Diversity and Solidarity in Challenging Times: Social Movements and Inclusion
Half Day Short Course
1:30pm – 5:30pm
How can movements composed of individuals from diverse, and often unequal, social positions sustain the solidarity required for collective action? This pressing question lies at the heart of this half-day short course, organized by the Diversity and Inclusion in Social Movements Research Collaborative. As political and social movements grapple with both internal challenges, such as tensions among different identity groups, and external pressures like economic instability or political backlash, the need to understand pathways to solidarity has never been more urgent.
Bringing together political scientists and sociologists across career stages, the course will feature a panel of presentations reviewing the state of the literature on solidarity, inclusion, and movement dynamics, followed by responses and feedback from leading researchers in both fields. The workshop will serve as both an academic exchange and a springboard for public-facing scholarship, including a forthcoming book and additional presentations that highlight real-world strategies activists have employed to foster inclusive collaboration.
This course aims to deepen our understanding of how solidarity is built and sustained amid difference through interdisciplinary dialogue and the sharing of both theoretical and case-based insights. It offers valuable perspectives for scholars of social movements, political behavior, and equity-focused organizing.
Excellent topic. Is it possible to know the names of the scholars shaping the discussion and the titles of the books they will suggest?