Chapter 19 Speaking for Social Change
Chapter Objectives
Define social movements, and list their characteristics.
Explain why advocacy and protest are hybrid genres.
Describe the role of “new media” for social movements.
Define “civil disobedience,” and explain its purpose.
Explain the difference between a rally and a protest.
Explain the relationship between the study of public speaking and violence.
Lecture Outline
I. Public Speaking and Social Movements
A. Learning Objectives
1. Define social movements and list their characteristics.
2. Explain why advocacy and protest are hybrid genres.
3. Describe the role of “new media” for social movements.
B. A social movement refers to a group (or collective) of like-minded individuals who
promote a particular cause, politics, or ideology.
1. Social movement scholar Herbert W. Simons argues that social movements are
often characterized as “outside the mainstream” or “uninstitutionalized.”
2. Speaking for political advocacy and social protest is a hybrid genre, combining
the goals of celebratory speaking with the functions of persuasive speaking.
C. New Media and the Publicness of Social Movements
1. Unlike social movements of the past, the social movements of today have
incorporated the new media dimension of social protest and political advocacy.
2. Social movements rely as much on private contexts as they do on public ones.
a)
A larger public may be made aware of a given social or political cause
because of an influential leader or speaker, but a very large part of advocacy is
the organization and mobilization that takes place in private.
b)
Consciousness raising refers to the attempt to make others more aware
of cultural and political problems and challenges.
3. It is sometimes the case that very different groups of people can come together to
advocate for a common social or political cause despite apparent differences.
a)
A coalition is an alliance or a temporary grouping of people for the
purpose of collective social or political advocacy.
4. When we examine speaking for advocacy or social movements, we see that
social change is as much a product of behind-the-scenes coalition building and
consciousness raising as it is a result of public speeches made on a screen or in the
streets.
D. Civic Engagement: To Obey or Not to Obey
1. Civic engagement refers to the manner in which citizens participate in the
political or social processes and governance of a given community.
a)
Civic engagement can be both law abiding and law challenging, even law
breaking.
2. Social agitation refers to the deliberate violation of widely accepted or
sanctioned norms of a social or political culture.
3. Civility refers to speech or behavior that is seen as polite, courteous, or
appropriate to a given social or public situation.
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a)
Scholar Thomas Benson has argued that some “public behavior . . . is not
necessarily . . . courteous and considerate, and consequently it is difficult to
maintain that civic engagement is or should be ‘polite.’”
II. Civil Obedience and Civil Disobedience
A. Learning Objectives
2. Explain the difference between a rally and a protest.
B. It is helpful to discuss the complexities of civil engagement in reference to obedience, or
the degree to which an advocate or activist of a political or social cause complies with existing
norms or laws.
C. The most visible types of social and political advocacy are rallies and protests.
1. A rally is a meeting of people to support a social or political cause.
2. A protest can also be a rally; however, a protest is typified by its opposition or
objection to something, be it a cause, a person, a policy, or even an idea.
3. Whether a rally or a protest (or both), there are two basic goals of each:
a)
To publicize one’s cause, gathering, and message
b)
To motivate and find common cause among the like-minded and like
feeling
4. The techniques and tips discussed in chapter 13 on celebratory speaking apply
more directly to social and political advocacy than do the techniques of persuasion, since
these events are typically held for and among those who have common interests and
investments.
D. While most forms of advocacy are nonviolent, peaceful, and law abiding, there are also
rallies, protests, and other forms of advocacy that are consciously designed to violate norms and
laws.
1. Civil disobedience is a refusal to comply with the norms, demands, or laws of a
2. There are many forms civil disobedience might take:
a)
Saying or doing things that are not allowed or are illegal, such as using
profanity on regulated broadcasting networks or interrupting a speaker during a
lecture.
b)
Actively refusing to participate or engage in a compulsory practice;
refusing to buy or pay for a product or service; or avoiding fees, fines, or taxes
levied against one’s person or group.
c)
Releasing classified or private information to the public, disclosing
proprietary documents or computer data, exposing government or trade secrets,
etc.
d)
Sitting, standing, lying, or camping in a physical location until removed,
forcibly or otherwise.
