Community Development
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Rural Soc 617
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SYLLABUS
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The web address for this syllabus is :
http://comm-org.wisc.edu/syllabi/cdsyllabus06.htm
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Professor: Randy Stoecker |
Fall, 2006 |
WELCOME!
The field of community development has almost as many definitions as practitioners. For some, it is narrowly defined as building buildings--a definition most common in the U.S. Others see it as very much a social service process. Some, mostly outside of the U.S., see it as a holistic practice including community organizing and advocacy. And yet others include all those definitions and more. Add to that the confusion over just what the target "community" is, and it is no wonder that we need an entire course just to begin understanding what is involved.
COURSE GOALS
I have two goals for this course:
1. to understand basic community development models.
2. to learn basic community development skills.
Achieving those two goals will probably be challenging for many of you. Community development is both a highly intellectual activity and a gritty practical one. Doing good community development requires understanding local, national, and regional political economies. It also requires excellent people skills. You will feel the tension between those two things in this course, as we shift back and forth between highly intellectual academic journal articles and nuts-n-bolts training manuals.
SPECIAL LEARNING NEEDS
Please inform me if you have special learning needs so I can adjust the course to meet those needs.
MY PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
When teachers realize they still have things to learn and students realize they have things to teach, and when everyone is in an atmosphere where teachers are encouraged to learn and students are encouraged to teach, everyone benefits.
My job is to create and maintain a classroom atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable taking intellectual and interpersonal risks, and to help you do your part in maintaining that atmosphere. I welcome attacks on ideas, especially my own. But please practice respect for each other as people while you question and criticize each others' ideas.
PROFESSOR CONSULTATIONS
Please consult with me whenever you have a question about course assignments, lectures, discussions, or readings. I will gladly discuss questions you have about the course material. You should also consult with me whenever you may find yourself interested in the issues raised in the course and you want to discuss further or get more information.
COURSE ORGANIZATION
The course will begin with the thorny issue of definitions--what is a community, what is community development, etc. Then we will look at some of the conceptual issues in CD--social capital, political opportunity structures, and forms of CD that include technology, housing, and economic development. Then we will move into the training portion of the course, where you will learn basic skills like doorknocking, organizing meetings, assessing community conditions, and others. The final weeks of the course will be student led, covering topics that I am either not knowledgeable on or that you think should be included in the course.
CLASS PROCESS
At some points I will lecture, in order to provide you with historical background or theoretical concepts that I think are absolutely essential for you to develop effective knowledge of community organizing and development. Most of the time, however, we will be engaged in small group or large group discussion and workshops. These discussions will require you to provide information you obtained from the readings so, if you don't do the required readings each week, you will be lost and we will lose your participation. We will also be doing a number of workshops during the course that will involve discussion and interaction. I always welcome your participation, comments, and questions since I think student participation contributes to a much more interesting class.
READINGS
All readings are available on the Internet, though some may require that you be logged onto the UW network. I have taken every effort to post links that will work from on and off campus. When you are off campus, clicking on a reading link will redirect you to a login page where you should be able to use either your NetID or your student ID to access the reading. I apologize to anyone using screen readers who must contend with only barely accessible pdf files. All links are verified as of August 15. Please let me know if you find any bad ones.
I am also recommending my book "Research Methods for Community Change," for the training section of the course. It is not, however, required.
Each week there will be at least one reading required of everyone. You will choose among the rest of the readings to complete the reading requirement each week.
Please print out the readings you choose or bring your pda/laptop to class with an electronic version.
COURSE WEBSITE
This course is supported online, where you will submit your writing and engage in out-of-class discussion. You should be able to go to https://learnuw.wisc.edu/ to login, where you will see the course listed. This will be primarily for you to upload assignments. You can also use the "e-mail" link to contact your fellow classmates.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
You are responsible for reading, understanding, and following these requirements.
One of the other manifestations of the intellectual-practical tension in this course will be reflected in the assignments. I want you to learn how to write very brief, focused, plain-prose, lively stuff. I also want you to learn how to write complex involved pieces. So there will be two types of requirements for the course:
1. Letterman Lists
Those of you familiar with "The Late Show" probably know about David Letterman's famous top ten lists. These lists, presented beginning with the 10th (least important) item, present observations (humorous in Letterman's case) on a single topic. At the top of the list is the number one most important observation.
We are going to be adapting the Letterman list format for this class. You will be writing three Letterman lists, during the third, sixth, and twelfth weeks of class (see course calendar below):
- The top 10 theoretical insights about community development (due Sept. 22).
- The top 10 issues in community development (due Oct. 13).
- The top 10 strategies for successful community development (due Nov. 26).
How do you do these and how will I grade them? Here are the rules:
- Each item should be a maximum of one sentence (with a maximum of two commas), and should cite at least one reading.
