Political Protests

Undergraduate

The Guardian defined the 2010s as the mass protest decade, and 2019 capped it with an upsurge of protests worldwide. In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the US witnessed the widest protests in its recent history in response to the killing of George Floyd. The following years were not different, as the world continued to witness massive demonstrations. Increasingly, however, observers have begun to question the capacity of these large-scale demonstrations to bring about meaningful change. Under what conditions does a protest start? Why do people decide to join a protest? Do protests succeed? Can repression kill a movement or ignite the end of authoritarian-like governments? Focusing on recent protest movements worldwide, this seminar will address questions related to the study of political protest. This seminar has a limited enrollment capacity (18 seats max.) Priority for course registration will be given to students with a compelling motivation to take the class. I will also consider students’ GPAs SO HTBA