Collective Behavior and Social Movements Spring 2007

Section 001 Call No. 24014 12:30 - 1:40 MWF 134 Grise Hall

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Collective Behavior and Social Movements (CBSM) is one of my favorite areas of sociology. Most sociology courses focus on the common problems experienced by individuals due to their race, place, class, or gender. Not CBSM.  CBSM is like that junk drawer in your house that has all the little leftover pieces parts of social behavior that do not fit cleanly in the rest of sociology, economics, political science and/or any other social science. Yet, several great sociologists have sifted through the junk drawer and constructed theories to describe everything in the drawer.  

Moreover, courses that focus on inequality, pollution, discrimination, crime, etc. can often become very depressing. Is there any hope? Can we do anything? It seems to me that there are a couple of courses in sociology that say yes to these questions. One of these courses is Community Sociology; the other course is CBSM.  

This course is designed to introduce you to the study of collective behavior, collective action, and social movements. Our studies range from the crowds/mobs that characterize revolutions to the formal organizations and interest groups that spring up in the aftermath of disasters and outbreaks of social protest. We look at the role of political opportunity, the repertoire of collective action, media and ideas, and the state. In very particular historical circumstances, these combine to form social movements that may endure over many years. As one of the primary means by which individuals combine to voice their grievances, collective action and social movements both respond and contribute to major periods of social change.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Students who complete this course should be able to recognize a variety of explanations for collective behavior, collective action and social movements and should understand why some explanations are extensively supported by policy makers. They should be able to recognize and work with the current theories in the field. The knowledge is useful in many ways, since collective behavior is a potential reality in almost every social situation.

Students are expected to uphold the Academic Requirements and Regulations published in the Western Kentucky Undergraduate Catalogue, p. 25-30. Persons violating these standards of conduct in any assignment or exam in this class will receive a minimum penalty of a grade of zero (0) for the assignment, and may receive an "F" for the course at the instructor’s option.  In particular, no form of cheating or plagiarism will be tolerated (see page 263 for details; if you wish further clarification consult the course website or the instructor.) Know your Regulations!

Class guidelines:

I am operating under the assumption that we are all adults here, and we should treat each other as adults. I will not tolerate disrespectful behavior, and I hope your classmates won’t either. Arriving late and leaving early are signs of disrespect to the whole class. I will start on time and class will last for the full 60 minutes. If you have some regularly occurring circumstance that will cause you to arrive late or leave early throughout the semester, please consider changing classes (and come and talk to me about it). And if, because of some very occasional life circumstance, you need to leave early, please let me know at the beginning of class. Finally, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO SWITCH OFF YOUR CELL PHONES!

Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Services, Garrett Conference Center, Room 101.  The Office for Student Disability Services telephone number is (270) 745-5004 V/TDD.  You should discuss any accommodation you need with them and they will give you a form listing the approved accommodations to give to me to sign. This process should be completed by the end of the second week of class.

Please DO NOT request accommodations directly from me (Dr. Smith) without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student Disability Services.

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS:

Locher, David A. 2002. Collective Behavior. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland.

Walsh, Edward J., Rex Warland and D. Clayton Smith. 1996. Don't Burn It Here: Grassroots Challenges to Trash Incinerators. State College, PA: Penn State Press.

In addition, supplementary readings will be provided to you.

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

I. Readings and QIPs (20% of final grade)

The reading will come from the books, along with any supplementary articles. I expect you to come to class with the reading completed. Each class, you are required to bring a written Question, an Interest, or a Problem (QIP) that the reading raised for you. These will be used for attendance purposes as well as to generate questions for class discussion. They must be handed in at the end of each class period. Occasionally I may read QIPs aloud or ask you to read your QIPs to the class. The QIPs will be graded on a three-point scale: 1 point for attendance, 2 points for a brief, cursory discussion, and 3 points for a solid, thoughtful, well-developed discussion. (Occasionally I will give an extra credit point for a spectacularly thoughtful and extensive discussion, beyond the call of duty). Since QIPs count for attendance, you should hand in a card even if you did not do the reading. Late QIPs will be accepted, but will be given reduced credit (and do NOT receive attendance credit).

