The MA in Activism and Social Change was launched in September 2007. Our aim is to provide students with a radically different option for postgraduate study, one specifically set up to support the global justice movement and the myriad social struggles around the world for equality, democracy and a noncapitalist future. The course offers students an innovative and original interdisciplinary programme of research-led teaching and participatory study bringing together the worlds of academia and progressive social campaigning. We want students to develop a range of skills and knowledges to help them become thoughtful, competent and active campaigners engaged in social change. 

The MA programme has dedicated facilities on the Naspir website, with content pages and links to be added by students and staff; forums; and the option to create bottom-up networks with live messaging. Students and staff can post content directly to the site and edit content collectively (indeed, developing such skills are a valuable part of activism and social change): full instructions are in the 'Naspir business' forum.  

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Course Overview

Activism and Social Change is an innovative and original interdisciplinary programme of research-led teaching and participatory study that brings together the worlds of academia and progressive social campaigning. It is led by academics working and researching with social movement organisations and communities; they are at the cutting edge of Geography's tradition of disciplinary involvement with social justice, a tradition that dates back at least to the early 1970s and runs stronger than ever today.

The programme's originality lies in four areas:
1) its intellectual attachment to the concept of 'autonomy', which in its radical understanding is the belief in society organised collectively through the practice of self-management, mutual aid and direct democracy;

2) its integration of social and environmental themes and issues, distinguishing it from other programmes in Britain, which focus on one element or the other;

3) its direct collaboration with NGOs, campaign groups and social entrepreneurs who will work alongside the programme coordinators to explore the ideas, practices and geographies of activism and social change;

4) its integrated provision of training for academic research and special skills training for work as a practitioner in NGOs and social movements.

Main course features

The main features of the programme can be summarised as follows:

An exploration of the core ideas in radical and transformatory social theory (see module: Spaces of Radical Thought module);

An overview of global social movement struggles with particular reference to anti-systemic and neo-colonial struggles in the Global South (Empire and Resistance);

Contemporary political debates about alternatives to neoliberal development and the critical challenges we face (Autonomous Futures);

Qualitative and quantitative research methods training relevant to campaigning and social change with strong emphasis on conducting Action Research with social movements and campaign groups (Researching for Social Change);

An introduction to key strategic debates and skills within the practitioner community through guest lectures and workshops by journalists, campaigners, researchers and activists (Campaigning for Social Change);

Work and campaign placements based around course themes;

An innovative portfolio of Masters-level assessments relevant to activism and social change including: campaign diaries; web-design; project plans; film; and extended action-research dissertations.

The MA has been carefully designed to respond to two related aims: the first is to provide a particular experience in training for research in university or similar arenas; and the second is to deliver knowledge and skills required by social movements, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), environmental and political campaigns, and other civil society groups such as trade unions and think tanks.

This masters programme offers a unique and integrated set of modules: two ESRC recognised research methods training modules (qualitative and quantitative) delivered between Geography and the School of the Environment; a theoretical module designed to engage students with important radical thinkers whose works and ideas are essential knowledge for students taking the programme; a conceptual module on empire and case studies of resistance struggles from around the world; modules on researching and campaigning skills directly focused on activism and organisations involved in social campaigning; a more praxis oriented module focusing on strategies for implementing ideas; and finally an action research Dissertation through which students will undertake a substantive independent research project.

Innovative Teaching Methods

The programme uses a number of innovative teaching and assessment methods which include:

Practitioner sessions based around engaging with practitioners through either visits to the School of Geography or field trips to campaign offices to gain first-hand knowledge and experience of the issues, methods and strategies of those undertaking work with campaign groups.

Action Research Dissertation based on a work or campaign placement. The aim is to link together the theoretical, empirical, methodological and campaigning knowledge and experience learned during the programme as part a sustained action research project embedded in real world engagement.

Spokescouncils. These are an innovative form of teaching and assessment based around students' formulating, debating and implementing proposals.

Affinity groups. Students will form affinity groups to undertake small group work throughout the programme.

Roundtables. Teaching staff and outside guests will discuss with students course themes and what they mean in terms of their own institutions and groups.

Action planning sessions. Modules will include an action-oriented element where students will design, implement and promote plans of action in various thematic areas.

Reflective portfolio/diary work. Students will keep a reflective portfolio of work during the programme.

Benefits to students

Activism and Social Change offers a chance to develop knowledge and skills at the interface of Higher Education and political activism that are relevant to careers in traditional and popular education fields, non-governmental organisations, grassroots campaigning and related fields. The programme will provide a number of general benefits:

The ability to interrogate scholarly and engaged research and debate in the key areas of contemporary Geography and other related fields such as Politics and Sociology, building on knowledge acquired during undergraduate courses;

In-depth understanding of the conceptual foundations of key course debates within the overall context of social theory;

Skills in the prosecution of a sustained research project serving as training for a Ph.D. degree or research-based vocation;

An understanding of the range of methodologies that social scientists use in their research with a particular emphasis on participatory and action research techniques;

Competency in an advanced level of training in qualitative and other research methods in line with ESRC requirements, thus enabling students to move into research for a Ph.D.;

Transferable skills (research, communication, media, organisation, team and individual work) appropriate to employment in a range of settings such as non-governmental organisations, charities, campaign and community groups, as well as starting up their own enterprises.

In addition, the programme will offer students:

(1) An extensive knowledge base of radical social change theory, global systems analysis and empirical overview

(2) Campaigning, organising and research skills

(3) Experience and networking with social movement organisations

(4) The opportunity to be part of a cutting edge research environment

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions about the
MA in Activism and Social Change

School of Geography, University of Leeds
www.activismsocialchange.org.uk

1. What is the Masters in Activism and Social Change?
2. What are the aims of the MA?
3. What exactly do you mean by ‘activism’ and ‘social change’?
4. Who is behind it?
5. What modules can students take?
6. What kind of engagement will there be with activists and campaign groups?
7. When does the MA start?
8. How much will the MA cost?
9. Are there any scholarships?
10. Can students study part-time?
11. What other study routes exist?
12. What are the routes to PhD study?
13. What are the main benefits of this course?
14. What kinds of assessment are there?
15. What about mature students or people without a formal academic
background but lots of experience. Is the course for them?
16. Why is this programme in Geography?
17. What is the latest date that students can register?
18. Is there a limit on the number of students?
19. Why is this Masters programme needed?
20. But isn’t a Masters in Activism and Social Change just going to create a new professional or managerial elite within social movements?
21. How do students register or get more information?
22. What do other people say abut the programme?
23. Can you recommend any course readings or websites?

