Students and other learners benefit greatly from courses which give them a strong understanding of the region or other context where they will be working for positive change. For example, if they work in a rapidly changing suburban county, agents of change must develop an understanding of the county's demographic and economic trends, its government structure and politics, and the roles and power of key actors in the public, business and nonprofit sectors.
Furthermore, in preparing to become expert change agents students benefit greatly from a solid grounding in local social history, especially key lessons from the history of past and current efforts by marginalized people to influence issues which have a great impact on their lives and opportunities.
These courses develop the students’ analytic skills, enabling them to better understand and adjust to new situations as they face them. They share the same principal goal -- helping students develop well-informed, effective strategies for developing influence on the issues they care about.
Such courses derive a great deal from the traditions and strong commitment to "power analysis" among community organizers and many teachers of community organizing courses. Their experience over the decades has resulted in many lessons about applying rigorous research and knowledge-building techniques to the process of preparing for action on an issue through rigorous research and analysis of an issue, its background and politics, the "lay of the land", key actors and their motivations and relationships, and lessons from past attempts to create change.
Furthermore, in preparing to become expert change agents students benefit greatly from a solid grounding in local social history, especially key lessons from the history of past and current efforts by marginalized people to influence issues which have a great impact on their lives and opportunities.
These courses develop the students’ analytic skills, enabling them to better understand and adjust to new situations as they face them. They share the same principal goal -- helping students develop well-informed, effective strategies for developing influence on the issues they care about.
Such courses derive a great deal from the traditions and strong commitment to "power analysis" among community organizers and many teachers of community organizing courses. Their experience over the decades has resulted in many lessons about applying rigorous research and knowledge-building techniques to the process of preparing for action on an issue through rigorous research and analysis of an issue, its background and politics, the "lay of the land", key actors and their motivations and relationships, and lessons from past attempts to create change.
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In this video, former Co-Executive Director of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) Arnie Graf tells two fascinating stories of how he prepared for major organizing assignments in two very different contexts -- San Antonio and Buffalo -- with different cultures, histories, dynamics and community leadership. (each story is approximately 14 minutes long and can be studied separately)
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In yet another dramatically different rural context -- Oregon's Willamette Valley -- Ramon Ramirez organized both community and labor organizations taking on the challenge of helping farm workers to work in unity on a broad range of issues -- working conditions, basic needs and services, human rights and self-determination -- developing creative new ways of building power and influence in a hostile rural context.
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Resources for Course Development
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Political Economy and Other Courses on the Region and/or Other Context
Chapter with materials from a number of courses, including the ones linked below |
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Sample Syllabi on Region or Other Context
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Politics of San Francisco This course was originally designed and co-taught by an extraordinarily diverse set of four people – the Chair of Political Science at San Francisco State University, the Deputy Mayor, a grassroots coalition leader and advocate. and the Executive Director of the Chinatown CDC.
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History of Community Development in Los Angeles Syllabus Los Angeles Trade Tech’s course is taught by Executive Director Benny Torres and other adjunct faculty from the nonprofit planning and technical assistance organization Community Development Technology Center. It traces the history of community development in Los Angeles from Native American times, the Spanish and US conquests, the massive regional growth, disinvestment and gentrification--- focusing on struggles involving low-income and other working people and communities of color and current issues.
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Institute for Civic & Community Engagement: The Urban Curriculum. San Fransisco State University
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Justice, Nature, and the Geography of Identities. DeAnza College course on Silicon Valley politics, economics, and community action
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A draft syllabus for course on Baltimore -- The Inner Harbor and Community Benefit
Developed by Andy Mott
navigate to other Core Subjects
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