II.  Midterm (15% of final grade):

At the end of the collective behavior section of the course, we will have a midterm evaluation.  This should occur on or around March 2nd.

III.   Summary/Critiques (30% of final grade): 

Every four weeks starting Sept 18 --Each student is required to hand in a two-to-three page summary/critique comparing two articles on any collective behavior topic (e.g., fads, fashion, riots, revolts, revitalization movements, rumors, moral panics, revolutions, etc.) published in a social scientific journal (For a partial list of social scientific journals go to http://www.asanet.org/members/asajournals.html).  The summary/critiques should be grounded in the theoretical perspectives given in the textbooks and lectures.

IV.  Web project (10% of the final grade):

Each student will perform an internet search for websites germane to collective behavior and social movements topics.  Links discovered through this process will be added to a permanent collective behavior and social movements website.   

V.  Final Research Paper on a Social Movement (25% of the final grade):

A term paper is required of each student.  Explore an area of interest to you. I strongly urge you to begin thinking about this paper and begin work on it as soon as possible.  The term paper topic must be approved.  Approval is secured after submission of an outline which:  (1) identifies an issue or problem to be studied; (2) describes your method of analysis (e.g., library literature review, interviews, consultations, computer data analysis); (3) lists some source material--in other words you must do some preliminary research for the outline; (4) states clear and concise study objectives.  

SCHEDULE FOR FINAL RESEARCH PAPER:

Week 9 (Due March 30^th): Topic approved, outline of paper, and focus of paper: Theoretical Question and its Application to the Movement

Week 10 (Due April 6^th): Literature Review, Theoretical Perspective Applied, and History of Movement

Week 11 (Due April 13^th): Leaders, Members, and Mobilization

Week 12 (Due April 20^th): Goals, Strategies, Tactics, Events, Strengths, and Weaknesses

Week 13 (Due April 27^th): Outcomes: Individual and Institutions, Application of Course Terms and Concepts, Summary and Projections

Sections of the Paper.  The final paper should include:  (1) title page with your name and reference to this course; (2) an introduction which states the problem, the objectives and importance; (3) a statement of the method of analysis; (4) a brief evaluation of the data and information used; (5) the findings with regard to the problem and its solution; (6) conclusions and/or policy recommendations; and (7) a bibliography and list of persons contacted with dates and places.  Binders are not necessary and not encouraged.

Clarity of Communication.  Pay attention to organization, paragraph and sentence structure, grammar, spelling, and neatness as well as other factors that make for clear and effective communication.  

Factual content and accuracy.  Use facts to illustrate your points.  Use ideas and statements from course texts as well as scientific journals, monographs, or books.  Provide in-text citations and a bibliography at the end of the paper to indicate the source of facts and statements used.  Please use the reference and citation style as required by the journal, Rural Sociology (I will make copies of these pages for those who need them.).  

Conciseness.  Write carefully and as briefly as possible.  The purpose of this is to develop patterns of communication that are designed to compete for reader attention, yet provide detailed information that excites interest.  Use figures, graphs, tables, and/or illustrations to summarize facts that would take too many words to express or that supplement points made.

Synthesis and integration.  Synthesize and integrate facts and concepts.  All written assignments require analysis and synthesis.  Course concepts or knowledge should be incorporated.  

On average, I am looking for papers of about 15 pages in length (double spaced with ample margins and not including tables and references), though good papers can range from 10 to 30 pages.  Papers should not exceed 30 pages. 

Writing assistance is available at the WKU Writing Center:  http://www.wku.edu/Dept/Academic/AHSS/English/wccenter/wcpage.html

Near the end of the course, the student will be asked to perform a self-assessment of their participation in this course. This assessment will be due at the start of the class on the day the course is evaluated. It will not be accepted after the course is evaluated.

Listed below is the tentative class schedule.  Students should read and be ready to discuss readings listed for each day listed.  The professor reserves the right to pace the course to best fit the students.

