ORGANIZING FOR DEMOCRACY
FALL, WINTER 2004-05
FALL
SYLLABUS
Office hours: Tues.
4:15-5:l5
and by appointment
Jeanne
Hahn
Lab II 2247 x 6014
hahnj@evergreen.edu
fall only
Office hours: Wed. 9 –
10 and by appointment
Marti
Schmidt
Sem II D2108 x 6396
schmidma@evergreen.edu
Office hours:
Wed. 9 – 10 and by appointment
Program
Secretaries: Ruth Joynes,
Lab II 2250 x 6102 joynesr@evergreen.edu
Pat Kolstad,
Lab II 2250 x
6102 kolstadp@evergreen.edu
What does it mean when
President Bush says “we are
bringing democracy to the
This
program will probe these questions as well as examine how individuals
and
groups learn democratic practice and organize for a democratic society
and
life. In addition to studying various
struggles for a democratic society through the course of
We
will examine the relations between democracy and human rights and will
study
key areas of
During
the fall quarter we will investigate a historical instance of struggle
for a
more democratic society: the Civil
Rights Movement of the 1960s. We will
analyze the difference between majoritarian
and
participatory democracy and define what constitutes democracy and
democratic
process. We will study political
organizing in its historical context in relation to race, gender, and
class. We will examine the upcoming
elections in relation to democracy. We
will also participate in the Northwest Social Forum in Seattle. Students will identify and make contact with
the community organization or social movement group they will work with
in the
winter and develop a proposal for that work.
A
major part of the program will be learning how to organize for a
democratic
society. We will read and watch films
about individuals and movements working for social change and justice. We will learn how individuals can make a
difference, have their voices heard, and become active in their
communities and
society. Workshops will be conducted on
how to build democratic, inclusive, effective, and sustainable
organizations;
how to organize protest and resistance; how to do research and
influence public
policy for social change; how to develop effective strategies and
tactics; how
to raise funds; how to deal with the media and with repression. We will develop writing, speaking, and other
relevant skills for effective organizing and democratic participation.
Tuesday
11 – 1 Lecture
Sem2
E1107
Tuesday
2 – 4 Seminar
Peter
Sem2 D2107
Jeanne
Sem2 D3107
Marti
Sem2 D3109
Wednesday
10 – 1
Lecture, film, guest speaker
Sem2 E1107
Friday
10 – 12:30
Workshop
Sem2 E1107
Friday
1:30 – 3:30
Seminar
Peter
Sem2
D2107
Jeanne
Sem2 D3107
Marti
Sem2 D3109
Available
in the Evergreen Bookstore:
Charles
Payne, I’ve Got the Light of
Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and
the
Mississippi Freedom Struggle.
Bill
Moyer, Doing Democracy: The
MAP Model for Organizing Social
Movements.
Wayne
Ellwood, The No-Nonsense Guide to
Globalization.
Thomas
Frank, What’s the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives
Won the Heart of
America.
Michael
Yates, Naming the System: Inequality
and Work in the Global Economy.
Richard Swift, The No-Nonsense Guide to
Democracy.
Cynthia
Kaufman, Ideas for Action: Relevant
Theory for Radical Change.
Dan
Clawson. The Next Upsurge: Labor and the
New Social Movements.
Urvashi Vaid, Virtual
Equality.
Some additional readings are available on-line (the urls are in the syllabus). Other articles are available at the Library Circulation Desk on Closed Reserve. These appear throughout the syllabus, and you should have your own copies for discussion in seminar. Several of the readings will be handed out in class.
*** Wednesday
6 Oct. – Benchmark Writing
due ***
*** Wednesday
13 October – Revised
Benchmark Writing due ***
*** Friday
22 October – Program Portfolio
due in seminar ***
*** Friday
5 November – Synthetic Essay
due in faculty mailboxes ***
*** Tuesday 19 November –
Initial Winter quarter proposal due ***
*** Tuesday
30 November – Revised Synthetic
Essay due in seminar ***
**Tuesday 7 December –
Program Portfolio due
***
*** Wednesday
8 December – Winter quarter
Proposal due ***
In the fall there will be three types of program writing:
1.
