Anthropology 321: Anthropology of Social Movements

Eric Montgomery, PhD ([email protected])

Fall 2020 (ONLINE: asynchronous)
Office Hours: Tue and Thu via Zoom and by APPT (12-1:00 EST)
Graduate TA: Juan Carlos Rico Noguera: [email protected]

Eric Montgomery, PhD (Bio):

Eric J. Montgomery is a Cultural Anthropologist and Assistant Professor at Michigan State University
where he serves as the Peace and Justice Adviser; he is also a faculty member in the Center for Peace and
Conflict Studies at Wayne State University in Detroit. He is also faculty in the Department of
Anthropology at Central Michigan University. Much of his research circulates around Vodun/Vodou
(“Voodoo”) which is the most misunderstood religion on earth. He is the co-author of the book
“Ethnography of a Vodu Shrine in Southern Togo” (BRILL, 2017), and editor and contributor to
“Shackled Sentiments: Memory and Slavery in the African Diaspora” (Rowman and Littlefield, 2019). He
is also the lead editor and contributor to a forthcoming book on Global Voodoo and Empowerment with
Indiana University Press (2021). Professor Montgomery is the director and producer of two films Chasing
the Spirit and African Herbsmen stemming from ethnographic research in Western Africa. Dr.
Montgomery’s recent publications encompass social justice writ large: human trafficking, global health
disparities, critical race theory, interfaith dialogue, social justice and digital story-telling. Some recent
publications can be found in The Shaman, African Studies Review, Sapiens, The Applied Anthropologist,
Journal of Religion and Society, Journal of Africana Religions, Visual Anthropology, American
Ethnologist, Journal of Ecumenical Studies, ETropic, Museum Anthropology, Belt Magazine, and Journal
of Ritual Studies.

Course Description:
Social movements and social activism are critical to political engagement and social transformation. We
are living in both strange and hopeful times, by my numbers, ongoing BLM protests across the US mark
the largest demonstrations and social protests in the history of our republic. They are not slowing down
anytime soon. Traditional social science approaches to social movements and social change have tended
to frame forms of collective resistance and protest primarily as either irrational, spontaneous reactions to
oppression, or as rational expressions of reasoned dissent. In this course, we will challenge such views,
employing an anthropological perspective which takes cultural practice as analytically central in order to
see social movements instead as practical struggles over cultural meaning. We will first critically review
the dominant theoretical frameworks which have shaped interpretations of social activism and social
movements. We will then explore more recent theories of power, politics, and social change, in order
to locate social movements within complex cultural structures of power, domination, and transformation.

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 For each segment of the class, we will first examine a specific theoretical framework from which
questions of social actions, movements, and change have been addressed. We will then go on to explore,
through concrete ethnographic examples, and through analysis of the “the structure of collective
mobilization”, the ways in which these perspectives enable - and foreclose - particular understandings of
the nature of social movements, and of their implications. The four books for this class were chosen for
their prescient and fresh takes on THE central social movements of our times.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will learn to analyze the theoretical assumptions leading to certain interpretations of social
movements and their causes and consequences, and to better grasp the social, cultural, and political
complexities foundational to collective forms of social action. This course will take an anthropological
approach (people focused) and focus tightly on the structure of collective mobilization. We will look at
social movements across space and time, especially those focused on race and civil rights, environmental
justice, women and gender justice, economic justice, as well as immigrant and indigenous rights. Your
readings will look at making of Black Lives Matter (Lebron book), Queer and Feminist approaches to
current movements, the structure and methods for collective mobilization (Almeida book), and past and
current themes in the Detroit and the US (Boggs book).
Recognizes that a university education includes both breadth (liberal arts) and depth (disciplinary) of
study. Identifies and connects liberal arts education and disciplinary knowledge(s) that builds upon the
understanding of each. Effectively selects, integrates, and applies knowledge from discipline(s) with
liberal arts learning and vice versa. Integrates knowledge to formulate innovative strategies for
identifying, reframing, or solving problems.Students will integrate a variety of disciplinary and analytic
approaches to reframe discussions of case studies and point to innovative approaches to complex real
world situations.
New College of Social Science Curriculum
Student Learning Outcome Rubric for Integrative Specializations:
Integrative Reasoning

