COURSE NUMBER: MBA292N.1
COURSE TITLE: Large-Scale Social Change: Social
Movements
UNITS OF CREDIT: 2
INSTRUCTOR: Nora Silver
E-MAIL ADDRESS: silver@haas.berkeley.edu
PREREQUISITE(S): None
CLASS FORMAT: The class explores significant social change movements
through written cases, articles, portions of books, films, podcasts, featured
guests, and experiences that students bring to the class.
REQUIRED READINGS: Readings will take the form of written
cases, featured guests, portions of books, films, articles, podcasts, and more,
and will be available on bCourses.
BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: The final grade will be based on class attendance and
participation (40%), 2 short individual papers analyzing social movements
(25%), a group project designing a social movement (25%), and an
individual reflection paper (10%).
ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT
AND OBJECTIVES: Haas students have repeatedly
demonstrated their desire for opportunities to engage in healthy discussions
about meaningful social issues. There has been a growing need for a class that
provides the frameworks and tools necessary to usher in positive, large-scale
social change. History is packed with examples of this social change in action,
from Indian independence to #MeToo. Behind many of
these advancements lies a social movement, defined for class purposes as: collective
action by ordinary people working outside existing institutional frameworks
toward a common goal, with the intent to disrupt the status quo. Graduate
students interested in creating large-scale impact often
take courses on leading and managing institutions. Yet much
large-scale social change occurs extra-institutionally, beyond the purview of
individual businesses, governments, and social sector organizations. In
this course, we will move beyond the walls of traditional institutions,
building an understanding of the key levers available to those seeking to
create major social change. Rising business leaders also have much to learn
from social movements. This course will teach us to think big, look beyond
traditional institutional change, and challenge ourselves as we learn to apply
different levers to diverse issues and constituencies. It will help us
appreciate and understand how a range of progressive and conservative movements
around the world and over time have mobilized and, crucially, how we might
contribute to large-scale social change in our future.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: Nora Silver is Adjunct Professor and Founder
and Faculty Director of the Center for Social Sector Leadership at
Haas. She brings over 30 years of leadership experience as a two-time social
sector founder, executive director, board member, and funder of social sector
organizations and social change. She has consulted internationally with
hundreds of social change organizations, authored books and articles on
leadership and community involvement, and lectured at universities and
conferences around the world. Her recent research is on multisector leadership,
networks, and next generation social impact leaders. She was recognized with
the Aspen Faculty Pioneer award in 2016 for this course.