1. What is the Masters in Activism and Social Change?

The MA in Activism and Social Change (ASC) is a new Masters programme within the School of Geography at the University of Leeds, UK. It is an innovative, original and timely interdisciplinary programme of critically-engaged research-led teaching and participatory study that responds to a growing call to bring closer together the worlds of academia and progressive social campaigning. We believe it is the first of its kind in Europe.

2. What are the aims of the MA?

The main aim of the course is to provide a space in which students can develop their ideas and thinking, and acquire a range of intellectual, methodological and practical skills aimed at activism and social change. It is not about a detached study of activism, activists, or social change. Rather, it aims to promote free and critical thinking about the challenges we face, how we can develop tactics and strategies and skills to respond to them, as well as creative alternatives to life under capitalism. Students will be able to develop rigorous conceptual and theoretical understandings of global capitalism and resistance movements in different world arenas, engage with campaigners struggling for a better world, experience innovative assessment methods such as spokescouncils and action research projects, and develop campaigning and research skills to equip them for future work, campaigning or study.

3. What exactly do you mean by ‘activism’ and ‘social change’?

‘Activism’ generally refers to the process of taking intentional action to bring about social change. However, what form that activism takes, and the actual visions of social change being promoted, differ enormously across time and space. While this course does not stem from one particular ideological or political viewpoint, the types of activism and visions for social change we focus on are broadly situated within what in recent years has become known variously as the ‘anti-capitalist’, ‘alter/anti-globalisation’ or ‘global justice’ movement. Because of the plurality of voices they are often called the ‘movement of movements’ and have become visible at moments like summit sieges at Seattle, Prague and Cancun, the World Social Forum and other convergences of civil society, most notably the anti-war movement.

There are some key values which define the Programme and which reflect this ‘movement of movements’. The first is the emphasis on resistance and alternatives, or critique and proposal. The strength of the movement of movements is that it represents a potent combination of critique of global capitalism and neoliberalism and also viable and workable alternatives. Secondly, the Programme values plurality, which has been captured by the term ‘One no, many yeses’ - many people are resisting but there is no compulsion to all agree to a fixed agenda on solutions or tactics. A third core value is that of which sees horizontality, equality and openness as the basis for political institutions. Finally, solidarity and co-operation are key principles based on a desire to build human relations on the basis of understanding and mutual aid.

4. Who is behind it?

The MA is led by scholar activists working and co-researching with social movement organisations and communities in struggle.

Paul Chatterton, Course Director. I teach international development and alternatives to life under capitalism in the School of Geography at the University of Leeds. My main areas of writing and research are: the popular uprising in Argentina since 2001 and that of the Zapatistas in Chiapas since 1994; resistance to privatization and corporatisation in the neoliberal city; and the feasibility of alternative ways of organising social, political and economic life. I am also involved in various solidarity and campaign groups around the UK and beyond, including: Kiptik, a solidarity group helping to build appropriate technology water systems in the Zapatista autonomous communities in Chiapas, Mexico; the Common Place social centre in Leeds; Leeds Asylum Seekers’ Support Network (LASSN), which provides voluntary support, advice and friendship to refugees and asylum seekers; and Trapese, a popular education collective working on climate change, development and poverty. I am currently on the Editorial board of Antipode, Geography’s first journal of radical Geography.

Stuart Hodkinson. My research interests revolve around the themes of globalisation, corporate power, democratic deficit, popular struggles and action research. I am currently working on three main areas: (i) mapping networks and distributions of power and control in the city, with specific reference to enclosure through privatisation; (2) developing autonomous political theory and practice, focusing on the role of social centres; (3) exposing the neo-colonialist policies of the UK government, celebrities and mainstream development NGOs towards Africa, focusing on the Make Poverty History campaign and the forthcoming 2007 bicentennial commemoration of the parliamentary abolition of the so-called transatlantic slave trade. I co-founded the radical cinema project Leeds Underground Film in 2001, and as an occasional writer and journalist was until recently associate editor of Red Pepper magazine. I am active in Leeds No Borders and the Common Place social centre in Leeds, and joint convenor of the Global Justice and Reparation Forum.

Paul Waley. I have worked in the past as an editor, translator and writer, and have been an academic at the School of Geography in the University of Leeds since 1992. Most of my research has focussed on Japan and in particular on Tokyo. I have written recently on neo-liberal urban policies and the squeezing of everyday life spaces in inner city Tokyo. Other research interests include post-conflict ex-Yugoslavia. Beyond my own research, I am committed to the attempt to make universities spaces for freedom of the political imagination and of critical thought.

5. What modules can students take?

There are a range of core and optional modules spread over 3 semesters. Within the School of Geography, the following are available:

GEOG5300M Spaces of Radical Thought (15 credits, semester one, core module)

Political activism today has its roots in a body of social theory that has evolved over the last hundred years. The works of canonical writers such as Marx and Gramsci have entered the mainstream and yet retained many of their revolutionary and radical premises. This module will cover five areas that together form a foundation out of which contemporary political activism has grown covering Marxist, anarchist, green, or environment-oriented, thought, radical identity politics and post-structuralist/post-modernist approaches. The module ends with a discussion of the spaces for radical action that are opened up by this body of thought. Rather than attempting an exhaustive investigation, the module team will introduce selected thinkers and their works, enabling follow-up discussion on issues and themes that have been raised.

GEOG5330M Empire and Resistance (15 credits, semester one, optional module)

North Atlantic capital has dominated global developments over at least the last 200 years. This module examines the ways in which the power of the political economies of northwestern Europe and north America were translated into global empires and how this continues to underpin the state of the world today. Subsequent sessions examine a worldwide range of more specific examples of the exercise of imperial power and the struggles of resistance movements: the nature of slavery and the role it played as a basis for European colonialism, case studies from the Polisario Liberation Front in the Western Sahara, anti-imperial struggles in Latin America and East Asia, where an ambivalent relationship has been struck with the United States. The module concludes by looking at the spaces for resistance that are being opened up by global social movements campaigning against neoliberal policies.

