Sociology 164 — Social Action
The model for teaching social action we’re using is based on the Sociology 164: Social Action class that Dr. Scott Myers-Lipton taught at San José State University in the Fall and Spring semester for 18 years.
Contents:
- Sociology 164 — Social Action
- Course Description
- Course Map
- Syllabus
- Reading & Writing Assignments
- Learning Outcomes
- Student Campaigns
- Books
- CHANGE! A Student Guide to Social Action
- CHANGE! A Guide to Teaching Social Action
- CHANGE! A Companion Guide to Teaching Social Action
Course Description
The approach to teaching social action we are advocating for is an experiential learning model where students develop and launch policy-change campaigns of their choosing as part of a course. The student campaigns seek to change a policy (i.e., a rule, law, regulation, norm, or practice of an institution) on campus or in the community.
In this social action model, students choose the campaigns to work on, and they can be from a conservative, liberal, or no ideological perspective. The campaigns must be non-violent and cannot break the UN Declaration of Human Rights. The key is that students learn to do democracy, which is a goal of higher education.
There are several key components of the social action model. First, students do social action rather than just learn about it. In a traditional course, students read about theories of social change, analyze social problems, read about campaigns, develop an abstract understanding of concepts, all with the professor being the “sage on the stage”.
In this experiential social action model, students read about theories of social change and apply it to real world campaigns, as well as define a social problem and develop concrete, quantifiable solutions (i.e., demands). In the process of choosing and leading campaigns students are transformed through a direct experience of democracy, all with the professor being a “guide on the side” where they are de-centered and co-creators of knowledge.
A key feature of this social action model is the topic and flow of the course. The motto of this model is “On Your Mark, Go!, Get Set.” In order to launch their campaigns by mid-semester, students go through the issue development process (identifying demands and targets) in the opening days of the class. By choosing their campaigns by the 4th or 5th class (sometimes continuing a campaign from a prior semester), students have enough time to learn about all of the necessary aspects of social change, and then they launch their campaign by the ninth week, and still have almost half a semester to do several actions, as well as to cover the academic course material.
Course Map
Syllabus
Reading & Writing Assignments
PREPARING TO LAUNCH STUDENT CAMPAIGNS
- Myers-Lipton, 2021 Silicon Valley Pain Index
- Myers-Lipton, 2020 Silicon Valley Pain Index
- Video: “Walk the Walk”
- Student Reflection: Josh Barousse, Class of ’08
- Myers-Lipton, CHANGE! A Guide to Teaching Social Action,Ch. 1, Section A & B
- Portfolio 1
- Student Reflection: Rochelle Jackson-Smarr, Class of ‘08
- Video: Jo Ann Robinson, Women’s Political Council of Montgomery, Alabama (0-4:30)
- Myers-Lipton ““Students for DMH and the Fight for Air Conditioning””
- Lowman, “Students Get Heated Over Building Conditions”
- Video: Saul Alinksy, “I’d Organize Hell” (2:38-8:32)
- Video: Faint-In
- Portfolio 3
- Myers-Lipton, “Chicano Commencement”
- Student Reflection: David Salinas, Class of ‘19
- Portfolio 4
- Myers-Lipton: Edwin Markham, “The Man with the Hoe and Tower Hall”
- Myers-Lipton: “Japanese American Internment at Men’s Gym”
- Notice: Headquarters Western Defense Command
- Seib, “Uchida Hall was Once a Transfer Point…” (bottom of page 1, Spartan Daily)
- Thompson, email
- Baca, “The Arch of Dignity, Equality, and Justice” (click on 4 boxes)
- Myers-Lipton: “Gaylord Nelson’s Earth Day & Burying of a New Ford Maverick”
- Myers-Lipton, “Tommy Smith, John Carlos, and the Statues”
- Walker, “It is Finished”
- Student Reflection: Leila McCabe, Class of ‘12
- Portfolio 5
- Rodriguez, “A More Balanced Playing Field…”
- AS, SJSU, Board of Directors’ Resolution
- Student Reflection: Lucila Ortiz, Class of ‘10
- Portfolio 6
- Part 1
- Video: Student Homeless Alliance combine a march and a rally/press conference
- Franco, “Students Declare Housing Crisis”
- Mehta, “No Deal”
- DeRuy, “SJSU Students Blast University Leaders for Handing of Housing Crisis”
- Trujano, “SJSU’s New Housing Solutions”
- Student Reflection: Mayra Bernabe, Class of ’19
- Part 2
- Rey, “Campus Safety: A Reason to be Worried?”