One
interpretative/synthetic
essay:
There
will be one five-to-six page essay of analysis and synthesis (due
Friday 5 November)
that will enable you to bring clarity to and develop your own
interpretative
analysis of major themes introduced through the program content. Your essay should state, develop, and support
a thesis or well-formed argument.
Evidence should be drawn from the program books, articles,
films, and
lectures. All papers will undergo a
revision process. The essay question and more detailed guidelines will
be
handed out at least a week prior to the due date.
2.
Your
Program Portfolio
(including all workshop writing assignments)
At mid-quarter (Friday 22 October) and at
quarter’s
end (Tuesday 7 Dec.), each student is to submit a Program Portfolio
which
includes the following:
a.
Two-page
papers completed by
each Friday’s seminar. These papers
should relate the week’s readings
to one of the following major program themes:
(i)
Democracy
(ii)
Organizing
for social change
Over
the
course of the quarter, about half of your entries should focus on
democracy,
the other half on organizing.
Note: There will be no paper due
for week I or week VI
b.
For
week III, the week of
the Northwest Social Forum, write up the
following:
(i)
A
brief synthesis of the presentations, discussions from four of the
events you attended. These can include
workshops, plenaries, panel discussions,
films,
etc. Your entry should include the
social problem being addressed and, if possible, the organizing to
solve it.
(ii)
A
write up of an interview you have conducted with a member of a group
organizing for economic and social justice.
If possible, interview a member of a group you might be
interested in
working with in the winter. Ask
questions about the group’s worldview, the issue it is addressing,
strategy,
tactics, structure and decision making.
The interview should last about 15 minutes.
c.
All
the writing you do in
the workshops
d.
Your
synthesis paper with
your seminar leader’s comments
e.
Any
additional writing that
you do over the quarter related to the program themes.
3. Winter
quarter proposal
A significant part of the
winter quarter will be devoted to an organizing project with a
community
organization or group involved in a social movement.
In preparation for this work, during the fall
all students will research and develop an organizing proposal. It is not assumed that you are familiar
with
local groups and organizations. The
process of research and writing the proposal will be in two steps: an initial indication of your group and your
work due Tuesday 19 November and a more detailed proposal due Wednesday
8
December. Detailed guidelines for
developing your proposal will be handed out in class.
During the fall, we will collaborate as a program-of-the-whole on two major activities:
1. Northwest Social Forum (NWSF):
As a program, we will attend the NWSF in Seattle on Friday and Saturday October 14 and 15th (We recommend, but do not require, that you attend on
Sunday.). The Northwest Social Forum is modeled on the annual
World Social Forum (WSF) which has met for the past three years (twice
in Brazil, once in India) as a grassroots response to the World Economic
Forum. One of many regional Social Forums held throughout the world, the purpose of the NWSF is to make contacts and build mutual support relationships among northwest activists, organizations, and communities and to share visions, strategize, and collaborate in developing visions of a just and sustainable world. In addition to seeing various models of “organizing for democracy,” we see the NWSF as an opportunity for you to begin developing ideas and making contacts for your winter quarter work. The NWSF website is www.nwsocialforum.org and the WSF website is www.worldsocialforum.org. We encourage you to look at the material posted on these two sites. We will provide more detailed information on the NWSF and our activities at the Forum in the coming weeks. There will be a $10 Registration Fee for the Forum, payable at Student Accounts.
2. The
As the November 2 elections approach, we will focus on the relationship between democracy and voting. We will also assess mainstream and alternative press coverage of the election and consider effective strategies for communicating our ideas on the issues to a wider audience. On Wednesday 3 November we will hold a campus-wide discussion and analysis of the election, the process, outcome, and implications.
REQUIREMENTS FOR CREDIT
Thirty-two credits (sixteen at the end of each quarter) will be awarded to all students who successfully fulfill the expectations of the program. As the material and assignments are tightly integrated, only under exceptional cases and with the agreement of the faculty team will partial credit be awarded.
