As economic, political, technological, and environmental factors continually impact societal and cultural norms, we are all affected by social and/or cultural change. Whether we are leading or simply adopting change, our personal and professional pursuits are inevitably touched by some form of societal or cultural change. 

Because culture impacts societal norms, and society is comprised of individuals, any cultural or societal change can affect individuals, just as individuals can affect culture and society. Thus, this general course is designed to provide all students with foundational knowledge of how leadership works to elicit social and cultural change from local to global contexts. Furthermore, the course is predicated on the idea that past and present social and cultural leaders can provide valuable lessons for future leaders. Additionally, social and cultural change agents stem from all walks of life, just as this course will provide valuable and applicable insight to a wide range of students (not just for LDR majors). This course is relevant and applicable to anyone because, at some future point, we will all be entrusted with the responsibility to lead social and cultural change. Whether it is as small as setting a positive example for a child, or undertaking a social movement to alter past inequalities, the foundational ideas and tools of effectively leading such change are the same.

This course will, therefore, not only help students understand why social and cultural change happen; however, students will also acquire a basic set of tools to lead social and cultural change in their personal, professional, and community lives.

Furthermore, in providing students with a holistic understanding of why and how to lead social and cultural change, the course also substantively meets the FOK SLOs in a number of ways.

The Cultural Pluralism category of the FOK has the following SLOs:

B.2. Students compare historical perspectives on the development of various cultures.

B.4. Students demonstrate how literature and the arts (cultural artifacts**) reflect and influence cultures.

E.2. Students identify and demonstrate an understanding of the role of actors and impact of factors on global issues.

Our program recognizes the need in our rapidly changing local, regional, national, and global environment to develop students who are able to lead the social and cultural change associated with those environments. As you can see in the course SLOs, we address a variety of competencies designed to enhance students’ understanding and application of leadership theory in the context of social and cultural change. The SLOs of the FOK are met through a number of assignments.

Case Analysis of a Change Agent Assignment (supplemental information/instructions attached)

(B2 + B4 + E2)

The Case Analysis of a Change Agent assignment (2-3 pages) requires students to select a change agent who made a significant change (social, cultural, etc.) and provide a detailed summary and analysis of the change. Most importantly, the analysis requires students to engage with multiple perspectives (historical, geographical, political, etc.) to explain the role that change agents, allies, opponents, and situational context play in effecting social and cultural change. Students must also provide an example of a cultural artifact that represents the essence of the change agent’s leadership (a speech, a video, a photograph, poem, newspaper article, etc.). These directly relate to the B2, B4 and E2 SLOs of the FOK.

B.2. Students compare historical perspectives on the development of various cultures.

• The Case Analysis of a Change Agent Assignment directly relates to the B2 SLO because the assignment requires students to engage with multiple perspectives (historical, geographical, political, etc.) in evaluating a change agent who made a significant social and/or cultural change.
  • For any change to take place, the forces for change (i.e. supporters of change/reasons for change) must outweigh those forces against change (i.e. opponents of change/reasons against change). The Case Analysis of a Change Agent Assignment requires students to look at the variety of factors (i.e. historical, geographical, political, etc.) impacting the perspective of change supporters and change opponents. For example, if a student were to choose Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as their selected Change Agent, the student is required (as can be seen in the assignment instructions) to “highlight or emphasize the perspectives (historical, geographical, political, etc.) and factors informing the context of change.” In applying this to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the student would need to explain, for example, how the residual effects of the institution of slavery in the U.S.A. (historical), the Jim Crow laws of many southern US states (historical/geographical), and systematic exclusion of African-Americans from voting (historical/political), served as the backdrop upon which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led the social and cultural change of the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S.A. 

B.4. Students demonstrate how literature and the arts (cultural artifacts**) reflect and influence cultures.