GEOG5310M Researching for social change (15 credits, semester 2, core module)

Researching for social change demands new ways of understanding what research is and who it is actually for. This module provides a grounding in the principles, methods and strategies of Action Research, a methodology aimed at ‘improving practice’ and ‘achieving goals’ rather than simply ‘producing knowledge’. The module opens by situating action research within the current neoliberal takeover of Higher Education. It introduces students to different action research traditions but focuses specifically on ‘militant research’ and what we call 'Solidarity Action Research', a form of participatory research that is organically connected to social movement struggles. The remainder of the module is spent exploring the advanced skills and knowledge necessary to working with social movements and grassroots groups and undertake action research planning, from problem identification, to engagement, to design. Students will learn a range of advanced research tools, participatory techniques, inter-personal skills and self-reflexive praxis.

GEOG5350M Campaigning for social change (15 credits, semester 2, optional module)

What tactics and strategies work best? What skills and techniques are needed? What lessons can be learned from social movements past and present? This module will examine the theory and practice behind a range of campaigning tactics in conjunction with practitioners of particular forms of activism. Each week students will critically assess a major social movement struggle or campaign from history that exemplifies a specific form of protest, resistance, organisation or communication. This will be accompanied where relevant by a practical skills workshop on that week’s theme. These lessons form an important knowledge base for equipping students with the ideas, techniques and skills useful for working alongside local campaign groups in, providing mutual benefits to the student and local community. Topics include: social movement theory; reformism; building a campaign; legal routes; using the media; strikes, pickets & organised labour; winning hearts and minds in the community; popular education; taking non-violent direct action; guerrilla warfare; state responses to crisis; activist trauma.

GEOG5340M Autonomous futures (30 credits, semester 2, core module)

This module introduces students to key issues in the study of autonomy. It is based on a recently published book co-edited by Chatterton called DIY: A Handbook for Changing our World, covering 10 thematic areas through which the ideas of autonomy can be implemented in practice, one idea being introduced each week. Students apply themselves to how these different aspects of building ‘autonomous futures’ can be implemented in practice. This applied work can take various forms and advice will be given to students during workshops, but typical practical exercises will include organising workshops/talks, setting up a group or network, addressing food or health issues, and starting up an independent media project.

GEOG5320M Action Research Dissertation (60 credits, semester 2 and summer, core module)

In this module students develop and implement course ideas through a dissertation. The module is built around a placement with a group/organisation, during which original, primary research for the dissertation is undertaken. The assessed work comprises: a 4,000 word (or equivalent) piece of project work based on the actual substance of the research placement and mutually agreed by the student and the organisation (this could be for example a campaign report, website/video, research report); and a substantive 8,000 word dissertation relating this research placement to literature, theory, concepts, methods, analysis, implications. The two pieces of work are intimately linked and they reflect the development of theory and practice.

Students can also take selected modules as electives in other departments. These options can be discussed in more detail with course convenors.

6. What kind of engagement will there be with activists and campaign groups?

There are three main forms of civil society engagement built into this course. First, most modules will feature a number of guest lecturer and seminar slots so that campaigners with specific knowledge or expertise on an issue are able to pass some of those ideas and skills on. Second, there will be field trips to campaign offices and sites of political struggle to gain first-hand knowledge and experience of the issues, methods and strategies of those on the frontline. Third, students will be encouraged to link up with and support a campaign, political group, community struggle or organisation as part of their Action Research Dissertation so that the theoretical, empirical, methodological and campaigning knowledge being gained through the programme is both rooted in and relevant to real world engagement.

The course has close links with a range of activist groups, campaigning organisations and radical projects within the broad Global Justice Movement in the UK. These include:

Corporate Watch, Oxford, www.corporatewatch.org.uk
Friends of the Earth, www.foe.org.uk
Kiptik Zapatista Solidarity Group www.kiptik.buz.org
Lammas low impact development project, Swansea, www.lammas.org.uk/
Leeds No Borders
Local Unison and Amicus trade union branches, Leeds
National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns, www.ncadc.org.uk
New Internationalist Magazine www.newint.org
Pan-Afrikan Task Force for Internationalist Dialogue, London
Red Pepper magazine, www.redpepper.org.uk
Rendez-vous of Victory, London, www.rendezvousofvictory.org
Trapese Popular Education Collective www.trapese.org
World Development Movement, London, www.wdm.org.uk

7. When does the MA start?

In the academic year 2007-08, teaching starts end of September 2007.

8. How much will the MA cost?

Standard course fees for UK, EU and non EU students are £3,000.

Reflecting the spirit of the programme and to promote income-sharing, for those who have worked recently on higher incomes, who continue to receive a high income throughout the course, or could pay more, there is a suggested higher annual fee of £5,500.

9. Are there any scholarships?

Yes. There will be at least one scholarship equal in value to one full fee. This will be awarded on a competitive basis for those who apply for it. Details of the application procedure will be circulated later but will be based on previous income and savings.

We are also appealing to individuals and organisations sympathetic to the aims of this course to help finance a special bursary fund to enable more students with low incomes to sign up.

10. Can students study part-time?

Yes, part-time study is available over 2 years.

11. What other study routes exist?

The course can be taken on a number of bases:

180 credit MA either full time over 1 year or Part Time over 2 Years.
120 Credit Diploma either full time over 1 year or Part Time over 2 Years.
60 credit Post Graduate Certificate over 1 year.

Students can also sign up for individual 15 or 30 credit modules when they are being delivered.

The range of modules you can undertake will vary for each of these options.

12.  What are the routes to PhD study?

We encourage students to consider routes into Ph.D. study after this Masters programme in the School of Geography. All themes in the programme can be followed up at PhD level with various members of staff. Details on proposals and specific funding opportunities can be discussed in more detail.

13. What are the main benefits of this course?

The Programme offers students four main benefits, which differentiate it from other critical social science Masters courses:
 
An extensive knowledge base of radical theories, global resistance struggles and strategies for social change
Resource-stretched groups expect new recruits, as a minimum, to have a clear understanding of global politics in terms both of procedural detail and more importantly of underlying geopolitical forces. Activism and Social Change will provide an introduction to the ideas, debates and practices of radical politics and social movements, with the input of practitioners through guest lectures and workshops.

Campaigning, organising and research skills
Being an effective activist requires having a variety of skills such as: organising public meetings; facilitation and participation skills; working the media to your advantage and writing effective press releases; good communication and ICT skills; an in-depth knowledge of campaigning tactics and strategies; action research skills relevant to progressive social change; and desire to co-produce and disseminate knowledge. Activism and Social Change will develop campaign and organising skills through links with practitioners in the module Campaigning for Social Change. The module Researching for Social Change will provide specialised training and ‘in the field’ experience of how to design and carry out Participatory Action Research with and for social movements.

Experience and networking
The Programme’s practitioner involvement and campaign placements will give students a direct route to acquire the relevant knowledge, skills and contacts. While many current undergraduate and postgraduate courses have practitioner links, none provide similar opportunities for such sustained and in-depth interaction between students and social change organisations.

Being part of a cutting edge research environment
A major advantage and attraction to students will be the opportunity to be part of a cutting edge research environment, working alongside established scholars and up and coming academics. The MA will be the brand new Masters programme of the Urban Cultures and Consumption research cluster whose members will contribute to the MA. The aim is to create strong and creative links between students and the cluster with a regular series of seminars and discussion forums in which students and staff can share their research interests. Students will be encouraged to participate in other projects in this research group.

14. What kinds of teaching and assessment are involved?

The programme uses a mix of traditional and innovative teaching and assessment methods which include:

§ Essays based on extended exploration of course themes;
§ Action Research Dissertation based on a work or campaign placement;
§ Spokescouncils. These are an innovative form of teaching and assessment based around students’ formulating, debating and implementing proposals;
§ Roundtables. Teaching staff and outside guests will discuss with students course themes and what they mean in terms of their own institutions and groups;
§ Action planning sessions. Modules will include an action-oriented element where students will design, implement and promote plans of action in various thematic areas;
§ Reflective portfolio/diary work. Students will keep a reflective portfolio of work during the programme;
§ Weekly tutorials, reading groups and film clubs.

15. What about mature students or people without a formal academic
background but lots of experience. Is the course for them?

We strongly encourage a range of ages and experiences on the course – especially as this will enhance the classroom learning experience for all. If you have been out of education for a while, or feel that you don’t have the right academic qualifications, but you have plenty of experience as a campaigner or activist, then get in touch. We would love to hear from you. In our application procedure we take into account different types of experiences.

16. Why is this programme in Geography?

Geography is the department which is hosting this Programme at the University of Leeds. Geographers have always been keen to understand the world and its social relationships in all their complexity. Issues like globalisation, neoliberalism, mapping and understanding social inequalities, climate change, gentrification, and urban social movements are at the core of what modern day Geography is about. Moreover, Geography has a deeply radical heritage ranging from the anarchists Peter Kropotkin and Elisée Reclus to radical thinkers and doers such as Colin Ward, Patrick Geddes and Lewis Mumford. In recent decades, globally renowned geographers such as Julie Graham, Dick Peet, David Harvey, Derek Gregory, and Doreen Massey have been at the forefront of pioneering new understandings of the relationship between society and space, drawing upon revolutionary and radical ideas ranging through anarchism, Marxism, feminism and post-colonialism. Geography is a natural home for such a Masters Programme.

But this is more than just a programme about Geography. Geography is a very broad, creative discipline which has always drawn widely on other disciplines and ideas ranging from Politics, Religious Studies, Sociology, Media Studies, Philosophy and the Environmental and Natural Sciences. To these ends, the programme involves colleagues from other departments including Politics, Communication Studies and Spanish/Portuguese introducing material on topics as diverse as hacking, anarchism and sexuality, global democracy and resistance movements in Western Sahara.

17. What is the latest date that students can register?

You can register right up until September 2007, but we would advise you, if possible, to register by May 2007.

18. Is there a limit on the number of students?

No. We expect maximum class sizes to be no larger than 20.

19. Why is this Masters programme needed?

We decided to launch this Masters for several reasons.

First, we became increasingly aware of a growing yet unmet demand for Masters-level courses that directly respond to the multiple crises global society faces such as irreversible climate change, the spectre of ‘peak oil’, the growing precariousness of work, increased poverty and inequalities, conflicts over resources, and the gradual privatisation of public spaces and welfare services. Many of our friends, colleagues and fellow campaigners have been frustrated by having to enrol on Masters courses that only partly cover the above issues. We felt a responsibility as educators to provide educational courses that people actually want to do and a duty as scholar activists to put on courses that address the global problems, focus on creative solutions, and encourage to become active campaigners and advocates for social change.

Second, radical social movements have failed to gain ground for their ideas and visions compared to other narratives associated with neoliberalism, globalisation and free market competition. There is a growing desire among activists to find new ways to make the ideas and demands of social movements more widespread and applicable to people’s everyday lives. Many students who pass through universities have little or no exposure to resistance movements, nor are they aware of the range of alternatives to capitalist, market-based life that exist. We see it as an urgent task to allow students exposure to radical ideas and practices. The Masters is an opportunity to redirect crucial educational resources into generating ideas which can address the crises we face and equip people for understanding, intervening in, and changing the course of their lives.

Third, we found it hypocritical to be scholar activists advocating radical social change ‘outside’ the University and our workplace, but not doing so from within. This programme is situated here – aimed at increasing capacities, tactics, ideas and competencies so that people can become active campaigners and agents for social change. The MA is thus an important statement about how we see the current neoliberal direction of Higher Education. We are committed to the role of the university as a free and critical place of knowledge production not just aimed at producing good consumers or citizens, but also as a place of critique and dissent within the mainstream. By encouraging students to think critically about their own educational environment as part of the programme, the Masters will be one mechanism by which the roles of the University as an employer, educational establishment and local political actor can be assessed in relation to solving the global crises we face.

20. But isn’t a Masters in Activism and Social Change just going to create a new professional or managerial elite within social movements?

