In your paper, I want you to provide a history and analysis of “your” social movement. You must provide an explanation of its issues and ideas. What is the reality that the social movement is confronting? Is it engaged in an effort to change people’s ideas about things (to define right from wrong), and if so, how? [For example, the Alberta-grown Little Warriors movement spends time educating people about the prevalence of child sexual abuse. People have to understand that child sexual abuse is a serious issue and a prevalent problem before they even consider the possibility of joining in solidarity against it.] Beyond a look at the ideas and issues of the social movement, and any education and information dissemination they engage in, I also want you to look at the activities of the group (the sorts of things they do to resist injustice or change reality), and any successes they have had Keep in mind that this is an academic paper, and you do want to do additional research. In your academic analysis, you should cover issues relevant to this course. Also, be sure to take a critical look at the Internet and the World Wide Web as a possible locus for social movement activity. Ask yourself the following questions. Do the Internet and the World Wide Web provide a viable alternative to the mainstream media? In what ways does the WWW, as an alternative information source, challenge the domination of corporate media and provide space for a more democratic definition of right and wrong? Are there particular challenges that social movement organizers face when using the WWW as an alternative? If the WWW does have potential, what are some things that could undermine that potential and weaken the impact? To summarize, the paper should be between 10 and 12 double-spaced, typed pages. Use 11 point, Times New Roman. You need a minimum of ten references, five of which should be journal articles. Your paper should focus on outlining the history of the social movement, identifying the issues the movement is concerned with, its accomplishments, and any challenges (ideological, political, economic) that it has faced. Be sure to include an analysis of how the movement emerged, how it mobilized resources, what obstacles it faced, its use of social networks, and its use of the Internet (if appropriate).