• The Case Analysis of a Change Agent Assignment directly relates to the B4 SLO because the assignment requires students to provide an example of a cultural artifact that represents the essence of the change agent’s leadership (a speech, a video, a photograph, a poem, a newspaper article).
  • Just as bell-bottom jeans and longer hair may be viewed by some people as cultural artifacts to the 1960s and 1970s, many social and cultural changes are connected to and propagated through cultural and social artifacts. For example, in applying this to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (assuming a student chose MLK as their selected change agent), a student could briefly identify and explain how MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial (1963) was (and still is) a cultural artifact symbolizing the struggle during the Civil Rights Movement in the USA. The student might include the idea that even more than 50 years after the speech was made, the speech’s message of tolerance still influences the fight for equality in many cultures around the world. This directly addresses the B4 SLO of the FOK.

E.2. Students identify and demonstrate an understanding of the role of actors and impact of factors on global issues.

• The Case Analysis of a Change Agent Assignment directly relates to the E2 SLO because the assignment requires students to engage with multiple perspectives (historical, geographical, political, etc.) to explain the role that change agents, allies, opponents (i.e. “the actors” referred to in E2), and situational context (i.e. “the factors” referred to in E2) play in effecting social and cultural change (related to the “global issues” referred to in E2).
  • Again, the Case Analysis of a Change Agent Assignment requires students to look at the variety of factors (i.e. historical, geographical, political, etc.) impacting the perspective of change supporters and change opponents because, for any change to occur, the forces for change (i.e. the supporters of change/reasons for change) must outweigh the forces against change (i.e. opponents of change/reasons against change). Not only do change agents, allies (supporters of change), opponents of change, and situational context affect social and cultural change; however, they directly align with the “actors and the impact of factors on global issues” related to social and cultural change.

• The Case Analysis  (as can be seen in the assignment instructions) requires students to provide, among other things:
  • Detailed background information about the reasons for change.  
  • Document the change process and consequences to the leader.
  • Identify and document the role of allies, champions, stakeholders. (E.2. SLO of FOK)    
  • Identify the processes used to influence people to support the change.  
  • Identify opponents of the change, describe their actions, and describe
    how they were handled. (E.2. SLO of FOK)  
  • Analyze the change process and identify the agent’s use of effective and ineffective practices in implementing the change. (E.2. SLO of FOK)  
  • Reflect on lessons learned and impact on your personal view of leading for social or cultural change.

• In addressing these requirements, students meet the E.2. SLO of FOK by identifying and documenting the role of allies, champions, and stakeholders of change (i.e. “the actors”); by identifying opponents of the change (i.e. other “actors”), describing their actions, and describing how they were handled (i.e. “impact of factors”); and by analyzing the change process and identifying the agent’s use of effective and ineffective practices in implementing the change (i.e. “impact of factors on global issues”).
   
• For example, in addressing these requirements for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (assuming a student chose MLK as their selected change agent), the student would need to explain,  how the supporters of the Civil Rights Movement (allies of change, champions of change, supporters of change), the Klu Klux Klan (opponents of change), and the peaceful “sit-ins” on college campuses, diners, and other locations across the USA (i.e. agent’s use of effective and ineffective practices in implementing change) affected the social and cultural change led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the Civil Rights Era. This directly aligns with the E.2. SLO, which requires students to identify and demonstrate an understanding of the role of actors (i.e. supporters and opponents of the Civil Rights Movement) and impact of factors (i.e. peaceful protests and “sit-ins”) on global issues (i.e. struggle for equality).

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Group Presentation (Be the Change You Want to See) Assignment (supplemental information/instructions attached)

(B2 + B4 + E2)

The Group Presentation (Be the Change You Want to See) assignment is designed to have students recognize how their personal values align with what they perceive as a necessary change, and then work collaboratively with their group to develop a change strategy, which they present to the class. The assignment is broken down into 3 collaborative components (please see attached assignment instructions):

• Component 1 – Group Work – as a group develop a change strategy that you can work on together that utilizes what you have learned in class, in addition to your own leadership skills;

• Component 2: Group Presentation – presenters should help their peers develop a deeper understanding of the proposed change strategy and the context that surrounds the change; and
   
• Component 3 – Peer Feedback – Students ‘in the audience’ will be responsible for providing feedback that considers a variety of factors impacting the change strategy.
   

