<p>There probably is not a major specifically for activism at any college, but does anyone know what an activist would major in? And what colleges have such majors (preferably American colleges)?</p>
<p>That’s an overly general and unfocused question. Are you referring to activism in general, or activism for a particular cause? I assume you’re referring to strategies and tactics for effecting social and political change that can be applied to any number of causes. Well, there are many areas of knowledge and skillsets that are relevant to that purpose—fundraising, advocacy, community organization, public relations, education, etc. And, there are many causes and arenas in which one can apply one’s knowledge and skills. Unfocused and uninformed activism isn’t very effective, so the first thing is to get a sound background of knowledge about an area that calls for change and reform.</p>
<p>Some people become lawyers and effect change that way. Ralph Nader is a good example of this. The lawyers who argued de-segregation cases are other examples. Elizabeth Warren’s consumer advocacy is another example. Lawyers who take on death penalty cases are still other examples. So, going to law school is one avenue you might consider.</p>
<p>Other areas:
In Political Science and in Sociology, you can study various social/political change movements and the strategies they use and their effectiveness.
In African American Studies, you can study the civil rights movement.
In History, you can study American populist movements, the suffragette’s campaign for women’s right to vote, the history of the labor movement, etc.
In Consumer Economics, you can study consumer advocacy.
In Labor & Industrial Relations, you can learn the various aspects of the union movement.
In Rhetoric, you can learn about effective advocacy and communication strategies.
In Journalism and in Public Relations, you can learn about media strategies.
In the various Ethnic Studies and Women’s Studies programs, you might learn about various direct action strategies relevant to those causes.
Some schools (particularly some of the Catholic colleges) offer programs in Peace, Justice, & Conflict Resolution. A related area is Human Rights and many colleges offer programs in this area.
In Social Work, you might learn about community organization.
In Environmental Studies, you might learn about environmental advocacy, polict issues, and hopefully, about some of the science.
In various Agriculture majors, e.g., Agricultural Economics, Rural Sociology & Community Development, Nutrition, you might learn about hunger issues, poverty, etc.
In Urban Studies, you would learn about urban issues.
In Nonprofit Management programs, you might learn about fundraising.
In Accounting and Finance, you might acquire skills relevant for investigating corporate fraud and while collar crime.
In Literature, Philosophy, Religious Studies, you can learn about the meaning of social justice and envision a more just and humane society.
In Engineering, Agriculture, Public Health, you can actually learn technologies that can improve the lives of millions of people.
At many schools, you can also develop an individualized major.</p>
<p>And there are many other relevant areas. It all depends on what causes draw your interest. It takes the knowledge, skills, and commitment of people from many areas to effect changes and reforms. Yes, you might learn something about strategies and tactics in formal courses, but the university also should be a place to step back and to foster reflective and data-based knowledge understanding of the various issues and causes as well. It’s up to you to apply that knowledge.</p>
<p>Yes. There are many activists around the world who were trained in Politics by [Hillsdale</a> College - Home](<a href=“http://www.Hillsdale.edu%5DHillsdale”>http://www.Hillsdale.edu) and I would highly recommend them. Also, they give substantial financial aid to students and they are also the first school in Michigan to award a degree to a woman and when the US government tried to force this racially progressive college to segregate blacks amongst it’s students they sued to the Supreme Court (and won). Wonderful institution.</p>
<p>^ Hillsdale is an explicitly right-wing college. Yes, it probably does hope that it’s graduate enter influential positions to influence policy in a right-wing direction, and in that sense, I suppose it does train activists. In recent years, we’ve seen the establishment of several right-wing institutions and/or conservative Christian institutions (e.g., The King’s College, Liberty U.) with explicit agendas that their graduates exert their influence in such areas as law, the media, etc. I just don’t like politicizing of colleges and universities, whether it comes from the right or the left.</p>
<p>lord knows the remaining thousands of schools zap didn’t mention would NEVER lean left. just sayin’</p>
<p>^It’s one thing for a person’s political perspective to lean in a certain directive; it’s quite another for a school explicitly to adopt and promote a particular political ideology.</p>
<p>like the ivies and other elite schools “allowing” military presence via ROTC back on campus once the ban on gays in the military was removed? many colleges, ivies included, focus explicitly to promote and support agendas. many believe that most of those agendas lean left.</p>
<p>Only person I know who went to Hillsdale is an activist in the Democratic Party. He’s kind of a “Conservative” or “Blue Dog” Democrat though.</p>
<p>I just know that they’ve got quite a reputation for fighting against racial discrimination and they’re celebrated in some of the stuff I read about history of people fighting against discrimination against women and minorities.</p>