- Clark, “UPD to Expand Its Escort Program”, (bottom of page 1)
- CMS Info, “Students Auto-Enrolled in Alert-SJSU”
- Student Reflection: Natasha Bradley, Class of 2011
- Portfolio 7
Bradley, “Campus Safety and Statues Garden”
- Part 1
- Myers-Lipton, “Donald Williams Jr. and Students for Racial Equality”
- Murphy, “San Jose State Donor’s Alleged Remarks About Latinos Investigated”
- O’Connor, “University’s Officials Step Down...”
- Hernandez, “Sit-in for Racial Justice: Students Ask for Apology from President”
- Murphy, “SJSU Donor Did Makes Offensive Remarks about Latinos…”
- Student Reflection: Estelia Velasquez, Class of ‘16
- Video: SJSU Students Denounce Board Member's Alleged Racist Statement
- SMITH, CARLOS, AND THE OLYMPIC PROJECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
- Bonk, “San Jose Statement”
- Leonard, “What Happened to the Revolt of the Black Athlete”
- Video: Fists of Freedom
- Part 2
- How to Get Press to Your Event
- Ewing, “Anti-Sweatshop Groups Gain Steam”
- Morgan, “Groups Rally for WRC Support”
- AS University Affairs Meeting
- Parker, “SJSU Signs with Labor Rights Group”, p. 130-131
- Student Reflection: Austin Geiger, Class of ‘08, p. 132-137
- Yap, “Labor Rights Violations Suspected”
- Video: United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) kickoff
- Video: Gulf Coast Civic Works Project
- Portfolio 8
- Campaign Plan & Frame
- Portfolio 9
- United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Myers-Lipton, “Prologue: An Economic Bill of Rights”
- Video: FDR’s 2nd Bill of Rights
STUDENT CAMPAIGNS AND CONNECTION TO 2ND BILL OF RIGHTS
- RIGHT TO A JOB: GULF COAST CIVIC WORKS PROJECT (2010)
- Myers-Lipton, “The Right to a Job”
- Diroy, “Lousiana Winter Project Seeks National Awareness for Gulf Coast”
- Goldston, “Forgotten in Louisiana”
- GCCWP Website (click around, make sure to view Summit Agenda)
- Lieurance, “Students to March for Katrina Anniversary”
- ACT letter to President-elect Obama
- Tilove, “Unlikely Allies Back House bill for Gulf Coast Jobs”
- GCCWP Video: Fox News Coverage of Louisiana Winter 2007
- RIGHT TO A LIVING WAGE: RAISE THE WAGE, SAN JOSE (2010-2012)
- Myers-Lipton, “The Right to a Living Wage”, Book Chapter 2
- Myers-Lipton, “CAFÉ J and the Campaign to Raise the Minimum Wage”
- Noguchi, “Measure Sets Sights on Wage Increase”
- SJ Mercury News, Readers’ Letters
- SJ Mercury News, Internal Affairs
- Seipel, “Minimum-wage Hike Measure Heads to Ballot”
- Guevera & Krenak, “Higher Min Wage in SJ Will Help”
- Mendoza, “Student Class Project Leads to Minimum Wage Jump”
- Mungia, “Students Push for Faster Wager Increases”
- Student Reflection: Elisha St. Laurent, Class of ‘12
- RIGHT TO A GOOD EDUCATION: FIGHT FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM (2011)
- Myers-Lipton, “The Right to a Good Education”
- Myers-Lipton: “Re-Establishment of Equal Opportunity Program (EOP)”
- Student Reflection: Chris Temblador, Class of ’11, “Students for EOP”
- Patterson, “Many March to Celebrate Black History Month…”
- Lanham, “Protest Yields Support for Student Equality” (bottom of Spartan Daily, page 1)
- RIGHT TO A DECENT HOME: STUDENT HOMELESS ALLIANCE (1992-present)
- Myers-Lipton, “The Right to a Decent Home”
- Myers-Lipton, “National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Month”
- Myers-Lipton, “Student Homeless Alliance and the Push for Emergency Beds on Campus”
- Jimenez, “Students Demand that SJSU Fix Homeless Response…”
- U.S. CASE STUDY: ACT-UP (1990)
- Reader: DeParle, “Rude, Rash, Effective, Act-Up Shifts Aids Policy”
- Myers-Lipton, “Graduate Schools For Social Action”
- Video: United in Anger (from the 0-4:22 minutes, and 21-34 minutes).
