21040 Advocacy and Social Change

This subject covers theories as they relate to advocacy and activism and engages students in a project to assist community organisations that have a need for developing advocacy and communication strategies and tactics by developing a tailored advocacy strategy. It locates activists through their shared experience and explores strategies for effective advocacy. To do this the subject covers topics such as community organisations and social and political change (including theories as they relate to civil society and collective action), the theory and practice of strategic communication for community organisations, advocacy strategies and campaigning (including examination of case studies of successful campaigns), the relationship between government funding and capacity to advocate, the relationship between individual and systemic advocacy, and institutional and non-institutional forms of advocacy in the indigenous rights movement.