Global social movements

This course aims to provide students with the analytical tools to understand past and present social movements as well as other forms of contentious politics. It does so by addressing key concepts and theories relating to the study of social movements. Students will gain a thorough understanding of the rise of social movements, their development over time, and their outcomes. They will also acquire knowledge about specific issues such as the class bases of social movements, transnational protest and global activism, and democracy in social movements.

By critically discussing the arguments of the assigned readings in an interactive environment, students will become able to find their way in the literature on social movements. Furthermore, they will be stimulated to apply the concepts and theories learned to past and contemporary social movements, which will enable them to problematize such concepts and theories through an empirical understanding of the course's contents.