Reflection #11

Magda Borgarelli

Looking back at the whole course, I can honestly say I have learned a lot, not only about civil societies and social movements, but also on broader concepts, such as internationalism.  My favorite part about the class was the documentaries we watched.  They allowed me to understand the abstract concept we learned more thoroughly, since they offered me a sort of case study for different countries.  However, I would have liked to have learned more about specific countries in the MENA region (aside from the ones we were divided into) in the classroom.  Meaning, we could have analyzed and discussed them in class to complement both the briefs and the documentaries, as so have a stronger frame of reference when conducting our own research.  Overall, I feel like I am leaving this class with a solid knowledge base in both social movements and civil societies, as well as their possible accomplishments and limitations, and definitely more informed on the MENA region in general.  Before taking this course, I wasn’t aware of the various problems that small countries such as that of Bahrain (the one I was doing research for) could face, and how strong civil society can be in those places.  Now I realize that even small countries like Bahrain can rebel against their governments, with civil society and social movements playing a key role.