3. Whether legal or illegal, obedient or disobedient, activism almost always entails
1. Activist-scholar Bryan McCann argues that working for social or political change
is often time consuming and requires tedious work behind the scenes—and the patience
to wait for something to happen.
2. McCann’s advice for engaging in civil disobedience are as follows:
a)
Since much of what you will do as an activist is uneventful and relies on
b)
Most of the speaking you do as an activist is aimed primarily at like-
minded group members in the hopes of recruiting them, and secondarily at the
mass media in the hopes of coverage.
c)
Staying motivated and keeping in touch with the joy and passion that
originally attracted you to your cause is essential.
d)
While the resources of the Internet are tremendously useful, they should
not overshadow the importance of face-to-face communication and public
speaking.
e)
Practice how you should speak to reporters, journalists, and others who
may distribute your message.
f)
Use the techniques of civil disobedience carefully and sparingly:
breaking rules, norms, and laws to get attention from the mass media or those
who have the power to effect change is a form of speech, but it is effective only if
it achieves the goals of the group.
3. Solidarity is a feeling of agreement or unity in a community about a belief, a
cause, an event, or a proposed action.
a)
A renewed sense of cohesion and solidarity are the ideal consequences of
most social movement groups.
III. Speech, Not Swords: The Humane Alternative of Public Speaking
A. Learning Objective
1. Explain the relationship between public speaking and violence.
B. As an art form that has been developed and studied for thousands of years, oratory has
been seen as a way to negotiate differences among people, substituting violence with arguments.
C. As noted in chapter 1, the art of public speaking emerged with the development of
democracy, which seeks to replace physical violence with deliberation.
1. Violence is the use of physical or psychological force to injure, harm, or alter
something or someone in order to cause or stop change.
D. As observed by the ancient Greeks, speech can be perceived as a powerful threat to those
in power. This is why the study of speaking rarely flourishes outside of a democracy.
E. The study and use of speech can reduce or help to avoid violence, and perhaps the use of
argument can replace weapons.
Key Terms
Social movement: a group (or collective) of like-minded individuals who promote a particular cause,
politics, or ideology.
Consciousness raising: the attempt to make others more aware of cultural and political problems and
challenges.
Coalition: a temporary grouping of people for the purpose of collective social or political advocacy.
Civic engagement: the manner in which citizens participate in the political or social processes and
governance of a given community.
Social agitation: the deliberate violation of widely accepted or sanctioned norms of a social or political
culture.
Civility: speech or behavior that is seen as polite, courteous, or appropriate to a given social or public
situation.
Civil disobedience: a refusal to comply with the norms, demands, or laws of a group or government for
the purpose of social change.
Solidarity: a feeling of agreement or unity in a community about a belief, a cause, an event, or a
proposed action.
Violence: the use of physical or psychological force to injure, harm, or alter something or someone in
order to cause or stop change.
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Chapter Summary
Chapter 19: Speaking for Social Change focuses on the connection between public speaking and social
movements. Social movements today are described as relying just as much on the work done behind the
scenes or in private contexts as on the work seen in public. Civic engagement is defined and discussed. In
particular, two common forms of civic engagement—rallies and protests—are described and
Discussion Questions
1. Some people argue that social movements need charismatic leaders for success. Others say that
successful movements are made of many small groups interacting over time and may not even have
specific leaders. Do you think a charismatic leader is necessary for a social movement’s success? Defend
your answer with ideas from the chapter and provide examples to illustrate.
