IR3085 Social Movements and Civil Resistance

Academic year

2025 to 2026 Semester 1

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 9

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Planned timetable

To be confirmed

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr J Argomaniz

Dr J Argomaniz
This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr Javier Argomaniz

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

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-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE, STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED IR2006 OR AN EQUIVALENT MODULE.,BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS IR1005

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100%

Re-assessment

Examination = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

2 seminars (x10 weeks)

Scheduled learning hours

22

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

264

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

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.