Social movements and cultural changes

elective courses

Students should be familiar with the basic categories of sociological

analysis of sociocultural phenomena, with the topic of social actions and

social interactions, as well as with the issue of cultural identity. Good

passive English language skills are also required, since part of the required

reading material is in English.

Classroom

The objective of the seminar is to present an introduction to the theory and research dealing with new social movements from a cultural perspective.

The cultural dimensions of social movements involve, on one hand, the symbolic and expressive aspects of movements, and on the other - social

movements as a factor of cultural changes or of counteracting changes. The tradition of symbolic interactionism remains a central point of

contemporary analyses of the relations between culture and social movements. This theory gave rise to research on the social construction of

meanings in social movements. The activity of new social movements focusing on identity is one of the key processes in postmodern social and

cultural transformations.

The objective of the seminar is to present an introduction to the theory and

research dealing with new social movements from a cultural perspective.

The cultural dimensions of social movements involve, on one hand, the

symbolic and expressive aspects of movements, and on the other - social

movements as a factor of cultural changes or of counteracting changes.

Symbolic actions and the symbolic communication of a movement’s ideas,

values and goals underlie the foundations of shaping the identity of a social

movement as a subject of collective action. The tradition of symbolic

interactionism remains a central point of contemporary analyses of the

relations between culture and social movements. This theory gave rise to

research on the social construction of meanings in social movements. The

activity of new social movements focusing on identity is one of the key

processes in postmodern social and cultural transformations. The

emergence of the social movement phenomenon will be analyzed in the

historical context of the transformations of modernity, with a special focus

on the movements’ symbolic representation, in which commitment (the

visibility of participation) has a key significance. Analyses will focus on the

social movement as a form of collective action, characterized by:

emergence, symbolization, cognitive and affective transformation,

interactivity and fluidity. The cultural determinants of movement strategies

will be analyzed, as well as protest as symbolic action. The social

movement will be presented as culture and the significance of the culture of

social movements for democracy will be analyzed. The symbolic

interactionist theory of social movements makes it possible to analyze

movements from the participants’ point of view, enabling them to define the

situations that need changing. The seminar compositions will be based on

case studies.

1. Alexander Jeffrey C., Performance i przeciw-władza:

ruch praw obywatelskich i sfera obywatelska, w:

tenże, Znaczenia społeczne. Studia z socjologii

kulturowej, tłum. S. Burdziej, J. Gądecki, Kraków 2010:

NOMOS, s. 423-434.

2. Barker Colin, Strach, śmiech i siła zbiorowa: tworzenie

się Solidarności w sierpniu 1980 r. w stoczni im. Lenina

w Gdańsku, w: Gorlach Krzysztof, Money Patrick

(red.), Dynamika życia społecznego. Współczesne

koncepcje ruchów społecznych, Warszawa 2008,

Wydawnictwo Naukowe SCHOLAR, s. 262-280.

3. Della Porta Donatella, Mario Diani, Ruchy społeczne,

Kraków 2009, Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu

Jagiellońskiego.

4. Eyerman Ron, Performing Opposition Or, How Social

Movements Move, w: Jeffrey C. Alexander, Bernhard

Giesen Jason L. Mast (red.), Social Performance.

Symbolic Action, Cultural Pragmatics, and Ritual,

Cambridge 2006, Cambridge University Press, ss. 193-

217

5. Griswold Wendy, Tożsamości, problemy społeczne I

ruchy społeczne, w: tenże, Socjologia kultury. Kultury i

społeczeństwa w zmieniającym się świecie, tłum. P.

Tomanek, Warszawa 2013: Wydawnictwo Naukowe

PWN, s. 143-164.

6. Hałas Elżbieta, Konwersja. Perspektywa socjologiczna,

Warszawa 2007, Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar.

7. Lofland John, Protest. Studies of Collective Behavior

and Social Movements, New Brunswick 1985.

Transaction Books.

8. McAdam Doug, Culture and Social Movements, w:

Enrique Larana, Hank Johnston and Joseph Gusfield

(red.), New Social Movements: From Ideology to

Identity, Philadelphia 1994, Temple University Press,

s. 36-57.

9. Snow David A., Social Movements, w: Larry T.

Reynolds, Nancy J. Herman Kinney, Handbook of

Symbolic Interactionism, Lanham 2003, Rowman and

Littlefield, ss. 811-833.

10. Tilly Charles, Wood Lesley J., Social Movements 1768-

2008, London 2009, Paradigm Publishers.

11. Toussaint Laura¸ Promoting Cultural Rights, w: J. Blau,

M. Frezzo (red.), Sociology and Human Rights, Los

Angeles2012: SAGE, s. 57-78.

Knows and understands basic sociological concepts

Is aware of social differentiation and existing social inequalities, as well as their

impact on the life of individuals and the functioning of social groups

Has basic knowledge about the types of social ties and the rules that govern them

Understands the social nature of relationships between individuals, social groups

and social institutions

Has basic knowledge about the mechanisms of social group dynamics and

interdependencies between groups and individuals

Is aware of the importance of the social group in building man’s identity

Has basic knowledge about cultural diversity of Poland and the modern world

Has basic knowledge of methods used in research on cultural diversity

Has basic knowledge of problems stemming from the cultural diversity of modern

society

Knows basic methods and techniques of social research and can choose

appropriate methods to solve basic research problems

Understands the specificity of sociological analysis

Knows how to plan and carry out a simple quantitative and qualitative study

Has basic knowledge of major foreign, international and domestic sociological

research

Has basic knowledge about institutions and organizations responsible for the

transfer of norms and rules in society, such as educational, legal, moral and

religious systems

Has basic knowledge about the processes forming the basis of social stability and

change, and understands their nature

Is aware of the consequences of choosing a particular theoretical perspective

Can record and observe social phenomena in a methodologically correct way

Can interpret past and present social events (political, cultural, and economic)

using sociological concepts and theories

Can independently form simple judgments on the causes of selected social

processes and phenomena

Can use basic theoretical categories to describe social changes in modern

societies

Can conduct a simple analysis of the consequences of the processes occurring in

modern societies

Can prepare a simple, descriptive scenario predicting the course of social

processes and phenomena

Can use ethical norms and rules in research practice

Participation in the discussion, presentation, seminar paper