A: Although students’ opinions will vary about how much a movement needs a leader, they should
support their opinions with concepts from the chapter. Some points could include: 1) history
2. Flag burning is a controversial form of social protest. Some people believe that people who burn the
US flag should be jailed even though flag burning is constitutionally protected free speech. Do you think
that flag burning is an acceptable form of civil disobedience? Defend your answer using ideas from the
chapter and provide examples to illustrate.
A: Flag burning is legal, but it is a form of civil disobedience because it deliberately violates
3. The chapter recommends that activists should vary strategies of public engagement and violate norms
sparingly. How can a group decide when it is effective to violate norms through protest activities? What
are the risks or consequences of ignoring the advice? Explain your answer using concepts from the
chapter and give examples to illustrate.
A: Some risks might include overexposure and making target audiences angry through an
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4. “Doxing” is hacking private documents to release personal or corporate information to the public.
Sometimes doxing is committed as an act of civil disobedience, although usually it is an act of revenge,
bullying, or harassment. The hacker organization Anonymous doxes police officers involved in abuse of
force cases. Do you think doxing is an acceptable method of civil disobedience? Defend your answer
using ideas from the chapter and examples.
5. Social media activism, or online political actions consisting of sharing, signing petitions, or donating
through social media, is often called “slacktivism” because it takes little commitment and rarely extends
past clicking a button. Do you think that social media is an effective tool for political change? Defend
your position with ideas from the chapter and provide examples for support.
A: Although students’ responses will vary, they can point to chapter ideas that include the role
that social media played in organizing Arab Spring, Occupy, and other contemporary social
Activities for in-class work or homework
1. Write a letter to the editor protesting a guest speaker.
Students will write a (hypothetical) letter to the editor objecting to a campus speaker.
Campus protests about speakers are increasing, but media reports represent students as misunderstanding
freedom of speech. This activity encourages students to think through the paradox of asserting free speech
as a method of civil disobedience against a campus speaker.
This activity works best in groups but can be completed individually. It works in most class formats and
activity structures.
Directions:
Your school has invited a wealthy donor to campus as a guest speaker. The speaker has written a book
arguing that the earth is flat, is known to support the flat earth movement, and is expected to argue about
this issue during the speech. You and your friends object to having someone speak on campus who
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presents a conspiracy theory as factual, so you decide to write a letter to the school newspaper in protest.
What will you say in the letter and how will you say it?
Step 1:
Debrief:
The discussion could cover issues of freedom of speech, whether uninviting a speaker is a form of
censorship, and what forms of protest are appropriate against objectionable speech. The discussion could
also cover the ethics and limits of donations, what donations obligate schools and students to do for the
donor.
2. Write a protest speech.
Students will write a confrontational or invitational protest speech in response to a new campus policy.
Students can plan this speech in response to an actual policy or policy change on campus, or they can use
the fictional scenario described below. Students should brainstorm about possible target audiences,
desired goals, the steps required to meet the goals, who can enact the goals, and possible consequences.
For information to fill out the scenario, students can research analogous situations or improvise
reasonable material.
This activity can be done in most class formats with most activity structures. It is most effective in
groups.
Recommended structure:
Fictional Scenario:
Your school must adopt a new mascot, and they’ve selected the mighty ridge-backed Australian sea
skink, which is an endangered species. The school is building a habitat to house a skink they plan to
import from Australia. You and your friends formed a group opposed to the new mascot because it’s
endangered, costly, non-native, and a poor symbol for your team. Plan an action to cause your
administration to choose a different mascot.
Plan:
As part of the plan, include
Your goal
Target audience
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What you plan to do, details of the event
Steps involved
What response you would like
Possible risks and outcomes; impact on your future effectiveness
3. Compare activist manifestos: The Declaration of Independence and The Declaration of
Sentiments.
Students will compare The Declaration of Independence (1776) and The Declaration of Sentiments
(1848) as confrontational social movement stances. Many social movements in the US advocate for
Steps:
1. Give students the context of the Declaration of Sentiments, either by explaining or by providing a link
or handout.
