Social Movements: Power to Change or Mere Symbolism?

The United States has a rich history of social movements- what can we learn from studying them? Explore themes including anger, solidarity, nonviolence, & more with College of DuPage faculty members.

Join us for an engaging panel discussion about social movements featuring faculty members from the College of DuPage. They'll draw from historical events and their expertise to answer questions like: Do people take to the street in protest merely to vent their anger and to find solidarity with others? Do social movements have the power to make lasting change? And, does it make a difference if violence or nonviolent tactics are used?

College of DuPage Faculty Presenters: Maureen Heffern Ponicki, PhD, professor of political science; Sam Mitrani, PhD, professor of history; Melissa Mouritsen, PhD, professor of political science

This program is part of the College of DuPage Great Read Series, which is built on the belief that learning is not limited to the walls of the College. This year’s Great Read selection is V. V. Ganeshananthan’s novel “Brotherless Night” set during Sri Lanka’s turbulent civil war. Ganeshananthan’s protagonist is Sashi, an “inconvenient sister” in a family of male siblings, a bright young woman planning to study medicine. Instead, she is blindly thrust into the 1980s, years filled with war, loss and civil unrest.

Attendees may enter our prize drawing for a chance to win a print copy of V. V. Ganeshananthan’s novel “Brotherless Night”!

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