- The entire list should cite a minimum of five readings for undergrad students and seven readings for grad students.
- Each item should be specific rather than general. Don't say "CDCs are contradictory organizations" but say "One of the CDC's contradictions is that its development projects often disorganize communities by moving old residents out and new residents in (Stoecker, 1997)." Don't quote readings.
- Each item will be worth 2 points, based on the criteria in 1-3 above. I will not grade you on whether I agree with your list, but on the extent to which you used the course readings accurately and specifically.
- Due dates are listed on the course calendar below. You lose 2 points for every day late.
- Please submit your list as hard copy in class or by using the electronic "dropbox" on the course support website.
- I welcome you to work collectively.
Be forewarned that this may be more difficult than it looks. Many of us write our way to understanding. Many people have to write 3-5 pages before they figure out what they really want to say. Letterman lists are what you write after you figure out what you want to say. You won't be able to do these the night before class unless you are exceptionally bright and clear-headed. You will have to ponder the readings, evaluating what you consider to be insights, and then prioritizing them. A good ten sentence list could take as long to do as a good 5-page essay. I write for both academic journals and for trade publications. It is far easier for me to write a 10,000 word journal article than a 2,000 word trade article.
So why put you through this? Here are the top 10 reasons for using Letterman lists:
- because there are too many of you to grade 10-page essay exams.
- because if I gave you tests you would tell me what I learned rather than what you learned, and I would be reading fifty versions of the same thing--borrrriiiinnnnggg.
- because I need a lever to get some of you to do the reading.
- because it could be fun.
- because I like trying new things and you should too.
- because it promotes self-expression by not predefining what the answer should be.
- because this way I can learn something too, as each of you combine different things in different ways and assign different priorities to the ideas.
- because it promotes active learning by helping you to read for insights rather than just for regurgitation.
- because it's important for everyone, but especially people working in community development, to learn how to write using fewer words.
- because doing good community development requires taking bits of things from a variety of sources to create useful outcomes, and this exercise will give you experience in that process.
**note: your list entries will be longer with more depth to them than the example above.
2. Final Project
Some of you like to write papers. Some of you have other relevant skills. You can propose to me anything relevant to the overall topic of community development for your final project, based on these broad requirements. I welcome and encourage collective work, so feel free to organize groups and develop collaborative projects. Here are some possibilities:
- You can make a contribution to the COMM-ORG web site (see http://comm-org.wisc.edu/), which I edit. A contribution could include an annotated bibliography on some specialized topic in community organizing and development, a resource list, a list of organizations, etc.
- A thesis/dissertation/grant proposal. Feel welcomed to use this course to develop proposals.
- A traditional long paper.
- A non-traditional website or other multimedia product.
- A service learning project (see below on service learning projects).
The final project requirements are:
- present a written proposal no later than Sept. 28 (5 points for turning it in on time, -1 point for every day late). I reserve the right to not count final projects submitted without a proposal meeting that deadline. We will jointly negotiate the details of your project after I see your proposal. The proposal should be at least one page, and include the following:
- A description of your topic and justification of why it fits the course.
- An outline of your paper or a workplan if not a paper.
- present a full rough draft (complete with references) or project report/journal etc. no later than Nov. 30 (5 points for turning it in on time, -1 point for every day late).
- submit your final draft no later than the scheduled finals period (30 points, -5 points per day for every day late). This can include leading a portion of one class, either as a presentation, facilitated workshop, or other kind of experience (10 points).
Important:
Service learning projects: I am strict about service learning projects. I do not see such projects as primarily student learning experiences. Instead, the first goal of a service learning project is to enhance the capacity of a community organization. That means, to do a service learning project, you need specific skills that you can bring to a community organization. In your proposal, you will need to tell me what those skills are and how the organization you are working with will deploy those skills. If you wish to do a service learning project, here are the requirements:
- you need to find your own community organization. I will need a letter from their director or president at the beginning of the semester specifying what you will do at that organization, and what the deadlines will be for your work, before you begin.
- You will need to write a detailed reflection paper where you discuss your thoughts about the project in relation to the course material (at least 10 pages referencing at least 10 specific readings).
- I will need a letter at the end of the semester from the organization director or president specifying that the work was completed satisfactorily and on time. If I do not receive such a letter, you will receive no credit for the service learning project.
I will be happy to meet with you and the organization representative at any point to troubleshoot the partnership. If you run into difficulties along the way, please let me know so we can all sit down together and get the experience on track.
Traditional Papers: If you choose to write a traditional paper you should be thinking in terms of a minimum of 15 pages/15 references if you are an undergrad and 20 pages/20 references if you are a grad student.