The new College of Social Science curriculum requires that each student will complete a 15-credit
integrative specialization for the baccalaureate degree. Each specialization, though topically
focused, shares a common design to develop a student’s ability to apply integrative reasoning to
analyze and resolve complex problems or issues using approaches from across the social sciences
and related fields.

The purpose of the rubric below is to demonstrate how students’ ability to develop and apply
integrative reasoning will be evaluated as part of each specialization’s student learning
assessment plan. Each specialization will also measure student learning outcomes specific to the
topical area, course content, and overall objectives of the program. Measurement of those
outcomes is addressed in the new program request form and need not be repeated here.

INTEGRATED REASONING – The MSU graduate integrates discipline-based knowledge to make

informed decisions that reflect humane, social, ethical, and aesthetic values.

Dimension Emerging Developing Proficient Exemplary

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 Critically applies Recognizes that a Identifies and Effectively selects, Integrates
liberal arts university education connects liberal arts integrates, and knowledge to
knowledge in includes both education and applies knowledge formulate innovative
disciplinary contexts breadth (liberal arts) disciplinary from disciplines strategies for
and disciplinary and depth knowledge in the with liberal arts identifying,
knowledge in liberal (anthropology/sociol social sciences that learning and vice reframing, or
arts contexts. ogy/political builds upon the versa. solving problems.
science)) understanding of
each.
Metrics: Identify the Students will begin Students will see Students will move Students will
method for to see the patterns in themes in from description to evaluate, analyze,
measuring student interrelationships social movements in explanation with and synthesize
learning: Double between race, class, comparative concrete analysis. a variety of
Book Report Week and societal contexts. Students will disciplinary and
14), outcomes synthesize multiple analytic approaches
Lecture/Reading Students will try to approaches in their to reframe
Quizzes (Weeks 3, 5 Students will apply more than one analysis of a discussions of social
and 10), Midterm identify that there approach (social particular case or movements and case
(Week 8) and Final are different action, political topic. studies and point to
Exam (Weeks 15) approaches to the process, waves of innovative
topics (Sociology, protests, types of approaches to
Anthropology, movements, to complex real world
History, Critical analyzing: Black situations.
Race Theory, Social Lives Matter,
Movement Theory #MeToo, Fight for
$15, and more

Books: (4 required)

Almeida, Paul. 2019. Social Movements: The Structure of Collective Mobilization. Oakland: University of
California Press.

Boggs, Grace Lee and Scott Kurashige. 2012. The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for
the 20th Century. Berkley: University of California Press.

Carruthers, Charlene A. 2018. Unapologetic A Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical
Movements. Boston: Beacon Press.

Lebron, Christopher. 2018. The Making of Black Lives Matter: A Brief History of an Idea. Oxford
University Press.

