Week 6: Call to Action: Applying Social Change on an Individual Level
Whatever our situations, we all face a choice. We can ignore the problems that lie just beyond our front doors; we can allow decisions to be made in our names that lead to a meaner and more desperate world. We can yell at TV newscasters and complain about how bad things are, using our bitterness as a hedge against involvement. Or we can work, as well as we can, to shape a more generous common future (p. 33).
—Paul Rogat Loeb
It can be daunting to study the historical precedents set by social change movements. It is also humbling to recognize the seemingly heroic actions of those who led these movements. Issues seem immense and it is easy to doubt what one individual, particularly oneself, can do to achieve change. Yet if you look back at the past several weeks, you are reminded that individuals did bring about changes—and are still doing so. Effecting positive social change is an opportunity open to everyone.
The ideal of positive social change is Walden University’s mission, and the culmination of this course is an appropriate time to reflect on what this means to you. In this final week of the course, you critique each other’s’ call to action submissions and consider your own thoughts about social change. You also submit your Final Project.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Critique the effectiveness of social change approaches
- Analyze key aspects of a social change movement of the pre-modern era
- Analyze key aspects of a social change movement of the modern era
- Assess the relationship of Walden University to a past or present social change movement
- Reflect on changes in personal insights regarding social change
Learning Resources
Required Readings
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Week 6: Call to Action: Applying Social Change on an Individual Level
Whatever our situations, we all face a choice. We can ignore the problems that lie just beyond our front doors; we can allow decisions to be made in our names that lead to a meaner and more desperate world. We can yell at TV newscasters and complain about how bad things are, using our bitterness as a hedge against involvement. Or we can work, as well as we can, to shape a more generous common future (p. 33).
—Paul Rogat Loeb
It can be daunting to study the historical precedents set by social change movements. It is also humbling to recognize the seemingly heroic actions of those who led these movements. Issues seem immense and it is easy to doubt what one individual, particularly oneself, can do to achieve change. Yet if you look back at the past several weeks, you are reminded that individuals did bring about changes—and are still doing so. Effecting positive social change is an opportunity open to everyone.
The ideal of positive social change is Walden University’s mission, and the culmination of this course is an appropriate time to reflect on what this means to you. In this final week of the course, you critique each other’s’ call to action submissions and consider your own thoughts about social change. You also submit your Final Project.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Critique the effectiveness of social change approaches
- Analyze key aspects of a social change movement of the pre-modern era
- Analyze key aspects of a social change movement of the modern era
- Assess the relationship of Walden University to a past or present social change movement
- Reflect on changes in personal insights regarding social change
Learning Resources
Required Readings
Discussion: Call to Action for Social Change
Social change leaders have always relied on persuasive approaches to galvanize support for their causes. For this Discussion, you developed a call to action designed to garner immediate support for a specific cause. This week, you will share and critique your work with your colleagues.
In preparation for this Discussion:
- Review the calls to action posted by your colleagues in the Week 6 Discussion Forum.
- Consider the effectiveness of these communications and why or why not they succeed.
With these thoughts in mind:
By Day 2
Post a response to the Discussion Spark post. Your response should contain at least two significant paragraphs. Read the Discussion Rubric as it will inform your writing. Important Note: The Discussion Spark and the Discussion topic will be graded together. You will see one score in your My Grades area.
By Day 4
Post feedback to at least one other presentation in the Week 6 Discussion Forum in one or more of the following ways:
- Evaluate the overall effectiveness of the piece.
- Does it accurately address the interests and concerns of the issue? If yes, how? If no, why not?
- What is the single most compelling aspect of this piece?
- Is the “mechanism” for immediate response effective?
- What, if anything, does it lack?
- What might you do differently?
Read the feedback received to your own call to action.
By Day 7
Respond to at least one feedback posting you received in one or more of the following ways:
- Share an insight related to that feedback.
- State why you agree or disagree with the feedback.
- Offer and support an opinion.
- Expand on a colleague’s posting by offering a new perspective or insight.
Submission and Grading Information
Grading Criteria
To access your rubric:
Discussion Rubric
Post Discussion Spark by Day 2
Post by Day 4 and Respond by Day 7
To participate in this Discussion:
Week 6 Discussion
Final Project
This week, you submit your Final Project.
In preparation:
- Review the comments received from your Instructor to the draft submitted in Week 4. Use those comments to inform your final paper.
- Review the Final Project Guidelines located in this week’s Learning Resources.
The Assignment
- Analyze an important social change movement of the pre-modern era (pre-1945).
- Analyze an important social change movement of the modern era (post 1945).
- Compare and contrast both movements.
- Analyze and explain the leadership structure of both movements. Who led these social change efforts? Was it an individual or a collective effort? What prompted individuals to become leaders of the movements?
- Analyze how the movements parallel or complement each other.
- Evaluate the success of these movements in promoting social change.
Be sure to include an introduction, body, conclusion, and reference page, using APA format to cite each of your sources.
1
Week 4 Rough Draft
Merrissa Hicks
Walden University
12/23/2019
Introduction
The study of social movement reflects the social issues in different periods have faced. This work will focus on the Abolition Movement and the Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) social movements. Social movements are a result of general public consensus towards dealing with major social issues in the community.
