Task A
1.
Outline what the author says about the general characteristics of social movements and their effectiveness.
(Comprehension) (12 Punkte)
2.
Analyze how the author’s opinion on social movements is conveyed. Focus on communicative strategies and use of language in the article as well as the function of the photo published with it.
(Analysis) (16 Punkte)
3
Choose one of the following tasks:
3.1
Using the article as a starting point, assess to what extent young people can contribute to social change.
(Evaluation: comment) (14 Punkte)
3.2
“In Australia, and some other countries, there’s mandatory voting. It would be transformative if everybody voted.” (former US President Barack Obama in 2015) You are taking part in a session of the European Youth Parliament, an organization that encourages young people to express their ideas on pressing issues. Write a speech, commenting on the idea of mandatory voting.
(Evaluation: re-creation of text) (14 Punkte)
Daniel Hunter
Don’t Believe the Lie That Voting Is All You Can Do
Stop minimizing the work of movements.
Part of the crowd at the historic 1963 March on Washington. [...] (Leonard Freed/Magnum Photos)
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The Black Lives Matter movement has had significant wins in recent months. Municipalities
2
have removed statues of racists, corporations have changed branding that reinforced racial
3
stereotypes, schools have cut ties with police forces and cities have reduced police funding.
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But too often, politicians, celebrities and community leaders who applaud the protesters for
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these victories are quick to follow up by asserting, like Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms of
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Atlanta, that voting “would be the most effective response, the deepest payback” for George
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Floyd’s death – or that there is “no greater form of protest” than voting, as Lisa Deeley,
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chair of the Philadelphia City Commissioners, put it.
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I’ve led movements for most of my adult life and have heard similar misguided refrains far
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too many times. The truth is voting is an honorable act that many movements use as a tactic.
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But the popular message that it’s the only real source of power misleads the public about
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how social change happens and stifles the energy required to bring about the change we need.
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Instead of suggesting that participation in movements is inferior to voting, people with
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influence should educate themselves and the public about the often hidden role of social
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movements in achieving change in this country.
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Movements led to the abolition of slavery, brought Jim Crow to its knees and won child
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labor laws, the minimum wage, the Clean Water Act and more. African-Americans and
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women wouldn’t even have the right to vote if it weren’t for people taking action.
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Those victories weren’t just the results of elections. They came from the work of activists
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to change social conditions. Where voting changes the players on the battlefield, social
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movements alter the very terrain on which the battle is being fought.
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“Movement work is the thing that enables any of the legal and policy change to be successful,”
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Chase Strangio, a lawyer who won the recent Supreme Court ruling protecting L.G.B.T.
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rights, explained in an interview with GQ. He noted that Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote
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the majority opinion, had initially worried that protecting transgender people might result in
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social upheaval. But less than a year later, his mind had been changed.
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“On some level, I have to believe that in eight months, he learned something from watching
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what was going on in the world,” he said. “And that is a testament not to our briefs and not
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to the legal movement, but to the organizing movement.”
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A common misconception about movements – like the mythic story that Rosa Parks’s refusal
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to move to the back of the bus spontaneously sparked the civil rights movement – is that
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they “just happen.”
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Yes, George Floyd’s brutal murder, a flagrantly racist president and the pent-up emotions
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of a pandemic motivated people to take to the streets to demand racial justice. But social
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movements never emerge just because conditions are bad.
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Bill Moyer, a movement strategist, wrote about this dynamic in his “Movement Action Plan.”
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He noted that the partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in 1979
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became a rallying point for people concerned about the dangers of nuclear power. Yet
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Michigan’s Enrico Fermi plant had been closer to a full meltdown in 1966 and didn’t lead to
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soul-searching or a social crisis. The difference was that in the intervening years, organizers
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had worked to seed local groups, build national networks, hone responses to the pronuclear
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lobby and develop alternative policy platforms.
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The current movement has done all those things, spurred largely by the 2014 protests in
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Ferguson, Mo., over the killing of Michael Brown. It grew into a network of dozens of local
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Black Lives Matter chapters across the United States and Canada. Groups like Black Youth
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Project 100 and Movement for Black Lives built comprehensive policy platforms, leading
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to radical, ground-shaking demands like “defund the police.” As Jessica Byrd, a leader in
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Movement for Black Lives, said in a recent interview with Time, “Movement made this
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moment different.”
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If one isn’t aware of this work, it’s easy to assume that after this phase of street protests ends,
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the movement will be gone and it will be time to turn to the “real” work of voting to fulfill
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our civic duty.
