Course Description:
In a world that is becoming more violent every year, is there anything more important than finding ways of conflict that are less destructive yet still allow us to stand for our most heart-felt values? Can we win without destroying our cultures, national infrastructures or the global environment? At the same time increasing conflicts define our world (climate change, mass migration, limited supply of potable water, growing income disparities, and more), we are at risk of jeopardizing the sustainability of our planet and must find productive ways to engage and let our voices be heard. This course is designed to give the student a thorough understanding of the idea of nonviolent conflict; including its history, the theories supporting its use, the debates taking place between activists and scholars, the actual dynamics that make nonviolent action effective, and an overview of how it is being used in various contexts around the world today.
SPECIAL NOTE: There are videos included in this course and it is constructed in a way that an independent learner can navigate it and understand the teachings within. However, if you are in need of faculty-led sessions, we will record those and insert them the next time this course is scheduled to run in Live Virtual Classroom.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course you should be able to:
- outline the primary people and documents that provide the theoretical and historical context for using nonviolent conflict, critique the soundness of arguments against using nonviolent methods, counter the ways people and groups misrepresent civil resistance, and correct the many misconceptions people hold about using nonviolent action;
- debate Sharp’s theory of social power, evaluate the critiques against it, and state your own informed opinion as to its use now and into the future;
- differentiate, analyze, and explain the current debates between activists and scholars of nonviolent conflict, integrate that knowledge with the theories and dynamics framing nonviolent action, and evaluate the effectiveness of current and past efforts;
- explain the primary categories of Sharp’s 198 tactics of civil resistance, critique the dynamic known as “backfire,” and differentiate between it, Gregg’s idea of moral jiu-jitsu, and Sharp’s concept of political jiu-jitsu; and,
- integrate the theories and dynamics of nonviolent conflict with knowledge of how 21st century media and technology affect a campaign’s strategy, and evaluate the effectiveness and potential of their use on current and future nonviolent efforts.
Faculty:
Robert A. Kezer, PhD holds BA degrees in religious studies and international studies from the University of Oregon, a Master’s degree in integral theory from John F. Kennedy University in San Francisco, a PhD in transformative studies with a concentration in integral theory from the California Institute of Integral Studies also in San Francisco, and a CELTA certificate from Cambridge University for teaching English as a second language. Dr. Kezer is the author of the novel, “The Boétie Legacy and a World in Peril,” and the lay-person’s guide to nonviolent conflict: “People Power, Civil Resistance, and Social Transformation: An Introduction to Nonviolent Conflict” both in text and as a video course.
Course Modalities:
Non-Credit Options
Lite Level – This course is delivered on-demand with no faculty interaction and is perfect for lifelong learners who want to go at their own pace and who are not interested in academic credit but still want to experience the course.
Audit-No Credit – If you would like to participate when this course is offered in our Live Virtual Classroom mode, you may attend the live faculty webinars but will not be required to submit assignments for credit.
If you take a few courses and decide you want to officially enroll in a degree program, you can gain academic credit for Lite versions or Audit-No Credit versions by paying the difference between these course fees and a normal academic fee, successfully completing quizzes, submitting your reflection journals, and delivering a Final Creative Assignment that will be graded.
For-Credit Options
Live Virtual Classroom: Study that takes place within Ubiquity University, in which Ubiquity academic coursework is accomplished through attendance in Live Webinars, with faculty and student interaction being a part of the Live Webinar content. To receive academic credit, you must not miss more than 3 live sessions, you must complete the quizzes and submit any other required assignments (if any), and a final creative assignment for grading at the degree level you are enrolled in.
Internal Online Independent Study: Study that takes place within Ubiquity University, in which Ubiquity academic online coursework is engaged in independently on one’s own and does not include faculty interaction. To receive academic credit, you must complete the quizzes and submit your reflection journals and final creative assignment for grading at the degree level you are enrolled in.
Pricing:
- BA Level: $300
- MA Level: $600
- PhD Level: $900
- Audit-No Credit: $240 (only if offered in Live Virtual Classroom Mode)
- Lite: $50 (no credit, access to course materials only)
Our shopping cart is simple and easy to understand. If you do not have a user account, you will be able to create one upon purchase. Save your username and password as you will need it to login to access course materials later. For more detailed, step-by-step instructions you can review our tutorial How to Purchase a Course. Again, if you experience any issues, please email Veronica Saldias at registrar@ubiquityuniversity.org.
We allow students at all academic levels to participate in our online courses. However, those students who are enrolled in MA or PhD programs are expected to offer a more sophisticated analysis on reflection tasks, writing assignments, and in the final creative assignment. You will be graded commensurate with your degree level. Except for the Final Creative Assignment, word counts are offered as guidelines. If you need to exceed the word counts to submit an MA or PhD level response, you may feel free to do so as long as the word count expansion is reasonable and necessary.
Course Contact Information:
Live Virtual Classroom macrocourses are delivered by faculty in live Zoom sessions. You will have a course facilitator who is available to answer questions and offer additional assistance and that information will be provided to you upon registration. Please do not email faculty directly with any technology or registration issues.
For on-demand lite or Internal Online Independent Study versions, click the “Chat” button down on the left-hand side of the screen for any technical issues or questions you may have about the content.
NVC - Module 1 - Introduction to Non-Violent Conflict
- NVC - Week 1 - Introduction - Reading Assignment
- NVC - Week 1 - Introduction - What is Civil Resistance? - Video
- NVC - Week 1 - Introduction - Key Elements of Civil Resistance - Video
- NVC - Week 1 - Introduction - Violent vs Nonviolent Resistance - Video
- NVC - Week 1 - Introduction - Nonviolence Today: The State of Humanity’s Most Important Art - Video
- NVC - Week 1 - Introduction - Gandhi and Nonviolence in India – Case Study
- NVC - Week 1 - Introduction - Reflection Task
- NVC - Week 1 - Introduction - Group Discussion
- NVC - Week 1 - Introduction - Additional Materials
- NVC - Week 1 - Introduction - Quiz
NVC - Module 2 - Background of Non-Violent Conflict
- NVC - Week 2 - Background of NVC - Reading Assignment
- NVC - Week 2 - Background of NVC - Civil Resistance as a Foundation of Democracy - Video
- NVC - Week 2 - Background of NVC - Civil Resistance from Gandhi to Present Time - Video
- NVC - Week 2 - Background of NVC - Reflection Task
- NVC - Week 2 - Background of NVC - Group Discussion
- NVC - Week 2 - Background of NVC - Quiz
- NVC - Week 2 - Background of NVC - Additional Materials
NVC - Module 3 - History of Non-Violent Conflict
- NVC - Week 3 - History of NVC - Reading Assignment
- NVC - Week 3 - History of NVC - Recovering Nonviolent History: Civil Resistance in Liberation Struggles - Video
- NVC - Week 3 - History of NVC - Strategic Nonviolent Struggle in the Middle East Before the Arab Spring - Video
- NVC - Week 3 - History of NVC - Reflection Task
- NVC - Week 3 - History of NVC - Group Discussion
- NVC - Week 3 - History of NVC - Quiz
- NVC - Week 3 - History of NVC - Additional Resources
NVC - Module 4 - Framing Non-Violent Conflict
- NVC - Week 4 - Framing NVC - Reading Assignment
- NVC - Week 4 - Framing NVC - Why Civil Resistance Works - Video
- NVC - Week 4 - Framing NVC - Nonviolent Action in the Islamic World - Case Study
- NVC - Week 4 - Framing NVC - Reflection Task
- NVC - Week 4 - Framing NVC - Group Discussion
- NVC - Week 4 - Framing NVC - Quiz
- NVC - Week 4 - Framing NVC - Additional Materials
NVC - Module 5 - Theory of Non-Violent Conflict
- NVC - Week 5 - Theory of NVC - Reading Assignment
- NVC - Week 5 - Theory of NVC - Costs and Risks in Nonviolent Conflict - Video
- NVC - Week 5 - Theory of NVC - Civil Resistance in Bosnia: Pressure for Truth and Reform - Case Study
- NVC - Week 5 - Theory of NVC - Reflection Task
- NVC - Week 5 - Theory of NVC - Group Discussion
- NVC - Week 5 - Theory of NVC - Additional Materials
- NVC - Week 5 - Theory of NVC - Quiz
NVC - Module 6 - Debates About Non-Violent Conflict
- NVC - Week 6 - Debates About NVC - Reading Assignment
- NVC- Week 6 - Debates About NVC - Civil Resistance and Military Dynamics: Examining Security Force Defections in the Arab Spring - Video