2. Divide students into groups and assign a separate task to each group.
Tasks:
A. Compare and contrast the form of the Declarations. Focus on the format, layout, wording, and
language choice. What are the similarities and differences?
B. Compare and contrast the themes and list of grievances. What are the similarities and
differences in the documents’ demands?
3. Report findings and then discuss the prompt.
Prompt:
1. Did the “founding fathers” make an effective strategic decision by choosing a declaration or manifesto
instead of taking an invitational stance? Why or why not?
2. Did the authors of The Declaration of Sentiments make an effective choice by modeling their manifesto
on the Declaration of Independence? Why or why not?
4. Analyze Jesse Williams’s BET Black Lives Matter speech.
Students will analyze Jesse Williams’s awards speech to determine some of the characteristics of social
movement rhetoric.
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The activity can work in most class formats and most activity structures. A general discussion of the
video and prompt is best.
Prompt:
Social movement speeches often break genres. How would you characterize Jesse Williams’s BET
Humanitarian Award acceptance speech? Is it a rally speech or a protest speech? Which of the three
stances does the speaker use regarding civility: confrontational, invitational, or situational civility? What
norms or rules is he breaking?
Debrief:
The speech is both a rally and protest speech. The primary audience is the immediate audience of
celebrities; the secondary audience is the wider BET viewership. The speech validates and criticizes the
Extending the activity:
Since the speech is under five minutes, one approach could be to play the video, discuss the questions,
and then replay the video while students use their digital devices to read the speech transcript and
5. Analyze Congressional testimony.
Students will analyze the advocacy strategies in Congressional testimony made by celebrities. Advocacy
and social change is not necessarily achieved only through protest and civil disobedience. Civic
engagement includes efforts to pass legislation or fundraise including through legislative appropriations.
Use search terms below for speech suggestions. Instructors can choose based on preference, class
composition and chemistry, etc.
Search “ashton kutcher speech on human trafficking.”
Prompt:
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In advocating for social change, the speaker avoided a confrontational stance and chose civil obedience
instead. What specific strategies did the speaker use order to achieve his goal? Do you think the strategies
were effective? Why or why not?
Debrief:
This discussion might refer to the final section in the chapter that references building cohesion, solidarity,
avoiding violence, appealing to humane options, and developing care or caring as connoted by the sense
of craft. The last sentence of the book is “we study public speaking for love.” The chapter does not
suggest that civil disobedience is not love. However, these three examples of advocacy demonstrate the
way that celebrities appeal to Congress for social change in the name of care.
Teaching Tips
1. Noteworthy speeches are a useful way to illustrate the concepts in this chapter. Instructors who focus
2. A speech format that works well for social movements is the “public narrative,” which is made of three
parts: 1) the story of self, which explains the speaker’s personal call or cause; 2) the story of us, which
4. One common strategy for teaching difficult political topics is to have students set class ground rules for
discussion.
Content Presentation Ideas/Assignments
1. Social Advocacy and Social Media
This assignment showcases how social media can be used for social advocacy.
As a group, research examples of how your assigned social media platform has been used in social
advocacy. You are sure to find an overwhelming amount of information, so focus on a few examples that
interest you most. Prepare a 2- to 3-minute presentation on your findings.
2. Advocating for Change
This assignment provides students with experience putting together a message to support a cause and
creating an online presentation.
3. Nonprofits and Social Change
This assignment helps students better understand different ways to advocate for a cause.
Assignment Instructions:
More Resources
1. Wellstone is a politically progressive advocacy organization that provides training programs for
2. The University of Kansas has a website called the Community Toolbox, which is a guide to planning a
3. “Pop Your Bubble” is a Facebook app that matches users with different viewpoints and backgrounds to
break people out of their social media silos: search “pop your bubble app.”
Social media can change people’s minds: search “pew research social media causes some users to
rethink their views.”
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