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But people who understand movements know that voting is not the end – it’s one part of the
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process. Movements amplify complex questions that otherwise get simplified to sound bites
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in elections. Questions like: Does society really need armed police answering mental health
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crises? Can the police be reformed while still armed with military-grade weapons? What are
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practical alternatives to police systems? By changing people’s views, movements apply
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pressure to decision makers.
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Contrary to popular belief, movements shouldn’t be measured by whether the preferred
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candidates get into office, nor are they undermined by short-term failures to cobble together
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national legislation.
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A better yardstick for a movement is the public’s perception of the problem, a growing
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certainty that current policies don’t work – and ultimately people’s commitment to
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embracing alternatives.
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After all, the 1960s student sit-ins against segregation did not immediately result in legislative
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wins. Even after the peak event of the March on Washington, it took another year for the
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1964 Civil Rights Act to become law.
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It’s tempting to think that reform will rain down if we elect the right leaders. Yet most of us
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know through experience that voting is no magic bullet. Regardless of who wins the election
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in November, anyone seeking justice knows there’s an enormous amount of work ahead of
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us. Movements provide an avenue to do that work.
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So yes, I’ll vote – and help turn out the vote. But I’ll never believe the lie that that’s the best or
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only thing I can do to change this country.
Daniel Hunter, “Don’t Believe the Lie That Voting Is All You Can Do”, in: The New York Times, 4 August 2020 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/04/opinion/voting-2020-election-blm-movement.html (Zugriff: 28.01.2021)
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Note:
Our solutions are listed in bullet points. In the examination, full marks can only be achieved by writing a continuous text. It must be noted that our conclusions contain only some of the possible aspects. Students can also find a different approach to argumentation.
Our solutions are listed in bullet points. In the examination, full marks can only be achieved by writing a continuous text. It must be noted that our conclusions contain only some of the possible aspects. Students can also find a different approach to argumentation.
1.
In his article "Don't Believe the Lie that Voting Is All You Can Do," published in the New York Times in 2021, Daniel Hunter explores the characteristics of social movements and highlights their effectiveness in driving social change.
Introduction
- voting is part of the process; however, movements is the action to embrace change
- social movements take time to evolve, and don't emerge due to social injustice or bad conditions
- take time and perseverance; it's characterized by the ongoing work of organizers and activists
- successful movements are the result of strategic planning, networking, and community building, using the Black Lives Matter movement as an example that grew from years of groundwork and organizings
- ground-shaking demands like "defund the police" are mandatory
Main Body
Characteristics of social movements
Characteristics of social movements
- movements have the power to apply pressure on decision makers
- have already achieved major successes in the past, such as the abolition of slavery, child labor, the minimum wage, or enabled African-American and women's right to vote
- enables successful changes in legal and policy systems
Effectiveness of social movements
2.
The author, Daniel Hunter, conveys his opinion on social movements and the importance of their role in effecting social change through various communicative strategies and language use in the article.
Introduction
- Repitition: the author repeatedly emphasizes the misconception that voting is the sole source of power for social change
- he states that the popular message misleads the public about how change happens and stifles the energy needed for meaningful transformation
- by repeating this point, the author highlights the urgency of understanding the broader impact of social movements
- Presonal Experience: credibility and stronger reliability through stating personal experience as movement leader
- Appeal to Authority: the author cites examples of successful social movements throughout history, such as the abolition of slavery, the civil rights movement, and labor law victories
- by using these well-known historical events, he appeals to authority to reinforce the significance of social movements
- Use of Quotes and Testimonials: includes quotes from Chase Strangio, a lawyer, and Jessica Byrd, a leader in Movement for Black Lives, to support his argument
testimonials illustrate how movements influence legal and policy changes, giving real-world examples of their effectiveness
- Comparisons: the author compares voting to social movements, highlighting that while voting changes the players on the battlefield, movements alter the terrain on which the battle is being fought
- this comparison helps to differentiate the roles of voting and movements in driving social change
- Exemplification: Hunter provides specific examples of movements' groundwork and organizing efforts, such as the protests in Ferguson that led to the network of Black Lives Matter chapters
- Appeal to Reason: Throughout the article, the author employs logical arguments to debunk the belief that voting alone can bring about significant change
- He challenges readers to consider complex questions and alternatives, applying pressure to decision-makers through movements
- Rhetorical Questions: The use of rhetorical questions, such as "Does society really need armed police answering mental health crises?" and "Can the police be reformed while still armed with military-grade weapons?" prompts readers to reflect on the underlying issues and implications, reinforcing the importance of social movements
Main Body
communicative strategies and use of language
communicative strategies and use of language
- the photo published with the article serve to strengthen the author's argument visually
- it visually emphasizes the power and significance of collective action
- the photo could evoke emotions and remind readers of the potential influence and success of social movements, further supporting the article's message
function of the photo
- in summary, Daniel Hunter's article masterfully breaks with the notion that elections are the only or primary means of effecting social change
- through compelling communicative strategies and powerful language, Hunter underscores the indispensable role of social movements in shaping history and transforming society
- using historical examples and expert testimony, he makes a compelling case for the effectiveness of organized collective action
- the article is a call to action, urging readers to recognize the hidden but crucial role of movements and to grasp the complexity of social issues beyond the simplicity of voting
- ultimately, Hunter's compelling argument compels us to value and support social movements as critical forces for positive change, and encourages us to actively engage in the ongoing work of building a better, more just world
Conclusion
3.1
Daniel Hunter's article, "Don't Believe the Lie That Voting Is All You Can Do," serves as a relevant starting point to assess the extent to which young people can contribute to social change. While the article primarily emphasizes the significance of social movements in effecting societal transformation, it indirectly highlights the critical role that young people play in driving and sustaining these movements.