Week 4

Monday, February 12 

Locher, "Images, Miracles, and Apparitions:  The Soybean Savior and Our Lady of Clearwater." Chap. 9, pp. 131-158.

Wednesday, February 14     Fire up the Computer!  The Assembly Perspective and Sociocybernetic Theory

Locher, "The Assembly Perspective and Sociocybernetic Theory." Chap. 5, pp. 55-70.

Friday, February 16

McPhail, C. and R.T. Wohlstein. 1986. "Collective Locomotion as Collective Behavior." American Sociological Review 51(4): 447-463.

Monday, April 2  Countermobilization

Jasper, James M. and Jane Poulsen. 1993. "Fighting Back: Vulnerabilities, Blunders, and Countermobilization by the Targets in Three Animal Rights Campaigns." Sociological Forum 8(4):639-

Munro, Lyle. 1999. "Contesting Moral Capital in Campaigns Against Animal Liberation." Society & Animals 7(1):35-

Wednesday, April 4    Repression

Griffin, Richard W. 1992. "Political opportunity, resource mobilization, and social movements: The case of the South Texas." Social Science Journal 29(2):

Couto, Richard A. 1993. "Narrative, free space and political leadership in social movements." Journal of Politics 55(1):57-

Friday, April 6  Recruitment

Cable, Sherry, Edward J. Walsh, and Rex H. Warland. 1988. "Differential Paths to Political Activism: Comparisons of Four Mobilization Processes After the Three Mile Island Accident." Social Forces 66(4):951-

Oegema, Dirk and Bert Klandermans. 1994. "Why Social Movement Sympathizers Don't Participate: Erosion and Nonconversion of Support." American Sociological Review 59:703-22.

Monday, April 9      

Barkan, Steven E., Steven F. Cohn, and William H. Whitaker. 1995. "Beyond Recruitment: Predictors of Differential Participation in a National Antihunger Organization." Sociological Forum, 10(1):113-134

McAdam, Doug. 1989. "The Biographical Consequences of Activism." American Sociological Review 54(5):744-

Wednesday, April 11    

Gerlach and Hine, "Ideology"

Friday, April 13

Jasper, James M. 1998. "The Emotions of Protest: Affective and Reactive Emotions In and Around Social Movements." Sociological Forum 13(3):397-424.

Monday, April 16  

Gerlach and Hine, "Organization"

Wednesday, April 18  

Borum, Randy, and Michael Gelles. 2005. "Al-Qaeda's operational evolution: behavioral and organizational perspectives." Behavioral Sciences & the Law 23(4):467-83.

Rojas, Fabio. 2006. "Social Movement Tactics, Organizational Change and the Spread of African-American Studies." Social Forces 84(4):2147-66.

Friday, April 20

Walsh, Warland & Smith, "The Wrong One and The Wild One: Delaware and Cape May." Chap 4, pp. 69-102

Monday, April 23  

Walsh, Warland & Smith, "A Convenient Siting and a Quick Defeat: York and Lackawanna." Chap 5, pp. 103-137.

Wednesday, April 25  

Walsh, Warland & Smith, "King Commissioner and the Hamstrung Mayor: Montgomery and Philadelphia." Chap. 6, pp. 139-182.

Friday, April 27

Walsh, Warland & Smith, "Two Last-Minute Legislative Defeats: Broome and St. Lawrence." Chap. 7, pp. 183-240.

Monday, April 30

Walsh, Warland & Smith, "Implications: Theoretical and Practical." Chap. 8, pp. 241-262.

Wednesday, May 2

Friday, May 5 -- NO CLASS!

It's Study Day!

DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER

The university may have adopted a business model; however, education is NOT a business.  Moreover, the syllabus is not some sort of sacred contract (at the very least, the course calendar is not a sacred contract), but a road map. The readings in the course calendar are places we are scheduled to visit.  Anyone who has taken a preplanned road trip or vacation knows that the trip is not fun unless you stop at interesting roadside attractions even though they might divert from your original route or time table.  It's the process of getting there that is fun/relaxing/intriguing.  In that light, the above schedule and procedures for this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.

DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER