SOC 462 Applied Social Change [CRN 23117]

Overview of Course

This interdisciplinary course explores how social change is enacted on the ground through field classes and a comparative project. The emphasis is on real- world practices and lived experiences in selected countries on the voyage. Using established theory frameworks and through research, students will learn from the people who have and continue to actively reshape their societies.

Through direct engagement with grassroots organizers, community leaders, and policy practitioners, you will examine how different societies respond to pressing challenges such as education inequities, environmental justice, gender equity, economic inequality, health inequities and human rights. Field visits and immersive learning experiences will offer firsthand insights into local strategies for community-building, resistance, and reform.

In South Asia, students will explore the legacy of Gandhian non-violence, and spiritual-political activism. In Africa, they will learn from Ubuntu-based community organizing, youth-led movements, and initiatives for decolonizing education and development. In Europe, students will engage with the work of migration advocates and activists confronting the rise of populism and inequality. Throughout the course, students will reflect on how different cultural and historical contexts shape social action. While key sociological frameworks from each region will be reviewed, the emphasis will be on how these ideas are applied and contested in real-world settings. The course offers a hands-on understanding of how social change takes root—and what it takes to sustain it. Students will leave the course with practical tools, cross-cultural perspectives, and a grounded understanding of how to contribute meaningfully to social transformation at home and abroad.