There will be criticisms of a Programme such as this. Some might see the Masters as creating a new elite who have privileged access to being activists or involved in social change, or a means for academics to boost their reputations and careers. Others might see it as quashing the radical spirit of activism by placing it within the constraints of universities. These are important, valid criticisms that cannot nor should not be side-stepped

First and foremost this Programme stems from an urgent desire to address some of the crises we face and contribute to developing viable and creative alternatives to life under capitalism. The course has been devised with this in mind. We want to do this on our patch – the University of Leeds – and urge others to do so wherever they live and work. We have been inspired by countless things inside and outside the academy - social movements, university and college courses, radical thinkers and doers, books, pamphlets and zines, actions and protests websites and meetings - and hope to contribute to a stock of useful knowledge, skills and ideas that can further activism and social change and build viable alternatives to capitalism.

Second, we are keen to break down barriers which often exist between grass roots and academic knowledge. The premise of the course is to bring these worlds together into creative dialogue through mutual learning. In many ways we see those in social movements as the experts, certainly in the areas in which they are active, be it climate change, debt campaigning or independent media. There is much that universities can learn from social movements and vice versa. Gone are the days when universities were the repositories of all knowledge. The most creative knowledges are produced through interaction and collaboration. Due to the growing orientation of universities to the worlds of business and corporate cultures, there is also an urgent need to expand this kind of radical, engaged education within the higher education sector.

Finally, the ethics of the course, through the ways it is delivered and structured, are to promote values of mutual learning, collaboration, and solidarity and certainly not elitism, specialisation or domination. The course fosters a culture of professionalism rather than professionalisation - that is we encourage students to be committed to their studies and to attain high levels of skills, knowledges and competencies for activism and social change, without seeing themselves as professionals separated form the groups they are working with. We are keen to encourage students to become reflexive, self-aware and compassionate citizens who are aware of, and act upon, their own privileges both as recipients of higher education and western lifestyles, and the inequalities that structure our societies and institutions, especially those of the university.

21. How do students register or get more information?

See our website @ www.activismsocialchange.org.uk

Contact the admissions team in Geography at Leeds University:

Postgraduate Admissions Officer
School of Geography
University of Leeds
Leeds
LS2 9JT
Tel - +44 (0) 113 343 6635
Fax - +44 (0) 113 343 3308
Email: This Email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

To apply, all the information you need is at:

http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/masters/apply.html

22. What do other people say about the programme?

“Our Pan-Afrikan Task Force for Internationalist Dialogue (PATFID), of which I am the Chair, fervently welcomes this innovative interdisciplinary programme because it is not only most interesting and very necessary right now but, indeed, also quite long overdue.”

Kofi Mawuli Klu Chair, Pan-African Taskforce for Internationalist Dialogue (PATFID)  Central Board.

"Friends of the Earth would be interested in working with people who have been through this course. We look for people with a wide range of qualities. This course could help us to find people who have a real understanding of creating social change and of activism in the UK."

Hannah Griffiths, Friends of the Earth

“I think this course is a good thing because it will provide the opportunity to stimulate academic thinking on alternatives to neoliberal development, strengthen links between the academic and development communities, and provide an opportunity for campaigners to acquire particular skills in campaign organising. “

Marlene Barrett, World Development Movement

“I feel that that the MA in Activism and Social Change has the potential to be a very successful and cutting edge program.”

Michael McAvoy, New College of California

“We particularly like the combination of theory, analysis and practice, and the focus on participation and action research seems a really unique feature. We really support it.”

Claire Fauset, Corporate Watch, UK

“At a time when we are all encouraged in HE to think of how to orientate ourselves to the needs of business it is of the utmost importance that we remind ourselves that universities are also supposed to be spaces for the development of critical thought, which implies autonomy from business and the needs of powerful economic and political constituencies.”

Simon Tormey, Director, Centre for the Study of Social and Global Justice (CSSGJ), University of Nottingham

23. Can you recommend any course readings or websites?

Introductory Readings

Bircham, E, & Charlton, J (2001) Anti-capitalism: A Guide to the Movement. Bookmarks.
Carter, J and Morland, D, eds. (2004). Anti-capitalist Britain. Cheltenham: New Clarion.
Chatterton, P, Cutler, A and Bryan K (2007) DIY: A Handbook for Changing our World. London: Pluto.
Harvie, D, Milburn, K, Trott, B, and Watts, David, eds. (2005) Shut them Down!: The G8, Gleneagles 2005 and the Movement of Movements. Brooklyn, NY: Autonomedia.
Holloway, J (2002) Change the World without Taking Power. London: Pluto.
Katsiaficas, G, ed. (2005) Confronting Capitalism: Dispatches from a Global Movement. Soft Skull Press.
Kingsnorth, P (2004) One No, Many Yeses: A Journey to the Heart of the Global Resistance Movement. Free Press.
Marshall, P (1992) Demanding the Impossible: A History of Anarchism. London: HarperCollins.
Mertes, T, ed. (2004) A Movement of Movements: Is Another World Really Possible? London: Verso.
Notes from Nowhere, eds. (2003) We Are Everywhere: The Irresistible Rise of Global Anti-capitalism. London: Verso.
Polet, F, & CETRI (2004) Globalizing Resistance: The State of Struggle. London: Pluto Press.
Saad-Filho, A (2002) Anti-capitalism: A Marxist Introduction. London: Pluto Press.
Schalit, J, ed. (2002) The Anti-capitalism Reader: Imagining a Geography of Opposition. New York: Akashic Press.
Sen, J, Escobar, A, Waterman, P, (2004) World Social Forum: Challenging Empires. New Delhi: Viveka Foundation.
Sheehan, S. (2003) Anarchism. London: Reaktion Books.
Solnit, D, ed. (2004) Globalize Liberation: How to Uproot the System and Build a Better World. San Francisco: City Lights.
Solnit, R (2002) Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities. London: Verso.
Starr, A (2004) Global Revolt: A Guide to the Movements against Globalization. London: Zed Books.
Tormey, S. (2004) Anti-capitalism: A Beginner’s Guide. Oxford: Oneworld.
Wall, D (2005) Babylon and Beyond: The Economics of Anti-capitalist, Anti-globalist, and Radical Green Movements. London: Pluto.
Walter, N (2002) About Anarchism. Freedom Press.

