Class Descriptions

International Community Organization

SW716

Course Description

This course provides intensive didactic and experiential learning for students interested in comparative community work across countries of concern or interest. The course examines core concepts of community practice, major models of comparative policy work, and practical steps for community-based work. It is designed to provide knowledge and skills to build upon and prepare for more advanced courses in comparative urban policy, community-based work with youth, and non-governmental social justice community organization.

This course exposes students to the ways in which organizations and agents (organizations, municipal governance, grass roots and community residents) in various countries throughout the world organizing community residents to engage in social and political action on their own behalf or on behalf of others. Students will analyze the ways in which countries use different approaches to mobilizing people for collective action, challenging oppressive structures and processes, building organizational capacity, implementing action plans, and generating power in the community. The course includes analysis of the impact of international flows of labor, education, people and related commodities on creation and disruption of power structures; the formulation of action strategies; the use of tactics involving persuasion, consensus, and conflict; the organization, implementation and evaluation of community campaigns; the use of political and media advocacy; and the relationship of social and political action to contemporary issues which affect oppressed and disadvantaged communities in these countries. Case examples will be drawn between the U.S. and other nations. Special emphasis will be placed on organizing communities of color, women, refugees, LGBTQ populations, and other under-represented groups in global society.

This course will focus selectively on the challenges and opportunities agents and actors within communities in countries face in improving the lives of their citizens and the roles social workers currently or possibly can play in solving or successfully addressing them. We will also address the ways in which community practice may be used either intentionally or unintentionally as agents of social control.

Objectives

Students will understand:
1. the impact of globalization upon country specific relationships of contemporary social, economic and political issues to social and political action strategies and tactics;
2. the ways in which countries apply nationally normative ways of presenting social and political dynamics as they relate to issues of power, privilege, social justice, and resource distribution;
3. how agents and actors in different countries demonstrate skills in community assessment, leadership and organizational development, planning and conducting campaigns, and the evaluation of their results;
4. how agents and actors in different countries formulate strategies and create tactics which engage constituencies in social and political action.

Students will analyze:
5. alternative models, strategies, tactics, and modes of social and political action directed towards these goals using comparative methodologies;

Students will understand and analyze:
6. the changing context of international and comparative social and political action; Students will identify and discuss:
7. the ways agents and actors in different countries incorporate attention to issues related to diversity dimensions such as ability, age, class, color, culture, ethnicity, family structure, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), marital status, national origin, race, religion or spirituality, sex and sexual orientation, as well as community of residence and other dimensions which are associated with privilege, discrimination, domination, and oppression;

Students will identify and analyze: 8. the country specific and cross-country major value and ethical dilemmas that arise in the course of organizing for social and political action.