Flagship course · Philosophy

Social Movements & Protests: Theory and South Asian Practice

Learn how social movements form, act and change society, with movement theory tested on South Asian cases.

  • 13 modules
  • About 20 hours
  • Free
Start module 1

What you will be able to do

  • Use movement theory from Tilly, Tarrow, Sharp and Chenoweth to explain why movements emerge and how they frame their claims.
  • Analyse South Asian movements from Chipko and Narmada to the farmers' protest and Sri Lanka's Aragalaya.
  • Assess how strategy, repression and digital networks shape what a movement achieves.

About this course

How movements form, act, and change society: theory grounded in South Asian practice

A rigorous, South Asia-first flagship on how social movements form, act, and change society. Movement theory (Tilly, Tarrow, Sharp, Chenoweth) is grounded in South Asian cases: Chipko, Narmada, anti-caste and Dalit assertion, the farmers' protest, Shaheen Bagh, Sri Lanka's Aragalaya, and the 2024–26 Gen Z wave.

Module 01

What Is a Social Movement?

Module 02

Why Movements Emerge

Module 03

Framing & collective identity

Module 04

Repertoires of Contention

Module 05

Nonviolent resistance & people power

Module 06

Gandhi & the freedom struggle

Module 07

Environmental & land movements

Module 08

Caste, Dalit & Adivasi assertion

Module 09

Farmers' & workers' movements

Module 10

Feminist & gender movements

Module 11

Digital & networked activism

Module 12

Repression, backlash & outcomes

Module 13

Movements Across South Asia + Capstone

Assess yourself: social movements

Each of the 13 modules ends with an auto-graded self-check quiz: answer, check, and see the reasoning as you work through the material. Complete all 13 modules and the Module 13 capstone to consolidate what you've learned.

Connected Resources

Practice the Material & Continue Learning

Every flagship course is part of a wider open-source learning network. The cards below cross-link this course with hands-on labs, AI study companions, the 101 Series, book summaries, reference handouts, live dojos, and Pro Studio tools.

Practise · Lab
Hands-on Lab

No course-specific lab yet. Browse all 35 ImpactMojo Labs:

Practise · AI Study Companion
NotebookLM Companion

An AI Study Companion for this course is coming soon: ask the material questions, get topic summaries, and generate study aids at your own pace.

  • AI Companion · coming soon
Continue · 101 Series
101 Series

Free 100-slide foundational primers that pair well with this flagship:

Read · BookSummaries
Field Companions

171 development-economics BookCompanion summaries with key concepts and field application notes:

Reference · Handouts
Print-Friendly Reference Cards

84 print-optimised handouts across 10 tracks: methods, ethics, frameworks, lexicons, quick-reference cards.

Practise · Dojos
Live Practice Sessions

56 bi-weekly dojo sessions in the South Asian dev-practitioner cohort: case clinics, paper discussions, live Q&A.

Upgrade · Membership
Pro Studio & Coaching

11 Pro Studio tools plus 1:1 coaching, cohort access, and certificates. Sliding-scale pricing.