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Assessment:
This is an asynchronous and reading-based course, not a lecture course, however, material from lectures
will be on quizzes and exams. It will, therefore, require a great deal of responsibility on the part of all of
you. For each class, I will first introduce and contextualize the week’s topic with my own notes and Zoom
lecture. It will be up to you to complete the readings and prepare for the quizzes and exams. With over
100 students in the class, there will not be too many writing assignments. After summarizing the readings
during lectures I will also map out the central theoretical and analytical moves presented by the weeks
readings, their specific arguments, and the relationships between them. You should be sure to complete
ALL readings before viewing the weekly lecture. I will also be available for direct Zoom meetings on
Tue/Thu from noon to 1:00 pm EST. Thus, all of you will be expected to analyze, express your
opinions about, and debate the assigned materials in depth.
Grading:
Quizzes (3) = 30%
Midterm = 25%
Double Book Review = 20%
Final Exam= 25%
Participation, Attendance= P/F (100%)
Requirements:
1) Critical Quizzes over reading/lectures/films (30%): During the course of the term, each of you will do
3 quizzes. They will be a combination of T/F and multiple choice. Each quiz will take about 30 minutes.
2) Midterm and Final (25% x 2 = 50%): will be a 30 question multiple choice and/ T/F on the first half
and second half of the class. (10/21 and 12/14).
3) Double Book Review (20%) DUE 12/2 to me and Juan Carlos via email
Due: 12/2. This Double Book Review will compare and contrast Lebron’s “BLM” with Carruthers
“Unapologetic” and offer a critical review of both texts (3-4 pages/ 11 pt./ Single-spaced).
Each student will complete a double book review while crafting their own thesis engaging key theme(s)
from both book. In this comparative book review one should link the historical contexts from Boggs with
the Lebron and Carruthers books. What are the common things between movements and across time?
What has changed? How are protesters creating change? What are the details of recent racial, gender, and
other social movements?

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Each student should cite the books at length, you should pull out 6-8 key examples from the books and
back it with some academic research and review of the literature on these movements. Please conduct a
critical analysis of the ways the diverse theories and assumptions about the basis and nature of social
movements we will explore in this course underpin and are manifest in their interpretations – and the
potential implications this has for our understandings of the causes and consequences of such movements.
Here is the Rubric for how I’ll grade your Comparative Book Review:
Summary of Authors and Bio’s
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Summary of Book
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Analysis of Book
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
History of Social Movement
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Use of class lectures and external research
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Collective Mobilization from Almeida Text (Link to LeBron and Carruthers)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Achievements of Movement (Future): What’s next?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Links to Peace and Justice Issues( from Boggs)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Quality of Thesis and Citations
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Depth and Overall Quality of Composition
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Total_________/100
Total_________/ 20
Your book review should speak to the key themes from the “Social Movements” book by Almeida:
Chapter 1 (structure), Chapter 2 (classification and methods), Chapter 3 (theories of mobilization),
Chapter 4 (interests, resources, and identities), Chapter 5 (framing), Chapter 6 (recruitment and
participation), Chapter 7-8 (outcomes with comparisons to the global south).

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Finally, please link both BLM and Unapologetic to at least 2 of these other historical movements to the
past, some of these include:
The U.S. Abolitionist Movement; 19th century Anti-lynching campaigns; 18th and 19th centuries
Political movements during Reconstruction in the South 1865-1877; Movements for Educational
Opportunities for People of Color Movements to Racially Desegregate the Military, Police, and
Firefighting Forces; The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s, ‘60’s and ‘70’s (you may want to choose
a particular aspect of the movement – desegregation of transportation and public accommodations, school
desegregation, voting rights and political representation, etc.); The Black Power Movement; The
American Indian Movement; The Chicano/Mexican-American Movement; The Young Lords (Puerto
Rican social movement – 1960’s & 1970’s); Students for a Democratic Society; The Movements for
Ethnic Studies in Colleges and Universities; Chicano/a Student Walkouts ; United Farmworkers’
Movement Labor Organizing of the 19th and 20th centuries (note issues of race/ethnicity and gender
involved in these); Welfare Rights Movements (note gender issues in these) Worker and Union
Organizing in the U.S.
First Wave Feminist Movements (suffrage, labor, independence and education for women, etc.); Second
Wave Feminist Movements (equal rights under the law, cultural change, violence against women, work
and pay issues, reproductive rights, women’s political participation, etc.); Third Wave Feminism
(contemporary feminist activism, intersections of race, class, and sexuality, #meToo, women of color
feminism, etc.); Movements to End Violence Against Women (both focused on women and efforts
focused on men); Pro-Feminist Men’s Movements; Women of All Red Nations; Gay Liberation
Movement of the 1960’s and ‘70’s; Present-day Movements for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender
Rights (gay marriage activism, antiviolence/anti-homophobic work, gender neutrality, intersex
movements, queer people of color movements, etc.); Black Lives Matter; Climate Change and Greening;
Dakota Pipeline Protests (Indigenous Rights and Environmental Justice); Occupy Movement; Fight for
$15/hour.
Research Tips
For this project, you should use all four primary texts and outside sources (books, articles, or videos) to
frame your analysis of the overarching institutional dynamics of the form(s) of oppression that the
movement addresses/addressed. Your final paper is due on Wednesday, December 2nd. You will not
have the opportunity to revise or rewrite this paper, so do your best work.
Capstone: If you are completing your PJS capstone then the book report must be 2-3 more pages (5-7)
and address and speak to at least 2 of the core analytics from the peace and justice minor detailed below.
The Peace and Justice Studies Minor, which explores issues of human rights, social justice, peace,
violence, and conflict, exploring their connections and distinctions through an interdisciplinary
curriculum that stimulates students to develop the critical thinking skills necessary to face global
challenges.
The minor allows students to explore a range of thematic issues by developing a series of critical
analytics that enable them to discern how power and injustice operate:

● Beyond the Global-Local Divide (Weeks 7 and 8)

● Logic, Language, and Discourse (Weeks 1-12)
● The Presence of the Past (Weeks 1-6)
● The Politics of Representation (Weeks 2, 7, 9, 14, 15)

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 ● Power and Structural Inequality(Weeks 1-15)

Students can use these critical thinking skills to analyze particular case studies or thematic issues:

● Genocide, Human Rights, and Rule of Law

● Environmental Justice (Week 1, 2, 9, 10)
● Economic Justice (Weeks 1-12)
● Political Violence and Sovereignty (Week 9)
● Networks, Social Movements, Activism, and Non Violence (Weeks 1-13)

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS Book Report: GRADING CRITERIA (20 points)

INTRODUCTORY ANALYSES POINTS Demonstrates a systemic and historical (macro, meso, global)
analysis of the oppression(s) pertinent to the social movement. Demonstrates an understanding of how
issues of social identity and social power (micro, meso) influenced the form of oppression being
confronted by the movement (4 points). USE the BOOKS!
THE BODY OF THE PAPER Information about the movement, its history, origins, activities and key
players – an analysis of how and why the movement emerged (5 points)
Information about what the social movement achieved specifically (examples: new laws and policies,
cultural and attitudinal change, etc.) and your analysis of what may still need to change regarding
oppression/discrimination, with references to course books (6 points)
MECHANICS Paper is well-written and organized, spell-checked with proper grammatical usage and
stapled (2 points)
10-15 approved sources used (2 points)
Proper in-text citations and properly formatted reference page (1point) = 20 points total

Week and Date Topic Reading Assignment

1) W 9/2 Introduction to Read Chapter 1 At home brainstorming
Syllabus Almeida, The Structure assignment: Poetics of
What are social of Social Movements Self-Reflection: What
movements? social movement
matters most to you?
(Intersectionality
handout)
2) M 9/9 The Next American Read Boggs Intro and Discuss Double Book
Revolution: Detroit Chapter 1, BLM Report
Activism Lebron Intro and Ch. 1 S-Movement in Focus:
Black Lives Matter