- NVC - Week 6 - Debates About NVC - Political Defiance in Today's Russia: Its Successes and Challenges - Case Study
- NVC - Week 6 - Debates About NVC - Reflection Task
- NVC - Week 6 - Debates About NVC - Group Discussion
- NVC - Week 6 - Debates About NVC - Quiz
- NVC - Week 6 - Debates About NVC - Additional Materials
NVC - Module 7 - Dynamics of Non-Violent Conflict: Part 1
- NVC - Week 7 - Dynamics of NVC: Part One - Reading Assignment
- NVC - Week 7 - Dynamics of NVC: Part One - When Repression Backfires - Video
- NVC - Week 7 - Dynamics of NVC: Part One - Sustaining a Movement: The Resilience of Brazilian Women in a Nonviolent Struggle for Rights - Case Study
- NVC - Week 7 - Dynamics of NVC: Part One - Reflection Task
- NVC - Week 7 - Dynamics of NVC: Part 1 - Group Discussion
- NVC - Week 7 - Dynamics of NVC: Part One - Quiz
- NVC - Week 7 - Dynamics of NVC: Part One - Additional Materials
NVC - Module 8 - Dynamics of Non-Violent Conflict: Part 2
- NVC - Week 8 - Dynamics of NVC: Part Two - Reading Assignment
- NVC - Week 8 - Dynamics of NVC: Part Two - Factors of Transition from Violence to Nonviolent Resistance - Video
- NVC - Week 8 - Dynamics of NVC: Part Two - Indigenous Movements and Democratization in Guatemala - Case Study
- NVC - Week 8 - Dynamics of NVC: Part Two - Reflection Task
- NVC - Week 8 - Dynamics of NVC: Part Two - Group Discussion
- NVC - Week 8 - Dynamics of NVC: Part Two - Additional Materials
- NVC - Week 8 - Dynamics of NVC: Part Two - Quiz
NVC - Module 9 - Strategies for Non-Violent Conflict
- NVC - Week 9 - Strategic NVC - Reading Assignment
- NVC - Week 9 - Strategic NVC - Why Nonviolent Revolutions Sometimes Fail - Video
- NVC - Week 9 - Strategic NVC - Did the Planners of Occupy Wall Street Really Have a Plan? - Case Study
- NVC - Week 9 - Strategic NVC - Reflection Task
- NVC - Week 9 - Strategies for NVC - Group Discussion
- NVC - Week 9 - Strategic NVC - Quiz
- NVC - Week 9 - Strategic NVC - Additional Materials
NVC - Module 10 - Catch Up Week
- NVC - Week 10 - Catch-up Week - Reading Assignment
- NVC - Week 10 - Catch-up Week - The Digital Duel: Resistance and Repression in an Online World - Video
- NVC - Week 10 - Catch-up Week - The 7 Activist Uses of Digital Tech: The Case of Popular Resistance in Egypt - Case Study
- NVC - Week 10 - Catch-up Week - Reflection Task
- NVC - Week 10 - Catch-up Week - Topic for Final Creative Assignment
- NVC - Week 10 - Catch-Up Week - Group Discussion
- NVC - Week 10 - Catch-up Week - Additional Materials
- NVC - Week 10 - Catch-up Week - Quiz
NVC - Module 11 - The Media and Non-Violent Conflict
- NVC - Week 11 - Media and NVC - Reading Assignment
- NVC - Week 11 - Media and NVC - Pressing Your Case: Nonviolent Movements and the Media - Video
- NVC - Week 11 - Media and NVC - The Effect of Nonviolent Palestinian Protests on Israeli Perceptions of the Conflict - Case Study
- NVC - Week 11 - Media and NVC - Reflection Task
- NVC - Week 11 - Media and NVC - Group Discussion
- NVC - Week 11 - Media and NVC - Quiz
NVC - Module 12 - Technology and Non-Violent Conflict
- NVC - Week 12 - Technology and NVC - Introduction
- NVC - Week 12 - Technology and NVC - What if Gandhi had a Smartphone? - Video
- NVC - Week 12 - Technology and NVC - Civil Resistance 2.0: Digital Enhancements to the 198 Nonviolent Methods - Video
- NVC - Week 12 - Technology and NVC - From Facebook to Streetbook: Egypt’s Nonviolent Uprising – Case Study
- NVC - Week 12 - Technology and NVC - Reflection Task
- NVC - Week 12 - Technology and NVC - Group Discussion
- NVC - Week 12 - Technology and NVC - Quiz
- NVC - Week 12 - Technology and NVC - Additional Materials
NVC - Module 13 - Application: Part 1
- NVC - Week 13 - Application of NVC - Reading Assignment
- NVC - Week 13 - Application of NVC - The Arts of Protest: Creative Cultural Resistance - Video
- NVC - Week 13 - Application of NVC - Anti-Corruption Struggles and Latin America’s New Wave of People Power - Case Study
- NVC - Week 13 - Application of NVC - Reflection Task
- NVC - Week 13 - Application of NVC - Additional Materials