SOC 477: ARTIVISM ART ACT SM

California State University, Northridge

Artivism is often defined as the merging of art and activism in the pursuit of social justice. Social movement actors have often used art and culture in social movement work, yet there has been an ever increasing interest in the role of artistic and cultural work from within activist spaces and from scholars of social movements. This course examines the role visual arts, music, performance, and literature have played in social movements in the U.S. from the early twentieth century to the present. Throughout the semester, we will be looking at some of the major processes at work in the formation and growth of social movements, paying particular attention to the manner in which various artistic modalities have been harnessed by activists. We will also examine how social movements are represented in mass media and the ways that artivist messages and symbols of protest enter the broader culture. Available for graduate credit.