MODULE 1

Change

is possible

Module 1 Reading Packet

Module 1 Reflection questions

Back to Home Page

Class 1: Reform….and revolution!

Tuesday, July 15| 6:30 - 8:30 PM ET

Instructor: Layan Fuleihan

From Trump’s billionaire’s agenda to global war and economic collapse, we are living in a system in deep crisis. This class introduces socialism not as an abstract idea, but as a necessary solution to the problems we face. We’ll define socialism in clear terms, explore what it means for the working class to hold power, and open the door to what it would look like to build a different kind of society.

Class Recording

Class Powerpoint

Class 2: How the world changes

Thursday, July 17 | 6:30 - 8:30 PM ET

Instructor: Brian Becker

How do systems of power rise and fall? This class introduces the Marxist method for understanding how societies change. We’ll study the forces that shape history, from the development of tools and labor to the emergence of class struggle, and learn how changes in production have transformed every society. By grounding ourselves in this method, we’ll sharpen our ability to analyze the present and organize toward a radically different future.

Class recording

Class Powerpoint

Module 1 reflection questions

The module reflection questions are an opportunity to synthesize the lessons from the previous module and prepare for upcoming classes. The reflection questions will be the main way to confirm participation and earn a course certificate at the end. You can submit them individually, or gather as a group to discuss and submit them collectively. If you are submitting as a group, please indicate the names of group members.

Please use the same email from your registration when completing the module reflection questions.

Module 1 questions pdf

Name

First Name

Last Name

Email

If you are submitting this as a group, list group members and emails here

1. In the reading packet, there is a short poem by Bertolt Brecht titled Questions From a Worker Who Reads, in which Brecht poses a series of questions that invites us to look at history from a different perspective. Imagine that Bertolt Brecht is in your shoes and rewrite the poem using references from your life and context. What questions would you ask?

2. We discussed the relationship between the struggle for reforms and the struggle for revolution. Think of an example of a struggle for reform, whether it is one you have lived through or one you are interested in from history or from another context. What lessons can you take from that struggle? How might you explain that struggle in a way that builds revolutionary consciousness?

3. Class 2 introduced a concept called “historical materialism” as a method for understanding history and its movement. How do you understand this concept? Write your own definition.

4. Next week we are going to delve into some of the major coming crises of capitalism: Artificial Intelligence, Climate Catastrophe, and Global War. Generate as many questions as you can ahead of next week's classes. Consider questions from history, your own understanding of the current system and how it works, and insights or questions that have come up in conversations with friends or family.

Change

is possible

Class 1: Reform….and revolution!

Class 2: How the world changes

Module 1 reflection questions

The People’s Forum