Social Activism: Local and Global

In this course, we will delve into social activism, here in Aotearoa and abroad. Considering culture, identity, passion, and ideology, we will ask what makes a social movement work.

The course includes three paired sessions, each lasting two hours on a Saturday afternoon:
1.Creating identity in Aotearoa New Zealand

Session 1: race, gender, and national identity during the Springboks Tour of 1981.
Session 2: We-CAN’s playful politics bringing dairying, clean rivers, and NZ identity to the fore in the 2004 ECAN council elections.

2.Cultures of peace: two movements for the decolonisation of India

Session 1: Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha movement and its roots in Hindu culture.
Session 2: The Kashmiri Khudai Khidmatgar’s use of Islamic culture to sustain non-violent activism in India and Pakistan.

3.Emotion, passion, and sexuality within cultural activism

Session 1: Gender cultures and national symbols creating different forms of pro- and anti- abortion activism, in Germany, the USA, and Aotearoa.
Session 2: Cultures of stoicism; cultures of anger; and cultures of pride; making gay health activism more powerful. We will focus on ACT-UP against AIDS.

Dr Anne Scott was a lecturer at the University of Canterbury for many years, her areas of research include sociology and mental health and wellbeing. If you would like to attend just part of this lecture series please talk to the office.