B.2. Students compare historical perspectives on the development of various cultures.

• Component 1 – Group Work -- directly addresses the B2 SLO of the FOK by requiring students to develop a strategy addressing what they will change, why the change is needed (B2 – provides background on historical context for why the change is needed), and who will be involved in the change.  Understanding why a change is needed requires students to delve into the historical context influencing the need for a change, which directly relates to the B2 SLO of the FOK.
  • For example, a precursor for many types of change (social, cultural, organizational, etc.) is the existence of dissatisfaction with the status quo. When something is not working in the present for any group of individuals, a change is often made to alter the present situation for a potential desired future outcome (i.e. a potential desired future social or cultural change). This is discussed in the course and Component 1 requires students to describe (as noted in the assignment instructions):
    • 1) Why a change is needed to the current situation by researching and describing what historical developments or perspectives have led to the current situation; and 2) How the current situation is not meeting the needs of certain change stakeholders (i.e. those affected by a potential change).
  • The focus on how historical developments or perspectives have contributed to an unpopular status quo is not only necessary to understand how a current situation came to exist; however, these historical developments or perspectives directly relate to the B2 SLO of the FOK.

B.4. Students demonstrate how literature and the arts (cultural artifacts**) reflect and influence cultures.

• Component 1 – Group Work – addresses the B4 SLO by requiring students to identify or create a cultural artifact (a picture, a video, a speech, a newspaper article, etc.) that symbolizes the essence of the proposed change.  
  • Just as bell-bottom jeans and longer hair may be viewed by some people as cultural artifacts to the 1960s and 1970s, many social and cultural changes are connected to and propagated through cultural and social artifacts. For example, with social media’s influence on swaying public opinion, students requesting a change for more strict penalties to companies pumping too much CO2 emissions into the atmosphere might choose to have a picture of a coal plant and a melting glacier as the backdrop for any rallies in support of the change. A picture of a coal plant and a melting glacier is a cultural artifact that not only symbolizes the proposed change, but directly relates to the B4 SLO of the FOK.

E.2. Students identify and demonstrate an understanding of the role of actors and impact of factors on global issues.

• Component 1 – Group Work – directly addresses the E2 SLO of the FOK by requiring students to develop a strategy addressing what they will change, why the change is needed, and who will be involved in the change.  Understanding why a change is needed and who will be involved in making the change a reality (i.e. change agents, supporters of change, opponents of change, etc.) is directly related to the E2 SLO of the FOK.
  • The precursor of many types of change (social, cultural, organizational, etc.) is the existence of dissatisfaction with a status quo. When something is not working in the present for any group of individuals, a change is often made to alter the present situation for a potential desired future outcome (i.e. a potential desired future social or cultural change). E.2. requires students to identify and demonstrate an understanding of the role of actors and impact of factors on global issues. E.2. is directly addressed in Component 1 as Component 1 requires students to describe (as noted in the assignment instructions): 1) why a change is needed to the current situation by researching and describing what historical developments or perspectives have led to the current situation; and 2) how the current situation is not meeting the needs of certain change stakeholders (i.e. those affected by a potential change). An understanding of the different actors, issues, and other factors that led to change stakeholders feeling dissatisfied with the status quo directly relates to the E.2. SLO of the FOK.

• Component 3 – Peer Feedback – aligns well with the E2 SLO of the FOK by requiring students ‘in the audience” to provide feedback to the presenting group on whether the strategy represents or accounts for all stakeholders involved. In particular, Component 3 requires students ‘in the audience’ to answer the following questions:
  • (Required): Does the strategy represent or account for all stakeholders involved?   
  • (Required): Are there any vital elements that the group missed (budget, laws, policies, norms, interest groups, etc.)?

