Practicing social movement theory in case study groups

This article evaluates the use of a ‘case study group’ method for teaching social movement theory. The aim was to give students the opportunity to practice theorizing actively rather than simply learning theory passively. The method provides this by requiring students to undertake case studies on social movements of their choice for the duration of the course, to complete tasks that require them to apply different theoretical ideas and concepts to these case studies, and then to discuss this process in small supportive groups of their peers. In line with existing literature, student evaluations identified four major benefits to learning in this way: forcing active participation, working collaboratively, being able to ‘‘practice’’ ideas, and developing a better understanding of theory through its application to ‘‘the real world.’’