I will discuss the historical background and ideals that supported the development of the Abolition Movement and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Social Movement. This is intended to show the correlation between their emergence and the key social issues that the community faced.
The Abolition movement
The Abolition movement was jumpstarted with the effort of ending slavery in America. It held that all people are created equal, and hence the practice of slavery was unacceptable. This movement existed in the 19th century when many people started publicly displaying dissatisfaction for the slavery practices in the country. It placed more pressure on the authorities to outlaw slavery (Martos, Wilson & Meyer, 2017). It would allow for increased debate about segregation and discrimination.
Slaved men and women worked on large agricultural farms as maids. Their life was brutal; they were subject to severe punishments and strict racial rules and policies. With time they opposed slavery through daily acts like antislavery movements. The basis of this movement was that all men were created equal and hence, the effort to emancipate slaves (Martos, Wilson & Meyer, (2017).
Abolitionists managed to integrate religion and moral movement, that focused on the acceptance that everyone was equal before the eyes of their creator and later on became political. Antislavery societies were formed by various churches to create awareness of evil effects of slavery (Lysack, 2012). American Colonization Society (founded 1817) was first movement to abolishing slavery but was greatly opposed since it was seen as unfair to send Black Americans from their motherland to Africa.
The American Antislavery Society was founded in 1833 by prominent leaders, such as William Lloyd Garrison David Walker and Frederick Douglass (Black Abolitionist) strongly opposed slavery in their publications (Pepin-Neff & Wynter, 2019). These publications disputed against slavery as anti-social and immoral and repeatedly used illustrations of African -American literatures and other accomplishments to outline that the Africans and their offspring had ability to learn like Americans, if granted freedom.
The abolition movement was politicized. The Native American Party opposed slavery as well immigrants. Thus, other parties like Free Soil and Whigs did so. They merge together in 1856 leading to election of Abraham Lincoln as president in United States (Lysack, 2012).
The abolitionists continued to pressurize the administration of Lincoln to terminate slavery. It took the 13th Amendment to lastly end involuntary enslavement in 1865. Even though the abolitionist movement never attained a truly great following. Garrison, Douglass and their team never gave on the issue of slavery and race thus creating to the tension which led to war.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Social Movement
The Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) social movement was initiated with the interest of providing the LGBT with same movements as heterosexual individuals in the society. (Lysack, 2012). This movement was started to end homophobic, trans-phobic and bi-phobic attitudes that prevented individual in this category to live comfortably in the society (Lysack, 2012). Notable successes of this movement are that it has managed to achieve legality of gay marriages (Lysack, 2012).
Regardless, this movement continues to have challenges, especially on the international front, where certain cultures fail to recognize these laws. For many generations, people categorized as LGBT were shunned and discriminated against. This movement intended to overcome these limitations set on the community members.
It was motivated by the need to end widespread homophobic, transphobic and biphobic attitudes in the American community (Lysack, 2012). LGBT people who create social movement to fight for their right. Currently, LGBT social movements are organized to include cultural activities.
Like research, street marches, social groups and art as well as politics, they celebrate their rights. They are proud for who they keep fighting for their rights. Their political aim is to change laws and policies to gain new rights, protection from harm and benefits (Pepin-Neff & Wynter, 2019).
There is a rise of conflict within and between LGBT social actions, arguing who should be included in their movement and change of strategies (Lysack, 2012). There is discussion on what magnitude should gays, transgender, lesbians, bisexuals and intersex individuals are required to merge.
Influential of the gay and lesbians’ movement initially wanted to hide manly lesbians, transgender persons, feminine gay males and bisexuals from publicity. This created internal separations within LGBT societies (Pepin-Neff & Wynter, 2019). They have adopted politics which offer them freedom and see themselves as a minor group in the society.
The relationship between the Abolition and LGBT Movements
The two movements are united by a long history of anti-slavery and marriage laws that did not favor the two minority groups. In essence, abolitionist’s success had an impact on other minority groups such as the LGBT community. Also, their successes emboldened their quest for more rights.
The win against discriminatory laws emboldened the abolitionists to seek for more discussion about the need to abolish laws that governed segregation (Lysack, 2012). Hence, the successes of the two movements inspired a devotion to a society free from all forms of discriminatio
Conclusion
The campaign movement continues to have challenges, especially on the international front, where certain cultures fail to recognize these laws. Each of these social movements has had an essential role in addressing human rights violations which is an aspect I would explore more in the final research process.
For many generations, people categorized as LGBT were shunned and discriminated against. This movement intended to overcome these limitations set on the community members. It was motivated by the need to end widespread homophobic, transphobic and biphobic attitudes in the American community (Lysack, 2012).
It is interesting to observe these roles that these social movements played in American history. It is especially interesting to know how each relates to the social issues that affected the American public at different times in the country’s history.
References
Lysack, M. (2012). The abolition of slavery movement as a moral movement: Ethical resources, spiritual roots, and strategies for social change. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 31(1-2), 150-171.
Martos, A. J., Wilson, P. A., & Meyer, I. H. (2017). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) health services in the United States: Origins, evolution, and contemporary landscape. PloS one, 12(7), e0180544
Pepin-Neff, C., & Wynter, T. (2019). The Costs of Pride: Survey Results from LGBTQI Activists in the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, and Australia. Politics & Gender, 1-27.