• Understanding whether the views and wishes of those affected by a change (i.e. change stakeholders) are all considered is one of the foundations upon which effective social or cultural change are based. A proposed cultural or social change that does not reflect the wishes of those who are most affected by the proposed change (i.e. change stakeholders) will not garner the support needed to effectively carry out the change in the long-term. Subsequently, accounting for stakeholder views in social or cultural change fulfills the E2 SLO of the FOK – as taking into account stakeholder views recognizes the role of change stakeholders as actors who can impact the social or cultural change.

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Information Literacy Portfolio Assignment (supplemental information/instructions attached)

(B4 + E2)

The Information Literacy Portfolio assignment requires students to develop an integrated summary (2-3 pages) of scholarly articles and cultural artifacts to explore the nuances of leading social and cultural change. Students choose one person from a list of change agents covered in the course (from Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Rosa Parks, Genghis Khan, Angela Merkel, Joyce Banda, to Bono and more) and then summarize five (5) scholarly articles and three (3) cultural artifacts from primary resources (e.g. news articles, videos, speeches, photos, recordings, etc.). The summary must highlight or emphasize how the articles and cultural artifacts demonstrate the leader’s ability to influence social or cultural change.  

B.4. Students demonstrate how literature and the arts (cultural artifacts**) reflect and influence cultures.

• The Information Literacy Portfolio Assignment specifically addresses the B4 SLO by requiring students to develop an integrated summary (2-3 pages) of scholarly articles and cultural artifacts to explore the nuances of leading social and cultural change. Students choose from a list of change agents covered in the course (from Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Rosa Parks, Genghis Khan, Angela Merkel, Joyce Banda, to Bono and more) and then summarize five (5) scholarly articles and three (3) cultural artifacts from primary resources (e.g. news articles, videos, speeches, photos, recordings, etc.). The summary must highlight or emphasize how the articles and cultural artifacts demonstrate the leader’s ability to influence social or cultural change – again, this directly relates to the B4 SLO of the FOK.
   

E.2. Students identify and demonstrate an understanding of the role of actors and impact of factors on global issues.

• Through the integrated summary (2-3 pages) of scholarly articles and cultural artifacts related to a student’s selected change agent, the Information Literacy Portfolio Assignment directly addresses the E2 SLO. The background information on the selected change agent will provide students with a clear understanding of the factors, context, and other actors impacting the change agent’s ability to bring about social or cultural change.

• Additionally, the course requires students to reflect and evaluate cultural artifacts (i.e. MLK’s “I Have a Dream Speech” to a picture of Malala Yousafzai) which have influenced past and present social and cultural changes. This directly aligns with the B4 SLO of the FOK because of the use of cultural artifacts to influence how change stakeholders (i.e. those affected by change) view a potential change (i.e. to support or not to support a change).

It should also be noted that several of the course SLOs specifically match the FOK SLOs (listed in parentheses): 

• Explain the impact that cultural, historical, local, national, or global perspectives have on leading change. (Aligns with B2 SLO of FOK)
• Identify and demonstrate an understanding of the role of actors (leaders, change agents), global perspectives, and the impact of factors on social and cultural change. (Aligns with E2 SLO of FOK)
• Critically evaluate cultural artifacts that reflect and influence social and cultural change. (Aligns with B4 SLO of FOK)

The course also meets the FOK mission in a number of ways.

As the FOK mission seeks to create graduates who think critically, communicate effectively, and frame philosophically, this course contributes to that mission by analyzing power structures that create systems of inequality, and social systems that govern individual and communal life. These are highlighted not only by classroom discussions on the contexts surrounding social and cultural change leaders, but also through, for example, the Case Analysis of a Change Agent assignment (See* attached assignment instructions), which requires students to develop an integrated summary (2-3 pages) of scholarly articles and cultural artifacts to explore the nuances of leading social and cultural change.

Furthermore, the Case Analysis of a Change Agent assignment requires students to clearly communicate and critically assess the contextual factors bringing about the change, the change process itself, the roles of allies and opponents of the change, while also identifying the change agent’s use of effective and ineffective practices in implementing the social or cultural change. This directly relates to the FOK mission of creating graduates who think critically, communicate effectively, and frame philosophically.