- U.S. CASE STUDY: OCCUPY WALL STREET (2011)
- Hammond, “Anarchism of Occupy Wall Street”
- Declaration of the Occupation of New York City
- Kina, Prichard, and Swann, “Anarchy in the USA: 5 Years on and the Legacy of Occupy…”
- Video: “Consensus: Direct Democracy at Occupy Wall Street”
- U.S. CASE STUDY: BLACK LIVES MATTER (2014 - present)
- Reader: Lowery, “Black Lives Matter: Birth of a Movement”
- Belton, “Leaderless or Leader-ful?”
- U.S. CASE STUDY: NRA (2013)
- Reader: Higham & Horowitz, “NRA Tactics: Take No Prisoners”
- Han, “Want Gun Control? Learn From the NRA”
- U.S. CASE STUDY: PARKLAND STUDENTS (2018)
- Reader: Grinberg & Muaddi, “How the Parkland Students Pulled Off a Massive...”
- U.S. CASE STUDY: SUNRISE MOVEMENT (2018 - present)
- Witt, “The Optimistic Activists for a Green New Deal”
- Video: “Inside the Sunrise Movement”
- Video: “The Matrix” (Not Quiet Fitting In); “The Call”, (meeting Morpheus) and The Blue or Red Pill
- Potfolio 10
- HERO’s and SHERO’s JOURNEY / FINAL REFLECTIONS
- Myers-Lipton, “Dr. King’s Legacy for Today”
- Video: “The Matrix” (Not Quiet Fitting In); “The Call”, (meeting Morpheus) and The Blue or Red Pill
- Harry Potter
- Luke Skywalker from Star Wars
FINAL PRESENTATION & CAMPAIGN BINDER SUBMISSION
Additional Resources
- INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDY: IRAN & SAUDI ARABIA ACTIONS (2018)
- Kenyon, “In Iran Protests, Women Stand Up, Lift Their Hijab, For Their Rights”
- Barker, “Saudi Arabia's Women Can Now Drive – But Activists Jailed”
- Public Narrative
- Marshall Ganz Article on Public Narrative
- Online course on Public Narrative: Leadership, Storytelling, and Action
- Video: James Croft, Harvard student
- Campaign Videos
- Walk the Walk: documentary on Sociology 164 student campaigns (trailer)
- NBC coverage of 2018 press conference/rally of the Student Homeless Alliance
- Gulf Coast Civic Works Project student march
- A picket held in San José by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) as part of their 2008 Justice for Janitors campaign
- Occupation at UC Santa Cruz as part of OCCUPY (news clip)
- Accountability Session: People Acting in Community Together (PACT), a local affiliate of the PICO National Network (now Faith In Action): (PACT in SJ)
- Student alumnus reflection from 2014 campaign of Students for Racial Equality and video of the campaign kickoff event
- Student Homeless Alliance used Poverty Under the Stars to educate the community
- Students Against Sexual Harassment victory celebration
- Videos: Other Campaigns
- Barack Obama, 2004 speech at the Democratic National Convention
Learning Outcomes
Scott Myers-Lipton developed the following Learning Outcomes for this Sociology 164 Social Action course.
Student Campaigns
The following are profiles of some of the student campaigns that were launched by students in Sociology 164 - Social Action. Some of the victorious student campaigns include:
- in 2020, students led a campaign to develop a 12-emergency bed program and a $2 million rental assistance program for homeless students;
- in 2019, students got Santa Clara County to clear and expunge 13,000 cannabis convictions;
- in 2017, students convinced the SJSU President to agree to rejoin the Workers Rights Consortium, ensuring SJSU apparel is not made in sweatshops;
- in 2015, students got the SJSU President to agree to install air conditioning in a 70 year-old building where several students had fainted due to heat exhaustion;
- in 2014, students convinced the SJSU President to remove a Tower Foundation board member, after she made a racist comment about Latinas;
- in 2012, students developed and led the Measure D campaign in the 2012 election, raising San Jose’s minimum wage from $8 to $10 an hour, and then pushing it to $15.
Books
Based on his 18 years teaching Sociology 164: Social Action, Dr. Scott Myers-Lipton wrote a textbook that follows the flow of his social action course. He then wrote a second book as a guide to teaching this model, and then compiled a companion guide that provides additional material to help faculty and staff teach social action.