Useful websites

Indymedia www.indymedia.org
New Left Review www.newleftreview.net
Red Pepper Magazine http://www.redpepper.org.uk/
Guerilla News Network http://www.guerrillanews.com/
LibCom: www.libcom.org
znet: archive of radical news and analysis: www.zmag.org
Democracy Now http://www.democracynow.org/
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/
Permaculture Association (Britain) www.permaculture.org.uk.
Peak oil: www.peakoil.net/
Groundswell www.groundswell.org.uk
New Rules www.newrules.org
Eyes on IFIs http://www.ifiwatchnet.org/eyes/index.shtml
Campaign Against the Arms Trade www.caat.org.uk
International Forum on Globalisation www.ifg.org
WTO Watch www.wtowatch.org/
Corporate Watch UK www.corporatewatch.org.uk
Peoples Global Action www.agp.org
Platform www.platformlondon.org

Module overview

 GEOG 5300M: Spaces of Radical Thought

15 credits. Semester 1
Module manager Dr Paul Waley This Email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Module objectives:

On completion of this module students should be able to demonstrate:
- an understanding of different traditions in radical thought;
- an understanding of key themes and debates that have exercised radical thinkers;
- knowledge of a range of theoretical perspectives and how they have been applied to different situations;
- advanced skills in critical reading and thought;
- advanced skills in essay preparation and writing;
- enhanced skills in discussion and argumentation with lecturers and peers.

Outline syllabus:

Week 1: Resistance, revolution and change: an introduction to radical thought
Weeks 2 and 3: Understanding the spaces of exploitation, work and control
Weeks 4 and 5: Nature, resources and the commons: the struggle for radical life spaces
Weeks 6 and 7: Cities and communities as utopian spaces
Weeks 8 and 9: Radical thought and civil society, the state and internationalism
Week 10: Queer spaces and radical sexualities
Week 11: Post structuralist approaches to resistance and revolution

Module summary:
Political activism today has its roots in a body of social theory that has evolved over the last hundred years. The works of canonical writers such as Marx and Gramsci have entered the mainstream and yet retained many of their revolutionary and radical premises. This module covers five substantive thematic areas which together allow us to explore ideas of resistance, revolution and change. These include: Understanding the spaces of exploitation, work and control, Nature, resources and the commons: the struggle for radical life spaces, Cities and communities as utopian spaces; Radical thought and civil society, the state and internationalism; Queer spaces and radical sexualities. In each of these thematic areas different theoretical traditions will be discussed ranging from Marxism, anarchism, socialism, ecologism and environmentalism and post structuralism. The module ends with a discussion of the spaces for radical action that are opened up by this body of thought. Rather than attempting an exhaustive investigation, the module team will introduce selected thinkers and their works, enabling follow-up discussion on issues and themes that have been raised.

Assessment:
3000 word essay: 80%
1000 word report: 20%

Reading:
Callinicos, A. 1999. Social Theory: A Historical Introduction. Oxford: Polity
De Angelis, M (2007)  The beginning of history. Pluto Press: London.
Harvey, D. 2000. Spaces of Hope. Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP
Holloway, J . 2002 Change the world without taking power. London: Pluto.
Kingsnorth, P (2003) One No, Many Yeses: A Journey to the Heart of the Global Resistance Movement. Free Press.
Monbiot, G, Susan George, Et al (2001) Anti-capitalism: A Guide to the Movement. Bookmarks.
Pepper, David. 1993. Eco-Socialism: From Deep Ecology to Social Justice. Routledge.
Therborn, G. 2007. ‘After dialectics: radical social theory in a post-communist world.’
Tormey, S. 2004. Anti-Capitalism: A Beginner’s Guide. Oneworld
Tormey, S. 2006. Key Thinkers from Critical Theory to Post-Marxism. London: Sage.
Vincent, A. 1995. Modern Political Ideologies. Oxford: Blackwell
Wall, D (2005) Babylon and Beyond. Pluto: London.
Wright, E Olin. 2006. ‘Compass points: towards a socialist alternative.’ New Left Review 41, pp. 93-124.
Yuen, E et al (2005) Confronting capitalisms. Soft Skull Press.
 
GEOG 5330M: Empire and Resistance

15 credits Semester 1. (Optional)
Module manager Dr Paul Waley  This Email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Module objectives:

On completion of this module students should be able to demonstrate:
- an understanding of the different theoretical perspectives on the global spread of the capitalist system;
- an understanding of key themes that have underpinned European and North American imperialism;
- knowledge of a range of anti-imperial resistance struggles in different world arenas;
- advanced skills in the identification of literature and the preparation of seminar papers;
- advanced skills in essay preparation and writing;
- enhanced skills in critical thought, discussion and argumentation in seminar conditions.

Outline syllabus:

Week 1: Conceptual approaches to empire and resistance
Weeks 2 and 3: From Africa: slavery, colonialism and rebellion
Weeks 4 and 5: Ideology, nationalism and imperialism in East Asia
Weeks 6 and 7: Resistance movements in Latin America
Week 8: European autonomous movements
Week 9: Global social movements I – Labour Internationalism and the World Social Forums
Week 10: Global social movements II – The Movement of Movement and Summit Sieges
Week 11: Conclusions

Module summary:
North Atlantic capital has dominated global developments over the last 200 and more years. This module examines the ways in which the power of the political economies of northwestern Europe and north America were translated into global empires and how this continues to underpin the state of the world today. It starts with an introduction to attempts to explain the underlying structures of the modern world, including world systems theory, and a brief overview of the history of Western colonialism. Subsequent sessions examine a worldwide range of more specific examples of the exercise of imperial power and the struggles of resistance movements. These include a discussion of  the nature of slavery and the role it played as a basis for European colonialism, followed by a review of some of the world’s more enduring and complicated struggles for autonomy. Anti-imperial struggles in Latin America are examined both in the context of the struggles against European dominance and against dominance from Washington. From there the focus moves to East Asia, where an ambivalent relationship has been struck with the United States; Japan has hosted some of the US’s largest bases, despite wide opposition, and at the same time -- alongside South Korea and China -- has bankrolled US military policy. The module concludes by looking at the spaces for resistance that are being opened up by global social movements campaigning against neoliberal policies.

