Step One:
The year 2020 was especially interesting from a Sociological perspective. Thanks to photography, mass media and the Internet, with one click we can access images and information about real time events (as well as those documented in databases like gettyimages.com). (Links to an external site.) This assignment involves looking through a custom-made slideshow created from Getty Images’ website. The search parameters involved editorial images about “social protest in U.S” from January 1, 2020 through January 1, 2021. There were over 1,500 editorial images of various types of social protest/activism/civil disobedience on a wide range of social issues throughout the country. The slideshow is a representative collection of photos with their annotations to illustrate the year without prioritizing any particular issue. The images/descriiptions are in chronological order to depict aspects of social movements and social change that we focus on in this module.
Look through the “2020 Social Protest Slideshow Page” below in its entirety. Pay particular attention to the dates, locations and descriiptions of each event. Focus on the people, their behaviors/interactions, and any signs/images/components involved.
2020 Social Protest Slideshow Page
Step Two:
Write your responses to the following questions after you have looked through the entire social protest slideshow:
1. What is your overall impression of the slideshow? What are the first three words that come to mind in describing it? If you could write one sentence about the slideshow in its entirety, what would you write?
2. In terms of framing, what image stood out to you most (and why)?
3. In terms of civil disobedience, what image stood out to you most (and why)?
4. In terms of protest/counterprotest, what image stood out to you most (and why)?
5. What similarities do you see with the images as you move through January 2020 to January 2021?
6. What image do you think is the most disturbing to you (and why)? What image do you think is the most inspirational to you (and why)?
7. What do you think is a more effective social movement tactic: disruptive civil disobedience or peaceful protest (and why)?
8. Did you participate in any social protest/activism/civil disobedience during the year 2020? If you did, describe one experience you had and what motivated you to participate. If you did not participate in any kind of protest/activism/civil disobedience this year, why not?
9. Name at least three of the key issues depicted throughout the slideshow. Which of these is the biggest social issue facing our society still today? What is your prediction for how people will (or will not) engage in social protest/activism about this key issue over the next few years?
10. Finally, why is it important for Sociologists to study social protest/activism/civil disobedience? What might we learn from their efforts about what happens between people?
Source:
https://www.gettyimages.com/editorial-images
