GLCb1014 Social Movements: Multidisciplinary Approach

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Bohuslav Binka, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Jiří Navrátil, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Aneta Pinková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Marek Rybář, M.A., Ph.D. (lecturer)
RNDr. Naděžda Vlašín Johanisová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. et Mgr. Jiří Navrátil, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Supplier department: Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies (34,00 %), Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies (33,00 %), Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies (33,00 %)
Prerequisites
none
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 20 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/20, only registered: 0/20, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/20
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course builds upon the basic concept of social movement both as challengers to the social and political status quo and as reflecting broader social, political or environmental challenges. The main objective of the course is to introduce students to different perspectives in the study of social movements, therefore the course consists of three blocks. Perspectives of sociology, political science and environmental studies will be introduced, and their key concepts for the study of social movements shall be demonstrated and explained. These are most notably key defining features of social movements (what are social movements? when do they arise and mobilize? who participates in them, why and under what conditions?), what is their role and position in political systems (different types of functions, different regimes of collective action) and their broader social significance (what preconditions define them? what values do they reflect? how are they perceived by the general public?).
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, a student will be able to:
- Define social movements
- Differentiate between various perspectives for understanding and studying social movements
- Understand and use basic concepts of at least one of the perspectives
- Apply these concepts on empirical data and examples
- Describe selected social movements, their proclaimed values, goals and activities
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction: conceptualizing social movements
  • Conceptualization of social movements. Social movements as challengers and/or defenders. Social movements as collective actors. Social movements as organized entities.
  • Required reading:
  • Snow, D. Soule, S.A. 2010. A Primer on Social Movements. London: W.W. Norton, Chapter 1 (1-22).
  • Recommended reading:
  • Diani, Mario. 2000. „The Concept of Social Movement.“ In. Readings in Contemporary Political Sociology, ed. Kate Nash. Malden, Oxford: Blackwell, s. 155-176.
  • della Porta, Donatella and Mario Diani. 2006. Social Movements. An Introduction (Second Edition). Malden, Oxford: Blackwell, s. 1-29.
  • 2. Mobilizing grievances
  • Grievance theories. Relevance of grievances. Structural and material source of grievances. Mobilizing grievances. Deprivation and disruption theses. Framing processes and grievances.
  • Required reading:
  • Snow, D. Soule, S.A. 2010. A Primer on Social Movements. London: W.W. Norton, Chapter 2 (23-63).
  • Recommended reading: Opp, Karl-Dieter. “Grievances and Participation in Social Movements.” American Sociological Review, vol. 53, no. 6, 1988, pp. 853–864.
  • 3. Contextual conditions
  • Political opportunity. Signaling dimensions of political systems. Influential allies. Repression. Policing protest. Resource mobilization. Ecological factors.
  • Required reading:
  • Snow, D. Soule, S.A. 2010. A Primer on Social Movements. London: W.W. Norton, Chapter 3 (64-108).
  • Recommended reading:
  • Meyer, David. 2004. „Protest and Political Opportunities.“ Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 30, s. 125–145.
  • Sidney Tarrow. 1998. Power in Movement. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, s. 10-25 a 71-90.
  • 4. Participation in social movements
  • Conceptualizing participation. Recruitment. Networks and affiliation. Collective identity. Biographical availability. Participatory incentives. Participation Processes. Required reading:
  • Snow, D. Soule, S.A. 2010. A Primer on Social Movements. London: W.W. Norton, Chapter 3 (64-108).
  • Recommended reading:
  • Snow, David; Rochford Jr., Burke; Worden, Steven and Robert Benford. 1986. „Frame Alignment Processes, Micromobilization, and Movement Participation.“ American Sociological Review, Vol. 51, No. 4, s. 464-481.
  • Van, Stekelenburg, J. , Klandermans, B. and Walgrave, S. (2019). Individual Participation in Street Demonstrations. Pp. 371-391 In The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Social Movements (eds D. A. Snow, S. A. Soule, H. Kriesi and H. J. McCammon). Oxford: Blackwell.
  • 5. Social movements in political systems
  • Social movements as types of organized interests. The role of organized interests in political processes. Organized interests and representative democracy. Organized interests, interest groups, political interest groups, social movement organizations. Typologies of interest groups.
  • Required reading:
  • Heywood, Andrew. 2013. The Palgrave Macmillan: Politics. Fourth Edition. London: Macmillan education, Palgrave, pp. 244-249, 253-264.
  • Halpin, Darren. 2014. The organization of political interest groups: designing advocacy. London: Routledge, pp. 1-12.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Císař, Ondřej. 2012. “Interest Groups and Social Movements.“ In: Encyclopedia of Social and Political Movements, eds. David Snow, Donatella della Porta, Bert Klandermans a Doug McAdam. London: Blackwell.
  • Olson, Mancur. 1965. The Logic of Collective Action. Public Goods and the Theory of Groups. Cambridge – London: Harvard University Press, pp. 5-22, 33-52.
  • 6. Strategies and repertoires
  • Strategies and repertoires of social movements and other types organized interests. Institutional frameworks, path dependency and political culture. Lobbying, protest strategies, policy concertation, legal action.