Introduction
Reference to the article
Reference to the article
- Hunter's article emphasizes that social movements are not solely about voting but rather entail collective action and organizing to effect change
- young people often bring an unmatched energy and passion to social movements
- their willingness to protest, rally, and engage in grassroots activism can galvanize larger populations and raise awareness on crucial issues
- we have seen young activists, like those involved in the Black Lives Matter movement or the global climate strikes, spearhead and invigorate transformative social movements
- social movements rely on diverse voices and perspectives to challenge the status quo effectively
- Young people often bring fresh insights, innovative ideas, and intersectional perspectives to the table
- They highlight issues that older generations might overlook, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of societal problems and potential solutions
- This diversity strengthens movements and facilitates more inclusive and sustainable change
- Social movements rely on diverse voices and perspectives to challenge the status quo effectively
- Young people often bring fresh insights, innovative ideas, and intersectional perspectives to the table
- They highlight issues that older generations might overlook, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of societal problems and potential solutions
- This diversity strengthens movements and facilitates more inclusive and sustainable change
Main Body
Contribution for social change
Contribution for social change
- while the article focuses on the power of social movements, it indirectly highlights the indispensable role of young people within these movements
- young activists have proven time and again that they are powerful agents of change, driving progress on various social, environmental, and political fronts
- their energy, enthusiasm, and willingness to challenge the status quo make them invaluable contributors to shaping a more just and equitable world
- as such, young people have a profound capacity to drive and sustain social change, and their engagement is crucial for building a better future for all
Conclusion
3.2
Ladies and gentlemen of the European Youth Parliament,
Today, we gather here as the voices of the future, young individuals with the power to shape the world we wish to inherit. Our participation in this esteemed platform highlights the significance of engaging young minds in critical discussions about our societies' pressing issues. One such issue that demands our attention is the idea of mandatory voting.
Greeting and Opening
- Former US President Barack Obama once stated, "In Australia, and some other countries, there’s mandatory voting. It would be transformative if everybody voted."
- while the concept of mandatory voting may seem appealing on the surface, it is essential for us, as young thinkers and advocates, to critically assess its potential implications
- at its core, mandatory voting seeks to promote inclusivity and democratic participation
- by compelling every eligible citizen to cast their vote, proponents argue that it can lead to a more representative and engaged electorate
- it aims to reduce voter apathy and strengthen the legitimacy of elected governments
Main Body
Making voting mandatory
Making voting mandatory
- forcing participation in the electoral process can lead to an uninformed vote or a sense of coercion, which compromises the quality and integrity of democratic decision making
- genuine engagement in democracy should come from informed choice and conviction, not mere obligation
- questionable whether individual freedom and autonomy are granted when there is coercion to vote
- democratic participation is a fundamental right, but it is equally important to recognize the right to abstain as a form of political expression
- possible deliberate abstention to express dissatisfaction with available options or the political system itself
- forcing these individuals to vote could undermine the essence of democratic principles
Disadvantages of mandatory voting
- instead of focusing exclusively on compulsory voting, we should explore other ways to promote democratic participation among young people and all citizens
- Education plays a central role in providing people with the knowledge and understanding they need to participate meaningfully in the democratic process
- in addition, technological advances should be harnessed
- early involvement of young people in politics is crucial to building a generation of informed and active citizens
- encouraging open dialogue, establishing youth forums, and promoting youth representation in decision-making bodies
Promoting democratic participation
- in conclusion, I would like to say that the idea of compulsory voting brings both opportunities and challenges
- as representatives of the European Youth Parliament, we must advocate for democratic participation, but we must also protect individual rights and freedoms
- our focus should be on promoting a culture of active engagement through education, technological innovation and meaningful youth participation
- Thank you very much for your attention.
Conclusion and closing