Assessment:
3000 word essay: 80%
Seminar presentation: 20%

Reading
Amoore, L, ed. 2005. The Global Resistance Reader. London: Routledge.
Hardt, M, and A Negri. 2000. Empire. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.
Johnson, Chalmers. 2000 (2004). Blowback, The Costs and Consequences of American Empire. New York: Henry Holt.
Katsiafikas, G (2007) The subversion of politics. AK Press.
Linebaugh, P, and M Rediker. 2000. The Many-Headed Hydra: Sailors, Slaves, Commoners and the Hidden History of the Revolutionary Atlantic. London: Verso
Mann, M. 2003. Incoherent Empire. London: Verso
Rees, John. 2006. Imperialism and Resistance. London: Routledge.
Slater, David. 2004. Geopolitics and the Post-Colonial: Rethinking North-South Relations. Blackwell
Sen, J,  Anand, A, Escobar, A, Waterman, P, 2004, World Social Forum: Challenging Empires. New Delhi: Viveka Foundation.
 
Geog 5350M: Campaigning for Social Change

15 credits Semester 2 (Optional)
Dr Stuart Hodkinson  This Email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Module objectives:

On completion of this module students should be able to demonstrate:
- an understanding of the main contours of social movement theory, organisational typologies, strategies, tactics and communicational techniques;
- an in-depth knowledge of major social movement struggles or campaigns, their strengths and weaknesses and their influence on activism and social change;
- the advanced skills and knowledge necessary to be a grassroots campaigner including campaign building, legal routes, industrial organising, community action, popular education, civil disobedience;
- the ability to put into practice a range of advanced campaigning tools and techniques such as using the media, non-violent direct action, consensus and facilitation, crisis management and avoiding burnout and trauma;

Outline syllabus:

Week 1: Introduction to campaigning for social change: organising; communicating; strategising
Week 2:  The architectures of power and the local power elite
Week 3: Developing Strategies and tactical responses
Week 4: Parliamentarianism and reformist movements for change
Week 5: Industrial militancy: the Miners Strike, 1984-5
Week 6: Winning hearts & minds: the Black Panthers’ community programmes
Week 7: Insurrection and protest
Week 8: International Solidarity
Week 9: Protest and repression
Week 10 Using the media 
Week 11 Activism and cyber militancy

Module summary:
Whether a Labour Party member, a trade unionist, NGO worker or community activist, if you want to change society for the better you have to campaign. But what tactics and strategies work best? What skills and techniques are needed? What lessons can be learned from social movements past and present? This module will examine the theory and practice behind a range of campaigning tactics in conjunction with practitioners of particular forms of activism. Each week students will critically assess a major social movement struggle or campaign from history that exemplifies a specific form of protest, resistance, organisation or communication. This will accompanied where relevant by a practical skills workshop on that week’s theme. These lessons form an important knowledge base for equipping students with the ideas, techniques and skills useful for working alongside local campaign groups in, providing mutual benefits to the student and local community. At the end of the course students will present and discuss a campaign design to the group.

Class assessment

1 x 2500 word essay: 60%
1 x campaign design & presentation: 40%

Reading list
Della Porta, Donatella & Diani, Mario (1999), Social Movements: An Introduction. Oxford, Malden: Blackwells
Tilley, Charles (2004), Social Movements, 1768-2004.Boulder, London: Paradigm
Cleaver, Kathleen & Katsiaficas, George N (2001), Liberation, Imagination and the Black Panther Party. Routledge.
Begg, A (2000) Empowering the Earth: Strategies for Social Change. Green Books, Devon.
Goodwin, J, Jasper, J, and Polletta, F (eds.) (2001) Passionate politics. Emotions and social movements. Chicago University  Press: Chicago.
Hari, J (2002) ‘Now the protestors box clever’, New Statesman, Monday April 1 2002.
Harding, T (1997) The video activists handbook. Pluto Press.
Prokosh, M  and Raymond, L (2002) The Global activists manual. Nation Books

 
GEOG 5310M: Researching for Social Change

15 credits Semester 2
Module manager Dr Stuart Hodkinson This Email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Module objectives:
On completion of this module students should be able to demonstrate:
- a critical questioning approach to the role of Universities and research methodologies in reproducing hegemonic discourses and power relations;
- an understanding of the history of action research, the key theories, practices and debates informing this field and the underlying epistemological assumptions of different approaches;
- an appreciation of the key lineages, principles and methods of Solidarity Action Research as distinct from other action research methodologies;
- the advanced skills and knowledge necessary to working with social movements and grassroots groups and
 undertake action research planning, from problem identification, to engagement, to design;
- the ability to put into practice a range of advanced research tools, participatory techniques, inter-personal skills

Outline syllabus:

Week 1: Reproducing hegemony: academy, research and the Neoliberal University System
Week 2: Introduction to action research: ethics, debates, dilemmas
Week 3: From participation to solidarity: innovations in Militant Research
Week 4: Activism and the academy
Week 5: Participatory techniques
Week 6: Researching ‘power’: sources; techniques; using Freedom of Information
Week 7: (Ab)using evidence: an activist guide to ‘official’ research
Week 8: Communicating research
Week 9: Getting funding
Week 10: Action Research Design Spokescouncil

Module summary:
Achieving progressive social change is impossible without the research and development of ideas, practices and experiences, and the commitment to self-reflexive inquiry. Researching for social change, however, demands new ways of understanding what research is and who it is actually for. This module provides a grounding in the principles, methods and strategies of Action Research, a methodology aimed at ‘improving practice’ and ‘achieving goals’ rather than simply ‘producing knowledge’. The module opens by situating action research within the current neoliberal takeover of Higher Education. It introduces students to different action research traditions but focuses specifically on ‘militant research’ and what we call 'Solidarity Action Research', a form of participatory research that is organically connected to social movement struggles. The remainder of the module is spent exploring the advanced skills and knowledge necessary to working with social movements and grassroots groups and undertake action research planning, from problem identification, to engagement, to design. Students will learn a range of advanced research tools, participatory techniques, inter-personal skills and self-reflexive praxis. A crucial part of action research is the organic unity between the means and ends. The module will be open to students’ ideas, questions, ways of thinking, it will be committed to ‘free and open discussion’ and will encourage ‘independent thinking’ and ‘reflective practice’.