  • Required reading:
  • Bitonti, Alberto. 2017. “The Role of Lobbying in Modern Democracy: A Theoretical Framework, pp. 17-30, In Lobbying in Europe: public affairs and the lobbying industry in 28 EU countries (eds A., Bitonti; P. Harris). London: Palgrave Macmillan (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228394385_The_Question_of_Interest_Group_Influence/download)
  • Halpin, Darren. 2014. The organization of political interest groups: designing advocacy. London: Routledge, pp. 12-36.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Dür, Andreas – De Bièvre, Dirk. 2007. “The Question of Interest Group Influence”. Journal of Public Policy 27(01), pp. 1-9.
  • 7. Reading week.
  • 8. Social movements and collective action regimes
  • Definitions of collective action regimes and systems of organized interests and their implications for the study of social movements. Pluralism and corporatism as ideologies, research traditions and political theories.
  • Required reading:
  • Balme, Richard; Chabanet Didier. 2008. European Governance and Democracy. Lanham: Roman and Littlefield Publisher, pp. 28-35. Heywood, Andrew. 2013. The Palgrave Macmillan: Politics. Fourth Edition. London: Macmillan education, Palgrave, pp. 249-252.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Truman, David. 1963. “The Governmental Process: Political Interests and Public Opinion.” New York: Alfred A. Knopf, pp. 14-65.
  • Schmitter, Philippe, C. 1974. Still the Century of Corporatism?. The Review of Politics Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 93-105.
  • 9. Social movements in pluralistic, corporatist and protest regimes
  • Typology of collective action regimes. Case studies of social movements and systems of organized interests in the USA, Sweden and France as examples of different types of collective action regimes.
  • Required reading:
  • Cigler, Allan J.; Loomis, Burdett A.; Nownes, Anthony J. 2015. Interest Group Politics. Edition. CQ Press, pp. 1-35.
  • Rommetvedt, Hilmar. 2017. “Scandinavian Corporatism in Decline. International Research Institute of Stavanger”, online (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312044815_Scandinavian_corporatism_in_decline)
  • Cole, Alistair. 2017. French politics and society. London: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, pp. 205-223.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Putnam, Robert. 2000. Bowling Alone. New York: Touchstone, pp. 15-64, 185-188.
  • 10. Environmental and socio-environmental movements North and South: different framings
  • The diversity of socio-environmental movements in the global North and South and their different theoretical framings: nature conservation, ecological modernisation, environmentalism of the poor, politics of place, alterglobalization and socio-economic transformation.
  • Required reading:
  • Guha, Ramachandra; Juan Martinez-Alier,1997: Varieties of environmentalism: Essays North and South. London: Earthscan, pp. 3 - 21
  • Escobar, Arturo; Rocheleau, Dianne; Kothari, Smitu, 2002: Environmental social movements and the politics of place. Development, 45 (1): 28 - 36
  • Morton, Adam D., 2002: "La ressurección del maíz": Globalization, resistance and the Zapatistas https://doi.org/10.1177/03058298020310010301 (Published January 1,2002)
  • Recommended reading:
  • Connors, Phil; McDonald, Peter, 2011: Transitioning communities: Community, participation and the Transition Town movement. Community Development Journal, 46(4): 558 - 572
  • 11. The Czech environmental movement: from radical to co-opted?
  • Discussion of the spectrum of "radicality", and its acceptance or otherwise by the Czech public, grounded in a detailed case- study of the Czech environmental movement
  • Required reading:
  • Hansen, Anders, 2010: Environment, media and communication. London: Routledge, pp. 13 - 35, 104 - 133
  • Recommended reading:
  • Hansen, Anders, 2010: Environment, media and communication. London: Routledge, (whole book)
  • 12. The social solidarity economy and alternative food networks in Europe
  • The concept of the social solidarity economy, an emerging grassroots phenomenon in parts of Europe, Latin America and other regions. Alternative food networks in Italy as an exemplar of the social solidarity economy.
  • Required reading:
  • Grasseni,Cristina, 2013: Beyond Alternative food networks: Italy´s solidarity purchase groups . London: Bloomsbury, pp. 16 - 56.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Gibson-Graham, J.-K. and Dombroski Kelly (eds.): Handbook of Diverse Economies, Edward Elgar, in print.
  • 13. Beyond development: Socio-environmental movements in Latin America
  • Emerging socio-environmental movements in Latin America and their values: autonomy, horizontalism, municipalism, Sumak Kawsay: Examples from Argentina and Ecuador.
  • Required reading:
  • Sitrin, Marina, 2012: Everyday revolutions: Horizontalism and autonomy in Argentina. London: Zed Books, pp. 33 - 82.
  • Recommended reading:
  • Lang, Miriam; Konig, Klaus-Dieter; Regelmann, Ada-Charlotte (eds.), 2018: Alternatives in a world of crisis. Brussels: Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, Chapter 3, p. 90 - 133. https://www.rosalux.eu/publications/alternatives-in-a-world-of-crisis/
Teaching methods
Lectures, preparation of a project (discussed with lecturer), reading.
Assessment methods
Position papers (50%):
students are required to submit 2 position papers in each of the block. Each position paper should be 2 pages long and consist of two parts of the same length:
a) Brief overview of a problem identified by a text: problem statement, findings, conclusions – offer overview of the paper, but be brief and concise;
b) Your own review of the text: discuss its strengths and weaknesses, provide arguments and counter-arguments against its main claims, say what is unclear and why.

Final paper (50%):
Students will submit final paper 10 pages long. Student will choose one of the perspectives and apply its concepts and methods to some case study. The topic needs to be discussed with a respective teacher of a given block.
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2025/GLCb1014