POLS 495 - Global Impact of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This newly developed upper division seminar focuses on the impact of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and the development of nonviolent social justice movements worldwide. It is assumed that the student possesses a basic knowledge of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement since its major purpose is to explore the movement's influence beyond domestic boundaries. The movement's symbiotic relationship with the global arena is considered along with the comparative dimensions of the movement, including nonviolent tactics, social change institutions, leadership, and related worldwide developments. Specifically, we raise the following central question: Among predecessor worldwide social justice movements, which ones substantially influenced the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, and specifically how did global influences affect the operational methodology of the movement, especially the utilization of strategies and tactics, leadership, and social change institutions? Following an examination of major social movement theories, attention shifts to a brief examination of the origin, purpose, and results of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.
After briefly reviewing the Civil Rights Movement and study the relevant theory, we next turn our attention to the matter of the movements' global impact. In doing so, we consider, in light of political context, how the diffusion of critical operational features of the Civil Rights Movement can occur. Utilizing the work of Givan, et al., which expounds the diffusion framework, we address three basic analytical questions. First, what is being diffused? Second, how does diffusion occur? Finally, what is the impact of diffusion on organizational development and shifts in the scale of contentious politics? Diffusion theory offers a framework for analyzing the impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the development of movements for social justice worldwide. Since this seminar is principally concerned with the movement's impact on nonviolent social justice movements in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, we approach these analytical questions in light of the specific geographic and cultural context. A major goal of the course is to investigate selected prominent social movements in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America to shed light on how and the extent to which these movements were influenced by the Civil Rights Movement. In addressing the interconnections, the seminar employs an interdisciplinary approach to understand the movement's comparative dimensions. While acknowledging the limitations of the work of the separate disciplines, e.g., political science, which has concentrated largely on the role of the state in bringing about social change, an interdisciplinary approach underscores that the present era of globalization trumpets the mutual influence of societies and cultures worldwide. An interdisciplinary approach facilitates students' capacity to access a diverse, research literature to inform their understanding and analysis of the multiple dimensions of the Civil Rights Movement beyond traditional parochial boundaries.
Upon completion of the seminar, students will have developed significant knowledge about the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and its connection to and influence on nonviolent social justice movements in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
----------
*The development of this course was supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