Class Assessment
3000 word essay: 80%
1000 word dissertation proposal spokescouncil: 20%

Readings
Area (1999), Special issue on activism in the academy. Area 31, 3.
Antipode (2008) Special Issue on Becoming a public scholar.
Buroway, M (2004) Public Sociologies. Social Forces. June (82(4)
Blunt, A, & Wills, J. (2000), Dissident geographies: an introduction to radical ideas and practice. Harlow
Reason, P, & Bradbury, H (2000), The handbook of action research: participative inquiry and practice. London
Kindon, S. R. Pain and M. Kesby (2008) Participatory Action Research: Connecting People, Participation and Place, Routledge, London.
Fuller, D, & Kitchin, R (2004), Radical Theory/Critical Praxis: Making a Difference Beyond the Academy? Praxis

GEOG 5340M: Autonomous Futures

30 credits Semester 2 (Optional)
Module manager Dr Paul Chatterton  This Email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Module objectives:

 On completion of this module, students should be able to:
· Articulate a sophisticated understanding of the ideas of autonomy
· Demonstrate a broad and detailed understanding of the contribution of the work of scholars from a range of disciplines to the ideas of autonomy
· Show evidence of communication skills and team-work through practical and group work
· Acquire skills and competencies which would allow you to put course ideas/themes into practice
· advanced skills in the identification of literature and the preparation of seminar papers;
· advanced skills in essay preparation and writing;
· enhanced skills in critical thought, discussion and argumentation in seminar conditions.
· Independent and critical thinking in implementation of a self guided project

Outline syllabus:

Week 1: Induction, introduction and project set up
Week 2: The party’s over: Sustainability and the crisis of peak oil
Week 3: Why do it without leaders? Consensus, direct democracy and spokescouncils
Week 4: Health and autonomy
Week 5: The role of popular education in social change
Week 6: We are what we eat: food and autonomy
Week 7: The role of cultural activism
Week 8: Autonomous communities and economies
Week 9: Reclaiming the media
Week 10.Why we need to take direct action
Week 11: Conclusions and challenges for autonomous futures

Module summary:
The theory and practice of autonomy is a central focus for many groups in the global north and south ranging from high profile examples such as the Zapatistas of Mexico and the Piqueteros of Argentina, to countless community and campaign groups here in the UK. Autonomy, literally meaning self-governing, stems from a rejection of mainstream representative politics, a concern over the the dominance of global corporations, and unsustainable living practices associated with consumer cultures. This module aims to introduce students to key issues in the study of autonomy and sustainability such as: freedom and self-management, direct democracy, grassroots organising, and sustainable lifestyles/communities. Together we are going to look at the possibilities for putting these ideas into practice. We will look at various examples, from the global north and south, including popular histories of resistance, education, the environment, cities and spaces, work, money, and independent media.

Assessment:
4000 word essay: 50%
4000 word portfolio: 50%

Readings:
Trapese Collective (2007) Do It Yourself: a handbook for changing your world. Pluto Press: London.
Wates N (2000) The Community planning handbook. Earthscan.
Notes from Nowhere (eds.) 2003. We Are Everywhere: The Irresistible Rise of Global Anti-capitalism. Verso.
Solnit, D (2004) Globalise Liberation. How to uproot the system and build a better world. City Lights Books
Heinberg, R (2005) The Party’s over. War, oil and the fate of industrial societies. New Society Publishing.
V.Coover, E.Deacon, C.Esser and C.Moore (1981) Resource Manual for a Living Revolution, New Society.
CrimethInc (2000) Days of War Nights of Love – CrimethInc for Beginners; Demon Box Collective.
Whitefield, P (2004) The Earthcare Manual. Hampshire: Permanent Publications.
Mckay, G (1999) DIY Culture. Party and Politics in 90s Britain. Verso.
Wall D (1999) Earth First! And the Anti-roads Movement. London: Routledge
 
GEOG 5320M: Action Research Dissertation

60 credits Semesters 1 and 2
Module manager Dr Paul Chatterton This Email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Module objectives:

 On completion of this module, students should be able to:
· Show evidence of completing a major piece of work looking at programme themes.
· Demonstrate a broad and detailed understanding of the contribution of the work of scholars from a range of disciplines to the ideas of autonomy
· Show evidence of the ability to undertake independent study and research for the completeion of a dissertation
· advanced skills in essay preparation and writing;

Outline syllabus:

Initial 2 x 1 hour Dissertation introduction and induction
6 regular sessions with supervisor (0.5 hour each)

Module summary:
A key aspect of the course is engagement and practice, and this action research dissertation focuses on these. This module allows students to develop and implement course ideas through a major action-research dissertation. The dissertation proposal will be developed by students in Semester 1 during the action research spokescouncil. Drawing upon existing contacts amongst the course team and their own contacts, students will begin to make contacts or seek out appropriate material for the completion of the dissertation. Students are encouraged to undertake a placement with a group/organisation in order to undertake original, primary research for the dissertation. Through this placement, students will undertake action research in a campaigning context.

During the placement original, primary research for the dissertation is undertaken. The assessed work comprises: a 4,000 word (or equivalent) piece of project work based on the actual substance of the research placement and mutually agreed by the student and the organisation (this could be for example a campaign report, website/video, research report); and a substantive 8,000 word dissertation relating this research placement to literature, theory, concepts, methods, analysis, implications. The two pieces of work are intimately linked and they reflect the development of theory and practice.

Assessment:
8000 word dissertation: 70%
4000 word report: 30%

Readings:

Hart, C (2004) Doing your masters dissertation : realizing your potential as a social scientist London, Sage.
Allison, B and Race P (2004) The student's guide to preparing dissertations and theses. London: Routledge.
Meloy J (1994) Writing the qualitative dissertation : understanding by doing. Hove.
Bryman, A. 1992. Quantity and quality in social research. London: Routledge.
Flowerdew, R, and D Martin, eds. 1998. Methods in human geography. Longman.
Gilbert, N. 1993. Researching social life. London: Sage.
Hoggart, K, L Lees, A Davies. 2001. Researching human geography. Arnold. Pb £19. Inspn.
Kitchin, R, and N Tate. 2000. Conducting research in human geography. Blackwell. Pb.
Maxwell, J. 1996. Qualitative research design: An interactive approach. London: Sage.
McNeill, P. 1985. Research methods. London: Routledge.
Robson, E, and K Willis. 1994. Postgraduate fieldwork in developing areas: a rough guide. DARG, IBG.
Shurmer-Smith, P, ed. 2002. Doing cultural geography. London: Sage.