course's moodle materials (https://moodle.unive.it/course/view.php?id=3586 ).

The course is based on a selection of chapters and articles excerpted from classic and recent international literature on social movements, including Berger and Nehring, Arrighi, Wallerstein and Hopkins, Zinn, Goodwin and Jasper and others (see complete list at https://moodle.unive.it/course/view.php?id=3586 ). While not formally included in the reading list, students may find useful as a general reference the reader by Donatella Della Porta and Mario Diani, "Social Movements. An Introduction", New York, Wiley-Blackwell, 2006.

For students who attend both the regular classes and the seminars, the reading material is as follows:
- A list of readings specific to each class, available in the moodle materials of the course (https://moodle.unive.it/course/view.php?id=3586 ), under the heading "mandatory readings". The readings are also available in the moodle materials of the course. Readings should be done before each class.
- All the articles and volumes that are necessary for the writing of the seminar's final paper.

For students who attend the regular classes only, the reading materials are as follows:
- A list of readings specific to each class, available in the moodle materials of the course (https://moodle.unive.it/course/view.php?id=3586 ), under the heading "mandatory readings". The readings are also available in the moodle materials of the course. Readings should be done before each class.
- A monograph of choice. The list - only the list - of monographs is available in the moodle materials of the course (https://moodle.unive.it/course/view.php?id=3586 ).

For students who attend the seminars only, the reading materials are as follows:
- A list of readings specific to each class, available in the moodle materials of the course (https://moodle.unive.it/course/view.php?id=3586 ), under the heading "mandatory readings". The readings are also available in the moodle materials of the course.
- A list of readings specific to each class, available in the moodle materials of the course (https://moodle.unive.it/course/view.php?id=3586 ), under the heading "suggested readings". The readings are also available in the moodle materials of the course.
- All the articles and volumes that are necessary for the writing of the seminar's final paper.

For students who do not attend either the regular classes or the seminar:
- A list of readings specific to each class, available in the moodle materials of the course (https://moodle.unive.it/course/view.php?id=3586 ), under the heading "mandatory readings". The readings are also available in the moodle materials of the course.
- A list of readings specific to each class, available in the moodle materials of the course (https://moodle.unive.it/course/view.php?id=3586 ), under the heading "suggested readings". The readings are also available in the moodle materials of the course.
- A monograph of choice. The list - only the list - of monographs is available in the moodle materials of the course (https://moodle.unive.it/course/view.php?id=3586 ).

ATTENTION - UPDATE 29.4.2020

The exam has different characteristics depending on each student's "attendance" record. The social distancing measures connected to the "coronavirus emergency" require some changes to our original plans. While "attendance" of the seminars is determined by having written the final paper, it is left to each student to decide whether they "attended" the classes or not: if you feel confident that you have followed the lectures both in presence and by remote, plus the forums and the videoconferences, you should think of yourselves as "attending" students (frequentanti). If you do not feel so confident about having followed the course as above, you may prefer to take a closer look at the "suggested" readings and do the exam as "non-attending" students (non frequentanti).

For students who have taken part in the seminar's research groups and have "attended" the classes (in presence at first, and then thorugh the careful listening/watching/reading of the "online classes"), the exam is as follows:
1. A final research paper of some 3500 words - on a social movement of choice. The paper should be prepared by groups of up to five students and should follow the style guidelines and other instructions communicated at the seminar. It has to be presented by the group at the seminar and revised after the presentation. Each member of the group has to turn in his/her copy of the paper by email to Prof. Basosi and Prof. Gusmano one week before the date of the oral exam. The final paper accounts for 50% of the final grade.
2. An oral exam of the duration of around 20 minutes to be held in video-conference, consisting of two main questions (one on the final paper and one on the "mandatory" readings). The oral exam accounts for 50% of the final grade. Technical details on the videoconference will be communicated before the exam.

For students who have only "attended" the classes (in presence at first, and then thorugh the careful listening/watching/reading of the "online classes"), the exam is as follows:
1. An oral exam of the duration of around 20 minutes to be held in video-conference, consisting of three main questions (two on the "mandatory" readings and one on the chosen monograph). Technical details on the videoconference will be communicated before the exam.

For students who have taken part in the seminar's research groups only, the exam is as follows:
1. A final research paper of some 3500 characters - on a social movement of choice. The paper should be prepared by groups of up to five students and should follow the style guidelines and other instructions communicated at the seminar. It has to be presented by the group at the seminar and revised after the presentation. Each member of the group has to turn in his/her copy of the paper by email to Prof. Basosi and Prof. Gusmano one week before the date of the oral exam. The final paper accounts for 50% of the final grade.
2. An oral exam of the duration of around 20 minutes to be held in video-conference, consisting of three main questions (one on the final paper, one the "mandatory" readings and one on the "suggested" readings). The oral exam accounts for 50% of the final grade. Technical details on the videoconference will be communicated before the exam.

For students who did not take part in the seminar's research groups, and did not "attend" the classes (either physically or by remote), the exam is as follows:
1. An oral exam of the duration of around 20 minutes to be held in videoconference, consisting of three main questions (one on the "mandatory" readings, one on the "suggested" readings, and one on the chosen monograph). Technical details on the videoconference will be communicated before the exam.

The course is based on lectures (including guest lectures), readings, videos, class discussions. Students are also invited to attend Prof. Gusmano’s seminars (“esercitazioni”).

English

This course avails itself of the collaboration of Prof. Beatrice Gusmano as a Senior Teaching Assistant. Prof. Gusmano will give major lectures in 3 classes at regular class time (classes 6, 7 and 11) and will hold in-depth seminars (“esercitazioni”) on socio-historical academic writing in separate meetings (schedule available in the moodle materials of the course at https://moodle.unive.it/course/view.php?id=3586 ).

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development