Andi: I tell students that while "social problems" are multi causal, persistent and rooted in cultural, social structural, historical contexts and require *collective* action to be reduced, ONE PERSON *can* make a difference. That person can raise the public's consciousness about an undesirable condition, making it visible and thus causing others to take action.
Examples I mention of people who got the ball rolling resulting in significant and positive changes are: Ralph Nader, Rosa Parks, The founder of MADD, etc. Erin Brockovich, numerous "whistleblowers.", etc. Michael Klausner "Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness." -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Andi Stepnick Sent: Saturday, January 07, 2006 11:15 AM Cc: [email protected] Subject: [BULK] TEACHSOC: social change and sociology as "depressing" Importance: Low Hi All, Pat - That is a powerful activity and disclosure. Thanks for sharing it. I recall someone posting not too long about students saying that Sociology was "depressing." So, my thoughts are for Sunny and that person (and anyone else with these experiences). In the past few years, many students have told me they find sociology depressing. When I teach Intro, I do some "fun" stuff (e.g., culture) and I use jokes, South Park clips, TV Nation, and other "fun" methods. But, the focus of my classes is about inequality and the flip side - privilege/justice/equality. (This was something that I really spent time on after many conversations with Donna Darden). In my upper divisions (Gender, Family, Medical, Social Problems etc) there's always heavy attention "social problems" as well. So, they get that "depression" sometimes and some want to "pull back" and call it hopeless. In the past, I've brought in news clippings and updates about groups/people working for change to try to counterbalance what they perceive as the "negativity" of sociology. Although we'd discuss that we can't create a better world without first understanding it (through Social science, among other tools) and how social change is happening/can happen, it seemed students struggled with the negative news about their world. So, I took it up a notch this year. Not only did I bring in "inspirational" stories each class or week about activists, legislation, and social change, but they had several small activities to do throughout the semester. One of these is always a "poverty budget" which includes a section on policy and groups working towards change that they evaluate. This year, I helped organize 5 talks on the crisis in Sudan and students had to attend one. Related to this, I asked students to give up all beverages but water for two weeks. (I did it, too, of course.) This activity dovetailed with a fundraiser our Hunger and Homelessness group was doing on campus for a local organization called Blood Water Mission (whose goal is to provide clean blood and water-via well building-- in Africa). I told students that I wouldn't police them...but I just wanted them to be aware of tiny privileges like spending $4 on a latte or a bottle of water or a martini. (Students kept a log of what they'd wanted to drink, when they cheated, how it felt-whatever. They tallied what they'd normally spend on these beverages-- beer, Snapple, coffee, etc. They didn't have to donate money that money to the fund raiser although in the end some of the did-to the tune of $600.) Now, keep in mind, I had no idea how this activity would work. I thought it might be asking too much because it was only worth 3% of their total grade. (Do it and get 100%) But in the end, students said it was really powerful and suggested that I keep it. In addition, they could attend an Amnesty meeting, an Oxfam banquet, or several other events related to groups working for social change. Etc. They had a lot of choices that could speak to many interests and they could suggest alternatives as well. Then they had to write sociological reflections about what they learned and whether such activism would be successful or not, how they might fit in, etc. Finally, for the last day of class, we read "Community Building: Steps Toward a Good Society" by Etzioni and "What Can We Do? Becoming Part of the Solution by Allan Johnson." (Both are in Ferguson's Readings for Mapping the Social Landscape which I wish I'd adopted ages ago!) We spent the last class talking about everything we'd learned about that term (i.e.., Public Issues and about social change moving beyond the level of the individual...about the power of awareness, of groups, of activism). I was worried I might be too heavy handed or preachy with all of it this semester since it seemed like we were always talking about change, but on their finals I asked an open ended question-Tell me one thing you learned this semester that was of value to you. It could be an idea or concept, something about yourself, a skill that you developed, etc. I tell you, I was pretty amazed. Most of them (90%) talked about how they felt empowered to create change where they hadn't before. Many said they realized they'd been living in a bubble and now saw they had to be active citizens, etc. One said he realized he was racist and didn't want to be. Three said they are "sponsoring" children in the third world (via World Vision) and a handful noted joining groups like Amnesty and our Stop Genocide in Darfur group. They said similar things in my anon. course evals so I think it must be true. One more thing...in Social Problems, students actually asked if they could do community service! We couldn't get anything organized by that date (maybe mid-way in the semester) but I let them have a free day in class to organize something on campus which they did! Also, we spent the last day sharing info about groups working for change in our community, the country, or internationally. We'd pop the URLs into the web and go through their web pages and students would talk about what the group was doing, how they might become involved, etc. None of this is perfect...but I feel like I keep moving in the right direction. Especially for non-majors these little activities seemed to have a cumulative effect. (I only wish I could research if any of it sticks with them!) In the future I hope to make my Intro class Service Learning in orientation but haven't had the time to revamp it. But...even after 10 years, it's a work in progress. I hope there's something in there that'll give you ideas. One last thing- I just read My Freshman Year. It was a quick read-done in a few hours. I learned a few things...and got back in touch with being a freshman. If you've got a little time there are a few interesting kernels in there! Best of luck, everyone, for a great semester. Andi -------------- Every object, every being, Is a jar of delight. Be a connoisseur. ~Rumi~ Life is raw material. We are artisans. We can sculpt our existence into something beautiful, or debase it into ugliness. It's in our hands. ~Cathy Better~ Things which matter most should never be at the mercy of things which matter least. ~Johann von Goethe~ Dr. Andi Stepnick Associate Professor and Chair of Sociology 300-C Wheeler Humanities Building Belmont University Nashville TN 37212-3757 Direct Line: (615) 460-6249 Office Manager: (615) 460-5505 Sociology Fax: (615) 460-6997 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Del Thomas Ph. D." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Friday, January 6, 2006 8:28 pm Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: social change movements > Pat, > > This is compelling. I hope that you emphasize that this was not a > personal problem, i.e. the locus of the problem was in the > situation > and not you. You were an > applied sociologist using social technologies to solve a social > problem. Often those in your situation are told that the problem > is in > them and can be solved by personal/psychological > help. > > Btw I don't think the system is broken... some people want what > happened > to you to continue. Many years ago a woman came to SAW with a > similar > problem. > The social services agency took the husbands side and really > screwed her > over. Don't get me started. We spent half out time liberating > people > from those who offered to help them. > Recall the line in King and I ... they may help me out of all I > own? > > May I have permission to post your post to the applied sociology list? > > Best > > Del > > Pat Scheib wrote: > > > Hi Sunny, > > > > I don't know if this can effectively be adapted into a brief 4 > weeks, > > with little time to prep, but I am using social change and social > > movements as the focus for the final group projects in my college > > Intro to Soc. class. This is a new project I just started last > > semester and it is definitely still a work in progress, so I > would > > welcome any comments, critiques or suggestions from anyone on the > list. > > > > Students form small groups and choose a social issue they care > about. > > I will be giving them a list of social issues we've discussed in > > class, topics mentioned in the textbook and current events from > the > > news to give them some ideas. I ask to them to identify > something in > > our society that they think is "broken" and needs to be fixed, > and to > > begin thinking of themselves as agents of social change. After > they > > have chosen their social issue, we discuss some of the theory and > > sociological perspectives on social change, types of social > movements, > > etc. (I think this will be more effective to do this after they > have > > adopted an issue, as they will more easily be able to then apply > this > > "textbook material" to their particular issue, giving the > theories a > > bit more relevance). > > > > For the final project, students must: > > > > -Thoroughly research their issue so they can present a convincing > > argument, backed up with empirical data, to educate the public > about > > their issue and convince us to care about it. > > -Formulate a detailed plan for how they will educate the public > and > > get the word out about their issue (public speaking, media > events, > > PSAs, etc.). > > -Create a detailed plan for change (contacting legislators, focus > > groups, demonstrations, support groups, whatever) which clearly > > outlines how they will tackle the problem. > > -Present all of this as a group presentation to the class during > > finals week. > > -Submit a final paper describing all of the above and include any > > documents, flyers, slide shows, or other publicity items they > have > > created. > > > > Many of them don't believe they could have the power to bring > about > > social change, so I use my own experiences to illustrate for them > how > > a small group of individuals can actually start a grassroots > > organization to bring about social change. In 1985 (while I was > still > > a college student) my 16-month-old son was abducted by his father > (my > > ex-husband), and remained missing for four years before he was > finally > > found in another state and safely returned to me. I explain to > them > > how I discovered that my personal experience was really part of > > several larger social issues (custody laws and ineffective > > procedures for enforcing them, addiction, domestic violence, > divorce, > > gender bias, parental rights vs. childrens rights, etc.). I > briefly > > outline for them how I got together with two other parents of > missing > > children to form a non-profit group for parents of missing > children. > > Our agency worked to establish better relations between our > parents > > and law enforcement (who didn't have time or resources to > effectively > > look for missing kids), informed parents of their legal rights > and > > taught them how to actively and legally find their own children, > > provided a support group to help parents deal with the grief and > > frustration, created media events to publicize the agency and > local > > missing children, lots of public speaking, media interviews, > > etc. After my son was found in Texas, our custody case was used > to > > set new precedent for how Texas handles interstate parental > abductions > > and recognizes jurisdiction in custody cases ( I will print out a > copy > > of the caselaw to show to them). I explain to them how this has > > influenced other custody cases that have happened since. My > personal > > experience seems to illustrate to them that social change is > often > > precipitated by everyday people as a result of some personal > > experience, so they have as much potential to be an agent of > social > > change, as anyone else. Hopefully, this makes the assignment > seem > > more realistic for them, and not just a hypothetical exercise to > get a > > grade. My first attempt at this assignment went pretty well last > > semester and I am very excited about the changes I plan to > implement > > to tighten it up a bit this semester. > > > > Perhaps the group project, without the heavy written paper thrown > in, > > would be a good way to modify this for a high school class. In > the > > future, when you have more time to prep for it, maybe your class > could > > actually do some type of service learning project for real, > instead of > > this hypothetical one. I hope you find this helpful. > > > > Pat > > > > > > > > >>> Sunny Allen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 1/2/2006 5:02 PM >>> > > I've got two weeks (4 90 min class periods) left in the semester > and > > I've decided to teach social change and social movements to my > high > > school kids. This is a new one for me and I was wondering if > anyone > > had activities, ideas. My kids respond best when they are doing > > somthing. Does anyone have a project of some sort that has > worked for > > them? > > > > Thanks, > > Sunny Allen > > Tooele High School > > Tooele, UT > > 435-833-1978 > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > ------ > > Yahoo! for Good - Make a difference this year. > > > <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/mail_us/taglines/charity/*http://brand.yahoo.com /cybergivingweek2005/> > > > >
