Criticalmassbulletin Newsletter of the Section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements, American Sociological Association
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1 CriticalMassBulletin Newsletter of the Section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements, American Sociological Association Volume 37 (1) http://www2.asanet.org/sectioncbsm/ Spring 2012 Section Officers 2011-2012 Message from the Chair: Where Did Capitalism Go? Jeff Goodwin Chair CBSM Section Chair Jeff Goodwin Professor of Sociology, New York University Chair-Elect Nancy E. Whittier Some very good books on social movements and revolutions have been Past Chair published in the past decade or so. But they would not be the first that I would Stephen Valocchi recommend to students or general readers who want to think deeply about such Secretary-Treasurer matters. Instead, I would recommend that they first read some of the great books Mary Bernstein that were published during the decade from 1975 to 1984. The field of social- Council movement studies as we know it today was largely established during this Paul Almeida decade. The ideas and texts that circulated during this time reflected a new David Cunningham sensibility about and appreciation for movements, attitudes that were powerfully Deborah B. Gould Deana Rohlinger shaped by the mass movements of the 1960s and early 1970s—above all, the Rory McVeigh civil rights, anti-war, and women’s movements. I would argue that this decade Jo Reger was also the heyday of the field—that is, the period when the very best books on Fabio Rojas movements and revolutions were written. I continue to assign books published Committees during this decade to both undergraduates and graduate students—and I assign Nominations them much more frequently, and to greater effect, than more recently published Tina Fetner Eve Ilana Shapiro books. Amy L. Stone Judith Karyn Taylor Of course, those of us who write about movements, revolutions, and other forms Publications of “contentious politics” would like to believe that are our collective work, like Leslie J. Wood Neal Caren that of any other putative science, is cumulative and progressive. But if this were Howard Ramos so, then the very best work in our field, other things being equal, would have Chelsea Starr been published in recent years—if not in the last decade, then certainly in the last Workshops two. Kelly Moore Continued on Page 4 Dennis J. Downey Rachel V. Kutz-Flamenbaum In This Issue Message from the Chair 1 Mentoring (appointed) Matthew Archibald Teaching Social Movements 2 Liz Borland Mentoring Committee Announcement 8 David Cunningham Recent Publications 9 Anna Linders ASA Events Summary 11 Webmaster Left Forum 2012 Report 12 Justin Farrell Interview with Senator Fred Risser 14 Newsletter Editor Calls for Papers & Other Opportunities 16 Mikaila Mariel Lemonik Arthur Russia’s Unexpected Uprising 20 Details on CBSM-Related Events at ASA 23 Please send all your ideas, feedback, and submissions to [email protected] 2 Director (Marty Kaplan) if we might invite OLLI students to attend the screening of the documentary, Teaching Social Movements: followed by a discussion with my students – in order to give the students some first-hand insights into the An Intergenerational Discussion on era, and to provide OLLI members with an Berkeley in the Sixties opportunity to connect with current students on 1 campus that generally move in different orbits. Marty Dennis J. Downey and Marty Kaplan was very supportive of the idea – and, as it turned California State University, Channel Islands out, he had a lot of his own experiences with those movements (mostly as a faculty member in a In the spring of 2011, in a course on Social Midwestern university in which there was a very Movements at California State University, Channel active protest culture, as well as activism as a student Islands, the first author focused a substantial part of in the preceding decade). the semester on social movements of the 1960s. This somewhat standard approach seems increasingly For anyone who has taught current students about the necessary for students who have little sense of the 1960s, it is clear that much of the current generation history of movements that provide the primary has a rather fantastical view of that era; they know template both for current activists and for social little beyond the key figures and movements, and movements scholars. As with so many of my fellow much of what they (think they) know is shaped by teachers, I make generous use of the many superb broader social reactions against changes in the 1960s, documentaries about movements of that era – such as and filtered through cultural representations that episodes from the “Eyes on the Prize” series on the trivialize much of its values as fashion (bellbottoms Civil Rights Movement, “Rebels With a Cause” on and big flowers) and lifestyle (archetypal/ the history of Students for a Democratic Society, and stereotypical hippies living in communes).3 episodes from the “Chicano!” I also use “Berkeley in the Sixties” (Mark Kitchell, 1990) – another classic On the other side of the equation, early (and pre-) in that genre spanning from the Free Speech baby boomers who were active in the movements of Movement, through the Anti-War/Anti-Draft the 1960s are at or nearing the retirement age, and are protests, the creation of People’s Park, and the just the sorts of inquiring minds that are likely to emergence of the Counterculture. show up OLLI and similar programs. For those interested in teaching social movements (among At the same time that I was planning that course, I many, many other things), that represents a was arranging a research partnership for a capstone tremendous historical resource – and one which is course with Marty Kaplan, the Director the Osher 2 often made to feel unwelcome on college campuses Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) on my campus. beyond specific senior-designated programs. At some point in that process, it occurred to me that Bringing these two populations—students and many of the OLLI students would be of just about the seniors—together represents a win-win, and creates age that would make them very familiar with the the setting for a fascinating intergenerational events in Berkeley during that era—and quite conversation. possibly involved in those events. So I asked the In our case, that intergenerational conversation lived 1 The article is written from the perspective of the teacher up to the billing for all concerned—for students, for (Downey) with participation of the contact and partner from OLLI members, and for us as well. Nearly all of our CSUCI OLLI (Kaplan). guests had some connection to the events of the era, 2 For those unfamiliar with Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes, they are essentially extension programs funded in part by the Bernard Osher Foundation that are now operating on 117 3 Of course, some students are much more knowledgeable. For college and university campuses around the nation, designed to example, one suspects that there would be a very different view provide seniors with ongoing educational experiences. For more at HBCUs, where understandings of the Civil Rights Movement information, see http://www.osherfoundation.org/index.php?olli. are likely to be more personal and less mediated. 3 at Berkeley or beyond. In fact, several were enrolled either side of the conversation had really taken that at UC Berkeley at or around the time of the Free into serious consideration in terms of what it means Speech Movement. Many of the stories included for social activism. Discussion made it clear that witnessing or participating in many of the events, as while disgruntlement with unpopular wars remains, well as details about events or people highlighted in the current state of the economy and its impacts on the documentary. Students were inspired by the student fees and career prospects has shifted student stories of “being there” while history was being made concerns toward issues with more narrowly – and they got a good sense of the tensions and circumscribed goals and less idealistic framing. That challenges presented to students and citizens when shift was recognized by the older generation at the social change "speeds up.” This led naturally to a screening, and ultimately, the discussion led to contrast between campus increased understandings activism during that era in both directions. and the relatively (not “I loved the class we had with the senior students!! My absolutely) quiescent observation of that class is that many students (from our The intergenerational con- campus environment of Social Movements class) who did not normally speak up, versation turned out to be or seem overly interested, "woke up " during that class. today’s universities. This After the video, the senior students began to share some one of the highlights of was a cause for some their memories. You could hear the passion in their the semester. I am con- dismay on the part of both voices. Some of them even seemed angry with the sidering expanding it into students and guests. younger students for not caring enough. They seemed to a semester-long doc- feel that they had put so much energy and time into umentary series, which is One of the things that I something they believed in, and now were looking at the very possible given the was unprepared for was, current generation of college students who did not seem many wonderful doc- frankly, a sense of self- to care one way or another. I think they felt that not umentaries chronicling righteousness associated only had their efforts gone unappreciated, but that what the movements of the era. with that contrast with they had achieved could be lost if the current and future We would encourage which many of the generations don't care enough. While listening to these other social movement comments, many students became engaged.