University of St Andrews

Key information

SCOTCAT credits : 30

ECTS credits : 15

Level : SCQF level 9

Semester: 1

Planned timetable: To be confirmed

The world has seen for years a rise in grassroots movements and campaigns aimed at empowering citizens. Collective political action has been used to promote the rights of women and minorities, foster transparency and responsible governance, enable political transitions from authoritarian rule and even oppose foreign occupation. As public activism continues to mobilise huge numbers of people and instigate political transformations around the globe, we will study in this course when and how people unite to advance or resist social change and explore the impact of nonviolent collective action in both Western and non-Western societies. By examining the research on social movements and civil resistance, we will explore such questions as: Where do political movements come from? Why, how, and to whom do movements matter? Why nonviolent resistance campaigns are often effective and why they can fail? And what are the consequences of collective action for individuals, societies and states?

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisite(s): Before taking this module, students should have completed IR2006 or an equivalent module.. Before taking this module, students should have completed IR1005 or an equivalent module.

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact: 2 seminars (x11 weeks)

Scheduled learning hours: 22

Guided independent study hours: 264

Assessment pattern

As used by St Andrews: Coursework = 100%

As defined by QAA
Coursework: 100%

Re-assessment: Examination = 100%

Personnel

Module coordinator: Dr J Argomaniz
Module teaching staff: Dr Javier Argomaniz
Module coordinator email ja51@st-andrews.ac.uk

Intended learning outcomes

• Show a clear understanding of the fundamental concepts in social movement and civil resistance research.
• Support with evidence these theoretical arguments to explain the rise and impact of specific historical and contemporary political movements.
• Understand and critique scholarly work on collective political action by testing these ideas through the empirical analyses of individual campaigns.
• Communicate clear arguments (orally and in writing) about civil resistance movements, their emergence, dynamics, outcomes and factors behind their success or failure.