Course Syllabus

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Instructor: Jenny Whitcher, Ph.D., MASC Director and Director of Service Learning
E-mail: JWhitcher@iliff.edu
Office Hours: By appointment, email me your availability

Course Synopsis:

A strong democracy depends on the civic agency of the people. In this course, students will learn about the history and core concepts of relational, broad-based community organizing in the United States, while gaining community organizing practice within their own communities. Students will reflect on their core values to define and develop their core self interest and public identity, build meaningful public relationships across difference and diversity, build and evaluate power, and develop community organizing strategies in collaboration with others.

 Each student will identify a community they are already currently involved with as a learning site for the quarter (e.g.: student organization, internship site, work, church, community group/nonprofit, etc.). Within this community context, students will practice community organizing tools and public skills, critically analyze through a community organizer worldview, and develop a community organizer portfolio to document their learning and development throughout the quarter and to plan for next steps beyond the confines of this course.

Syllabus

Books for the Course: 

All reading and media are accessible online through the Canvas course management website via open source weblink or downloadable pdf. While available electronically, you may prefer to purchase the following books, as we will be reading these books in their entirety, or close to it. The rest of the readings are chapters from books (not entire books) or articles.

  • Alinsky, Saul. 1970. (1946) 1974. Reveille for Radicals. New York: Vintage Books.  
  • ----------. (1971) 1989. Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals. New York: Vintage Books.
  • Chambers, Edward T.D. 2003.  Roots for Radicals: Organizing for Power, Action and Justice.  New York: Continuum International Publishing Group.
  • Gecan, Michael. 2004. Going Public: An Organizer's Guide to Citizen Action. Norwell, MA: Anchor.  
  • Rogers, Mary B. 1990. Cold Anger: A Story of Faith and Power Politics. Denton, TX: University of North Texas Press.  

See Taylor Library's list of online book sellers for purchasing options.

Overview and Objectives

Evaluation

Policies And Services

MASC Degree Learning Goals

Course Summary:

Date Details Due