In order to receive fall quarter
credit, you will be expected to:
1.
Regularly
attend all program
meetings
2.
Participate
in seminar,
group discussions, and group work
3.
Write
one synthetic
analytical essay drawing on the program materials, including revisions
as
needed
4.
Participate
in the Northwest
Social Forum
5.
Maintain
a Program Portfolio
6.
Complete
your winter quarter
proposal
7.
Prepare
self and faculty
evaluations and participate in a conference with your seminar leader
FALL SYLLABUS
Week’s readings:
Charles Payne, I’ve Got
the Light
of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition
and the
Casey Hayden &
Mary King, “A Kind of Memo”
(handout)
Tuesday am:
Introduction to Program
Lecture:
Peter, “ Liberal, Conservative, and
Left
Radical
Worldviews”
Tuesday pm: 25-Year
Exercise
Wednesday: Debrief
25-Year Exercise
Lecture: Peter, Tuesday’s lecture
continued
Films: “Eyes on the Prize: Ain’t
Scared of Your Jails” (1960-61)
and “Bridge to Freedom” (1965)
Benjamin,
Norman Solomon,
and Dan Ellsberg. Entertainment
(highly
recommended)
Friday am:
Film:
“You Gotta Move”
Group
discussion of films
Friday pm:
Payne, Introduction – ch 9, and
Hayden & King
Week’s readings:
Payne, ch 10 to end
Bill Moyer, Doing Democracy: The
MAP Model for Organizing Social
Movements, Intro,
Parts I & II,
Conclusion
Tuesday am:
Lecture:
Jeanne, “Context for the Social Movements of the
1960s”
Tuesday pm: Payne, ch 10 -
end
Wednesday: Films,
“Eyes on the Prize: “The Time Has Come”
(l964-66),
“Two
Societies” (1965-68), and “Power” (1967-68)
Conferences with seminar leaders; Benchmark Writing
due at
conference
Friday am:
Benchmark Writing workshop
Friday pm:
Moyer
Week’s readings:
Wayne Ellwood, The
No-Nonsense Guide to Globalization
Articles
on the World Social Forum (on closed reserve) for Wed.
Emmanuel Wallerstein,
“The Rising Strength of the World
Social
Forum”
Michael
Hardt, “Today’s
Tom
Mertes,
“Grass-Roots Globalism”
Monday PM Lecture: Gus Newport,
long-time activist and former
mayor of
Tuesday am:
Lecture:
Marti, “Neoliberal Globalization”
Tuesday pm: Ellwood,
all
Wednesday: Mini
lecture and Group discussion of
World Social Forum
articles
Workshop: Interviewing (Marti)
Finalize
the NWSF plans
*** REVISED BENCHMARK WRITING
DUE. 10 AM ***
Friday am:
Friday pm:
Saturday
Sunday:
Week’s readings:
Michael Yates, Naming the System; Inequality and
Work in
the Global
Economy.
Tuesday am:
Lecture:
Peter, “Competing Economic Paradigms and
Implications for
Social Change”
Tuesday pm: Yates,
Introduction through 4
Wednesday: Students
debrief the NWSF
Introduction to Winter
quarter project (Marti)
Friday am:
Workshop: Peter, Social
Statistics/Social Indicators
Friday pm:
Yates, ch 5
to end
*** PROGRAM PORTFOLIO
DUE IN SEMINAR ***
Week’s readings:
Thomas Frank, What’s the Matter with
Fred
Rose, “Coalition Democracy and Class
Politics: An Overview,”
from Rose, Coalitions Across the Class
Divide (on closed reserve)
Tuesday am:
Lecture:
Jeanne, “Shrinking Democracy: The
System”
Tuesday pm: Frank,
Introduction through ch 5
Wednesday: Film:
“Eugene Debs and the American Movement”
Workshop on the Synthetic
Essay
Friday am:
Workshop on the media and publicity
(Peter)
Reflections on Organizing
from the
Democratic National
Convention
to the Republican National Convention
Friday pm:
Frank, ch. 6
to end; Rose
Week’s readings:
Richard Swift, The
No-Nonsense Guide to Democracy
Lani Guinier
& Gerald Torres, “The Problem Democracy is Supposed
to Solve” (on closed reserve)
Three short articles on
voting (on closed reserve)
“Losing the Vote: The Impact of
Felony Disenfranchisement Law,”
get at: www.hrw.org/reports98/vote/usvot98o.htm
Tuesday am:
Lecture:
Jeanne, “Can we have both Liberalism and
Democracy?”
