Course Syllabus

Instructor: Dr. Jenny Whitcher, MASC Director & Director of Service Learning

E-mail: jwhitcher@iliff.edu

Office Hours: By appointment, please email your availability.

Course Synopsis: An interdisciplinary critical review of social change strategies and their historical and contemporary contexts. Students will identify and share their own motivations for social change as part of a critical attempt to identify and understand the meaning systems behind social change strategies such as: social movements, legislative and political systems, violence-based conflict, market systems and economics, education and multimedia, direct service, and alternative communities.

Reading & Media: All required reading/media are available on Canvas for download or through public access weblink. Required readings/media are listed within their respective dated assignment at the bottom of this webpage. A list of additional course-related resources is also available for personal reference, and students are invited to contribute to this list.

Overview and Objectives

Evaluation

Policies And Services

MASC Degree Learning Goals

Course Updates:

• Spiritual Centering for Social Change (5-10 minutes at the start of each class): Each student will have a turn to lead this part of class, sharing a spiritual practice, media/reading, or activity that influences, motivates, or centers their social change work, commitment, and/or values. Each spiritual centering should be personally relevant to the facilitator, and accessible (not exclusive) to the diverse classroom community. If for any reason you do not want to participate in a spiritual centering practice/activity facilitated by another student, you may politely opt out, either remaining in your seat or leaving the classroom if you choose.
• Social Movements Theory Chart: I have shared the chart from class as a Google spreadsheet with you, and you all have editing privileges. You might find it useful to use this chart as you prepare for the first draft of your final paper, please collaborate on the chart as you continue your research so that we might expand it as a resource for the entire class that is made better by many minds.  Please use the following format to make edits so we can follow changes to the chart:
• Put your edits in a different color text from those you see in the document (a new color, like this)
• Add your initials to the end of your contribution before the period in the last sentence, like this (JW).
• Feel free to add columns as you find useful