Organizing for Social Change: Midwest Academy Manual for Activists

by Kimberley A. Bobo, Jackie Kendall, Steve Max

This manual is for grassroots activists seeking social, political, environmental and economic change at all levels of organization ->local, state and national. The handbook has been used by Midwest Academy since 1973 in its organizing and activism seminars. Central to the Academy and the manual are three guiding that for people to organize and seek change effectively they must win real improvements in peoples' lives, get a sense of their own power, and alter the relations of power. The main topics presented in the handbook are direct action organizing, organizing skills, and sources of support for organizing. The new edition was inspired by the transition into a new millennium, which prompted a new awareness of the need to bring activists from diverse movements into a unified whole. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Genres: Activism, Politics, Nonfiction, Social Justice, Social Change, Labor, Social Movements

425 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent how-to guide for community organizing. I pick it up when I'm not sure of how to start something or if I want a little boost in my confidence.

[Dana Sweeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative, detailed, expansive guide to the Midwest Academy’s long successful style of community organizing. This guidebook really gets into the meat and potatoes. I read this guidebook piece by piece over a long period of time and tested a lot of these strategies and techniques in my own organizing as I went along. I think I’ll be revisiting this book often in years to come, too. It’s honestly a very helpful tool.

I think there are limitations to the Midwest school’s approach when it comes to changing power relations, so I have some lingering questions, but the information here is not focused on theory of change so much as a practice of change. It is thorough and, best of all, useful. Applicable. This stands in contrast with many other organizing treatises I have read that entrancingly dwell in the conceptual without giving you concrete skills. Bravo and thank you for that!

[Andrew Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to win real improvements in people's lives "Organizing for Social Change," by Midwest Academy, is the BEST guidebook for this process. It offers a crystal-clear way to organize people affected by a problem, to build a strategy and campaign together, and ultimately to pressure politicians and officials to give the people what they want. And beyond! - to build an organization that alters the relations of power between the people and the officials.

The core of the book is a strategy chart. This chart has five columns (1. Campaign Goals, 2. Organizational Considerations, 3. Constituents/Allies/Opponents, 4. Targets, 5. Tactics). The real charm of the method is that you can see how these five elements fit together, reducing a bewildering situation into an essential power equation. It's about taking stock, of your power and that of your opponent, and finding ways to compel them to give your organization what it wants.
Examples of the Midwest Academy Strategy Chart can be easily found online, for example here: http://www.tcsg.org/sfelp/toolkit/Mid...

In particular, The Academy says tactics should never be planned apart from the larger strategy. Just because some other organization had success with a particular tactic, doesn't that you can simply take it up and apply it to your situation and expect similar success. That's why Tactics is the very last column on the chart. Only when you have properly analyzed the relations of power in your situation, can you then choose or invent powerful, effective tactics.

"Organizing for Social Change" is also very thorough in its details, with lots of advice on building leadership, on planning and facilitating meetings, as well as how to cooperate with community organizations, unions and labor councils, and how to use the media.
All in all, an excellent guide to empower people to work together for the common good.

[Soph Nova · Rating 4 out of 5]

The politics of this were better than I expected, but still a bit outdated and like... not QUITE there in terms of socialism;many of the organizing tips and tricks were a useful refresher and there were some great worksheets too. Definitely would take even longer for someone who’s never been exposed to these concepts though, and it took me longer than I would have liked.

[Sarita]

A good start to organizing but not the definitive collection of direct organizing. Very good for affecting cha ge in public policy modeled after Civil rights movement strategies.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good manual for those that want to understand organizing and social change. Use the tools in the way that will work for the community you are working with. This is one tool to use among many others.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An eminently practical book for activists of all kinds. It's left wing American setting needs to be adapted for New Zealand readers but it gives a lot a useful advice for anyone who wants to advocate for social change.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

yes! this will teach you all the basics, how to organize a meeting, press conference, campaign, how to strategize, how to be smart about tactics, everything.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for a class, and the experience was frustrating because of how it was taught, but the book on its own is a good resource.

[Baneh · Rating 2 out of 5]

goooooooooooood

[cele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book rocks! Everything you could ever want to know about organizing anything...useful for when I finally decide to get off my ass.

[Jekaterina]

To read with or instead of Sharp

[L]

read a couple chapters ad hoc. It's a big book. I'd borrowed it from one friend and lent it on to a mutual friend just now.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mandatory for all organizers!

[Glen Gersmehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the best organizing manuals available