Working in groups: Groupwork can be challenging. Some people join groups so they can get other people to do the work. If you submit a group proposal, I will ask that you specify what each group member will contribute to the final product. Each group member will receive the same grade for the final project unless a group member has alerted me to a problem in the group. In that event, I will ask each group member to grade every other group member. Each group member's project grade will then be computed as follows:
((sum of group member grades / number of group members) + (professor group grade)) / 2
Plagiarism: Being found guilty of plagiarism can include failing the course and even being expelled from the University. The Internet makes it very easy to plagiarize, and to catch plagiarism. It is much better to contact me if you are having difficulty developing a paper than to plagiarize and get kicked out of school. Now, I also know that those who are committed to cheating won't be put off at all by my pronouncements, but some honest students will be terror stricken that they might flunk the class because they forgot a citation. Please rest assured I will not flunk anyone because they forgot a citation. This policy is to catch the flagrant violators, not sloppy referencing. I will catch sloppy referencing on your rough drafts. For more, see http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/QuotingSources.html
3. Attendance
Last year a number of students commented that they resented some students not attending class regularly, and would have liked an attendance requirement. I am of two minds on such a requirement. On the one hand, I agree that students who do not attend should not receive the same grade as those who do. On the other hand, requiring attendance often forces students who do not want to be there to disrupt the class while they twiddle with their cell phones and otherwise act disinterested, and then I become more of a social control agent than an educator. And I generally find that those who do not attend receive a lower grade in the course (on average, a full letter lower) even when I don't require attendance.
My personal preference, of course, is that if you are not interested in the course, or otherwise cannot commit to attending, you should find a different course. We will collectively decide whether to have an attendance requirement in this class and I reserve the right to institute such a requirement at any time, based on the decision of students present in class on the day we decide.
Grades:
Your final grade will be figured as the total points earned from the Letterman lists (maximum = 60) plus the total points from the final project (maximum = 40).
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Grade
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Points
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A (Excellent)
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95-100
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AB (Intermediate grade)
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89-94
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B (Good)
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83-88
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BC (Intermediate grade)
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77-82
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C (Fair)
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71-76
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D (Poor)
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65-70
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F (Failure)
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64 or below
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COURSE CALENDAR
**Note: undergrads should read at least two readings per week; grads three readings (beginning Oct. 19, the readings are much shorter, and I will ask you to read more readings).
**Remember to print out the readings you choose or bring your pda/laptop to class with an electronic version.
**I may add readings as the semester progresses. You can always find the most up-to-date list on the web version of the syllabus. Please let me know of any broken links.
**If you receive permission errors for any reading
link, go to
https://www.library.wisc.edu/ezproxy-bin/ezpatronT.cgi, log in, and try
again.
| Sept. 7: | Definitions and Theories of Community | |
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Read at least one of the following:
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| Sept. 14: | Theory and History of Community Development | |
Read at least one of the following:
Read at least one of the following:
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| Sept. 21: | Community Development and Community Organizing | |
DUE Sept. 22--Letterman list--The top 10 theoretical insights about community development (covering readings through Sept. 21). Please submit your list as hard copy in class or by using the electronic "dropbox" on the course support website. Read at least one of the following:
Read at least one of the following:
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| Sept. 28: | Social Capital and the CDC model | |
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DUE--Final Project Proposal (upload to course website or e-mail to me) Guest--Dr. Gary Green, Department of Rural Sociology Social Capital--Read at least one of the following:
CDCs--Read at least one of the following:
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| Oct. 5: | The Political Opportunity Structure Context of Community Development | |
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Read at least one of the following:
Read at least one of the following:
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| Oct. 12: | Points of intervention: housing, economics, technology | |
DUE Oct. 13--Letterman list--The top 10 issues in community development (covering readings Sept. 28 through Oct. 12). Please submit your list by using the electronic "dropbox" on the course support website. Note: I am planning to be out of town during this class, so we will likely be meeting online. More on that later. Choose from the following (** is strongly recommended): Community Technology
Community Economic Development
Community Housing Development
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| Oct. 19: | CD Skills--Entering the Community | |
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Read:
Optional:
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| Oct. 26: | CD process—Choosing an Issue | |
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Optional:
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| Nov. 2: | CD Skills--Maximizing Participation | |
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| Nov. 9: | CD process--Designing an Intervention | |
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Optional:
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| Nov. 16: | CD process--Evaluation; Finding Funding | |
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Optional:
Read two of the following on funding:
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| Nov. 23: |
no class DUE Nov. 26--Letterman list--The top 10 tips to achieve successful community development (covering readings Oct. 19 through Nov. 16). Please submit your list as hard copy in class or by using the electronic "dropbox" on the course support website. |
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| Nov. 30: | student projects | |
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DUE--Final Project Draft: Nov. 4 Student led sessions:
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| Dec. 7: | student projects | |
Student led sessions:
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| Dec. 14: | student projects | |
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Student led sessions:
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| Dec. 20: |
DUE--All Final Projects, scheduled finals period, 10:05am |