MSc Sociological Research

This course explores the following weekly topics:

1. Introduction to Social Movements
2. Rationality and Resource Mobilization
3. Political Opportunities, Political Processes and Contentious Politics
4. New Social Movements and Collective Identity
5. Interpretative Frames, Ideologies and Movement Culture
6. Strategies for Success? Understanding the Impacts of Movements
7. Technology and Transnational Activism
8. Beyond Social Movements: From Resistance to Revolution
9. Social Movement Studies and the Global South
10. Summary & Conclusion

This course aims to offer a detailed account of various ways of understanding social and political movements. Theories operating at different levels of analysis - individual, group and society - will be critically assessed for their ability to illuminate the process and structures evident in social movement action.

By the end of the course students will be able to:

•Identify and critically assess competing approaches to understanding social movements.

•Understand the evolutions of a range of historical and contemporary social movements.

•Analyze the value of different theories of social movements in relation to empirical materials.

Written assignment (3000 word essay) 100%

Required readings will be made available electronically via the course website.