ELECTION DAY
Tuesday pm: Swift,
all.
Wednesday: Discussion of
elections and final forum
preparation
12-3 Campus-wide panel
discussion/analysis of the election, LH 1
Wednesday pm through
Friday: All-faculty retreat, off campus
Friday am:
Lecture:
Marti, “The Electoral System and Organizing for
Change”
Guest speaker on Instant Runoff
Voting (IRV)
Friday pm: Debrief
Election Panel and seminar on
articles
*** SYNTHETIC
ESSAY DUE IN YOUR SEMINAR
LEADER’S MAILBOX BY
Week’s readings:
Cynthia Kaufman, Ideas for Action:
Relevant Theory for Radical Change
Eric Mann, “’A Race
Struggle, a Class Struggle, a Woman’s Struggle all
at once’; Organizing on the Buses of
LA” (on closed reserve)
Tuesday am:
Lecture:
Peter, “Racism and Racial Inequality since the Civil
Rights Movement; Anti-racist
Organizing”
Tuesday pm: Kaufman,
Introduction through ch 5
Wednesday: Guest
Panel: Organizing in
Film: “The LA Bus
Riders’
Mann -- read for discussion with film
Friday am:
Guest speakers: Mary Lou Finley,
“Organizing Lessons from the
Women’s
Movement (tentative)
Dan Leahy, “Doing
Political Work: Lessons
from a
long-time
Organizer”
Friday pm:
Kaufman, ch 6
to end
Week’s readings:
Dan Clawson, The Next Upsurge: Labor and the New
Social Movements
Tuesday am: Lecture:
Peter & Marti, “The
Current Issues”
Tuesday pm:
**** INITIAL WINTER QUARTER PROPOSALS DUE
IN SEMINAR ***
Wednesday: Film:
“Bread and Roses”
Workshop: Leaflet writing
Friday am:
Guest speaker: John Ross, “How to
Change the World without
Taking Power”
Labor Panel
Friday pm:
THANKSGIVING
BREAK: 22 –26 NOVEMBER
Week’s readings:
Urvashi
Vaid, Virtual
Equality
Tuesday am:
Guest Panel: Gay and Lesbian
Movement: History and
Current Issues
Tuesday pm: Vaid, Preface
through ch. 6
*** REVISED
SYNTHETIC ESSAY DUE IN
SEMINAR ***
Wednesday: Guest
lecture and workshop: Anne Vandeman on setting
up
a
not-for-profit organization, fundraising, and grantwriting
Friday am:
Film:
“Brother Outsider: The Life and
Times of Bayard Rustin”
Friday pm:
Vaid, ch.
7 to end
Week’s readings:
Moyer, Part III and
Conclusion
Rose, “When Classes
Meet: Class-Cultural Lenses” and
“Learning in
Coalitions”
(on closed reserve)
Tuesday am:
Faculty Panel
Tuesday pm: Moyer
and Rose
*** PROGRAM
PORTFOLIOS DUE IN SEMINAR ***
Wednesday: Sharing
of project proposals
*** WINTER PROJECT PROPOSALS
DUE ***
Friday am:
Workshop:
Running a meeting, decision making, and leadership
Friday pm: All-Program
Potluck and Fall
quarter Wrap-up
Cedar
Room, Longhouse
EVALUATIONS
Tuesday
4 January,