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3) 9/16 Social Movements: Read Text Almeida Quiz 1 DUE 9/16
Theories and Methods Chapters 2 and 3 pp. WED (10%)
19-62 Over lectures and first
two weeks of reading
4) 9/23 Social Movement Read SM Almeida S-Movement in Focus:
Emergence and Chapters 4 and 5 The Women’s
Framing pp. 63-100/ RD. Intro Movement and
and Ch. 1 Carruthers #MeToo
Women and Power “Unapologetic”
5) 9/30 Discuss Book Report Boggs, Chapters 3 and Quiz 2 Due 9/30 WED
and SM Presentation 4: MLK and Malcolm (10%)
Malcolm and Martin Lebron, Chapter 2 Over Weeks 3-5
readings and lectures
6) 10/7 Economic Justice: Lebron, Ch. 4 Discuss book report
Occupy Wallstreet Carruthers Ch. 2 and the Fight for $15
Boggs, Ch. 5
7) 10/14 Individual Recruitment SM Almeida Chapter 6, S-Movement in Focus:
and Participation pp. 100-120 Environmental Justice.
Film “Awake’
8) 10/21 Overcoming SM, Almeida Chapter Midterm Exam, DUE
Mystification and 7, pp. 121-146 WED 10/21 (25%)
Movement Outcomes Montgomery, Human 50 questions
Trafficking Article
Film: Indrani TBD
9) 10/28 Pushing the Limits SM, Chapter 8 and Begin Pulling quotes
Wed 10-23: 4:00-6:00 conclusion pp. 147- for book report and
Zoom Debate on 180, researching social
Interfaith Dialogue and Boggs Chapter 6 movements
Historical Monuments
10) 11/4 Skype Lecture with Dr. Proactive and Violence DUE 10/28 Quiz 3
Izzeldin Abuelaish, against Women Act (10%)
author of “I Shall not SM Almeida Chapter 6,
Hate” pp. 100-120 Film: Stuck in Traffic
Add Dr. A clip here! Carruthers, Ch. 3 and 4 (Human Trafficking in
MI)

11) 11/11 Nukes and Your Future Lecture on Nuclear S-Movement in Focus:
Proliferation around the Anti War and
I am not a Princess, I world: Pros/Cons Antinuclear
am a complete Fairytale Proliferation
SKYPE with Dr. Guest Lecture:
Nivedita Lakhera. Physicist Alvin
Narrative therapy and Saperstein
overcoming trauma
12) 11/18 Race, Gender, and Lebron Ch. 4 and 5 Have Book Report
Sexuality in Modern Carruthers Ch. 5 Outline done (no
America points)
13) 11/25 Your Show: Group Reading, Occupy Wall
Presentation and Book Street, Occupy the
Reports World (Montgomery)

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 14) 12/2 Yours Show: Group Global South Double Book Report
Presentations and Book Movements, TBD, and Capstones Due
Repot Montgomery “Lets 12/2 via email (20%)
Save Togo”
15) 12/9 Montgomery PJS Capstones due 2-3 Final EXAM Due
Sermon/Words of more pages on Book (25%)by 12/14 on
Inspiration: Parting Review D2L
Shots 50 questions from
Midterm onwards

ANTHRO MAJORS! Department of Anthropology Undergraduate Learning Goals:

By the time they graduate, all MSU Department of Anthropology undergraduate majors should be able to:

● Demonstrate how communities differently construct systems of knowledge about the natural and
social world
● Demonstrate in-depth understanding of a culture other than their own
● Explain cultural and biological diversity across time and space
● Recognize and explain connections between local events/contexts and global dynamics
● Connect actions of individuals to societal norms and social structure

They should able be able to:

● Locate, extract, and evaluate data from multiple sources

● Apply appropriate methods to collect data in at least one subfield (field or lab work)
● Apply appropriate methods to analyze data in at least one subfield
● Apply appropriate methods for presenting what they have learned to an audience
● Construct an argument using evidence/critical analysis
● Identify and Demonstrate ethical research standards

In order to ensure these learning goals are being met, all Department of Anthropology undergraduate
majors will build and submit a portfolio of their work as part of ANP 489: Anthropology Capstone (which
is usually taken in the fall semester of a student's senior year). , Department of Anthropology
undergrad majors should save copies of all the work they produced during their undergrad
career. Please note, this only applies to Anthropology majors.