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Community Organizing: History, Theory and Practice (PSCI 1170)
Total Credits:
3
Lecture Credits:
3
Description:
This course, designed for those considering a career in nonprofit and social-change fields, explores the history, theory, and practice of community organizing and emphasizes indigenous perspectives of community organizing while it examines the relationship between social action and politics, economics and identity. You will examine the key assumptions of this approach to sociopolitical change and examine the differences and divisions that characterize the field. You will also use collaborative learning approaches and active learning techniques to help you develop basic skills central to community organizing.
Topical Outline:
1. Theories of socio-political change
2. Power and systems of privilege
3. Community organizing history, models and approaches
4. Community organizing skills (issue identification; power analysis; research; framing, strategy and tactics; relationship-building; fundraising)
5. Movement building, political education, and personal transformation
Learning Outcomes:
1. Outline the history and development of community organizing in the U.S.
2. Identify, compare and evaluate community organizing approaches
3. Create a power analysis of a current issue
4. Demonstrate basic community organizing skills
5. Collaboratively create an organizing campaign plan
Prerequisites:
Placement into
READ 0200 or
ESOL 0052 or completion of
READ 0100 or
ESOL 0042
MnTC: