Outline

Overview

This unit examines social movements in the Global South, moving beyond mere geography to engage terrains of theoretical and socio-political action. The South spans sites of resistance and knowledge production on decoloniality, racial, environmental, and gender justice, anti-violence activism, territorial autonomy and sovereignty. Drawing on interdisciplinary research, the unit engages concepts from movements in Latin America, Southwest Asia, and Africa. Through critical examination of activist rhetorics and practices, the agency of social actors in often difficult political and geopolitical settings, across nations, borders, and regions, is foregrounded.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Languages and Cultures
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 2000 level in International Studies
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	INGS3602
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Vek Lewis, vek.lewis@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Lucia Sorbera, lucia.sorbera@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Research essay n/a	30%	Formal exam period Due date: 13 Jun 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 13 Jun 2025	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	in-class in-class	10%	Please select a valid week from the list below	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Project on social movement organisation Video or sound podcast on two groups	30%	Week 06 Due date: 04 Apr 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 04 Apr 2025	1500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Class presentation of research in-class	10%	Week 08 Due date: 18 Apr 2025 at 00:00 Closing date: 18 Apr 2025	500 words, submitted script
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay portfolio n/a	20%	Week 10 Due date: 09 May 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 09 May 2025	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ? = AI allowed ?

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found in the Canvas site for this unit.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Except for supervised exams or in-semester tests, you may use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessments unless expressly prohibited by your unit coordinator.

For exams and in-semester tests, the use of AI and automated writing tools is not allowed unless expressly permitted in the assessment instructions.

The icons in the assessment table above indicate whether AI is allowed – whether full AI, or only some AI (the latter is referred to as “AI restricted”). If no icon is shown, AI use is not permitted at all for the task. Refer to Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks for this unit.

Your final submission must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of automated writing tools or generative AI, and any material generated that you include in your final submission must be properly referenced. You may be required to submit generative AI inputs and outputs that you used during your assessment process, or drafts of your original work. Inappropriate use of generative AI is considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

The Current Students website provides information on artificial intelligence in assessments. For help on how to correctly acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the  AI in Education Canvas site.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to the Study and Concept of social movements	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	Unpacking Social Movement Concepts and Theories	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 02	The World "al revés": Thinking from the South in this Unit	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	“Southern” Knowledges and Action	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	Studying Social Movements in the Middle East and North Africa	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	Concepts, Crosscurrents	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Guest Lecture: The Power of Music in a Digital Age (week 4)	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Post-guest Lecture Workshop	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Feminism, Gender, and LGBTQ Activism in the SWANA Region	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	Universalism and Local Specificities in Feminist, Gender and LGBTQ Activism in the SWANA Region	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	Social Movements in Palestine: from the First Intifada to the March of Return	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	Thinking Palestine and Organising	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	The 2010/2011 Arab Uprisings and the Revolutionary Decade	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 07	Presentations	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	Carcerality and Abolitionism in the Middle East and North Africa	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 08	Presentations	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Where in the World? What in the World? Latin American Movements in Overview	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 09	The Contours of Latin American Struggles Past and Present	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	Beyond Mere “Political Opportunities": Political Change from Below in Chile	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	From Civic to Uncivic Strategies: Forging Autonomist and Radically Democratic Spaces.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	Territory, Political Ontologies of Nature and “Sentipensar" as Method in Indigenous and Afro-Descendant Struggles	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 11	Movement Ontologies and New Forms of the Political	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	New Counter/hegemonies: Morena’s Populist “Post-neoliberal" Development versus the Comunalidad and Territorial Defence of the Asambleas and Frentes Populares in Mexico	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 12	Discourses and Repertoires of Contention in Socio-environment Conflicts in Mexico	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	Body/territory: Transversal Feminisms in Latin America	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 13	Making the Connections: Weaving Between and Among Struggles	Tutorial (1 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

See Canvas

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate a deeper understanding of the local-global interface in social activism and the transnational architecture of power and knowledge, as developed in units such as Transnational Spaces and Networks, with specific reference to civil society actors in the Global South
LO2. assess the usefulness and limitations of the frameworks, Global South/Global North, in reference to the regions under study in the unit and in the context of interdisciplinary knowledge on contemporary culture, society, politics and economy
LO3. evaluate trends in the emergence of social movements in the Global South, their chief shared characteristics and differences, how they interact with and diverge from those of the Global North
LO4. identify and apply key analytical frameworks for examining social movements in particular national, regional and geopolitical sites, in both physical and virtual spaces
LO5. critically engage with secondary literature on selected instances of social movement action and coordination on local, national and transnational scales
LO6. apply interdisciplinary knowledge and self-reflection both to individual and collaborative research
LO7. demonstrate sensitivity to the role of language in hegemonic and counterhegemonic discourses used in political arena by contending actors and in media sources
LO8. show understanding of the way that culturally specific histories of nation, state formation, democratization, (neo)colonialism, neoliberalism, and factors like religion, gender, ethnicity, race and sexuality can corroborate and/or militate against pan-social movement and transnational activism.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

We regularly factor in USS feedback to modify our unit

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

INTS3003: Southern Social Movements and Theories

Semester 1, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links