SSWM 567: Community Development Organization Strategies

Professor: Mark Joseph, Ph.D.

Full Time Program

Spring 2007

Office Phone: 216-368-3426 Mailing Address:

Email: Case/Mandel School

Office Location: MSASS Bldg., Room 202 10900 Euclid Avenue

Office Hours: Thursdays, 1:00pm to 3:00pm, also available by appointment Cleveland, OH 44106-7164

Class Hours: Thursdays, 8:30 am to 12:45 pm

Course Room Number: TBD

CRN:34471

I. Course Description

The purpose of this course is to examine theories and strategies of focusing on communities as a means of impacting social change. It will explore the ideas behind using community as an organizing principle and unit of action and the history of such efforts in the United States. A particular focus will be on efforts to improve the quality of life for individuals and families in low-income urban communities of color. We will examine some of the assumptions about community that drive these efforts, as well as the goals, strategies, and roles played by community organizers, community builders, community-based organizations, and community initiatives that seek to mobilize communities for social change. We will explore the potential and the challenges that these efforts have faced and the lessons learned to date. We will pay particular attention to the broader economic, social, demographic, institutional, and policy contexts in which community-based efforts must function. The course aims to provide students with an understanding of the complexity of community structure and processes and some of the possibilities and limitations of community-based approaches to social change.

II. Course Objectives (Abilities that are Central to this Course):

1) To develop a better comprehension of theories and concepts pertaining to community and community development, i.e., definitions of community, power, strengths-based and asset-based development, social capital. (EPAS 4.2, 4.3)

Abilities:

- Apply Social Work Methods

- Integrate Social Work Values and Ethics

- Think Critically

2) To develop a better comprehension of the broader contexts, i.e. historical, economic, and social which have influenced and continue to influence community well-being and community-based interventions. (EPAS 4.2, 4.3, 4.4)

Abilities:

- Think Critically

3) To sensitize students to problems of poverty and deprivation at the community and neighborhood level, understand the role of community as a contributing factor and potential solution to those problems, and to understand the interrelationship of needs and circumstances such as employment, health, education, and housing status. (EPAS 4.2, 4.3, 4.4)

Abilities:

- Integrate Social Work Values and Ethics

- Think Critically

- Advocate for Social Justice

4) To understand the various types of community-based efforts, organizations, and strategies and analyze the potential role for social workers. (EPAS 4.4, 4.5)

Abilities:

- Apply Social Work Methods

- Think Critically

5) To understand the importance of fully engaging community members and stakeholders in community-based efforts and the potential and challenges of this approach. (EPAS 4.2, 4.5)

Abilities of Work,

- Apply Social Work Methods

- Integrate Social Work Values and Ethics

- Think Critically

- Advocate for Social Justice

III. Course Topics:

· Defining community and neighborhood, community action, community development, community-based interventions

· Strengths-based and asset-based development

· Social capital

· History of community action and community development policy

· Political economic of cities and neighborhoods

· Neighborhood effects and how neighborhoods matter

· Race and ethnicity: structural racism, immigration

· Community organizing

· Community building

· Community-based organizations

· Community Development Corporations

· Comprehensive Community Initiatives

· Community development implications for public policy

IV. Course Reading

Required Texts

There are no required textbooks for purchase, all readings are available on Blackboard.

Required Articles

Required articles are listed by class session below. Bear in mind that this course is taught in a 7-week, 4 hours per week condensed format, meaning that each week’s readings are the equivalent preparing for two classes. Please allot sufficient time to complete all course readings. Short supplementary readings may be added by the professor during the semester.

Locating Course Readings

Required readings listed by class session are on Blackboard (http://blackboard.cwru.edu). A Quick Guide to using Blackboard can be found at www.cwru.edu/net/csg/CI.stuquickstart.html. You will need to have VPN installed and running on your computer to be able to access the articles from off-campus. More information about VPN can be found at http://www.cwru.edu/net/guide/help.vpn.html.

V. Methods to Attain Course Objectives

This class will use a variety of learning formats and strives for a strong connection with real-world actors and contexts. The course will include lectures, class exercises and large group discussions, small group discussion and exercises, videos, guest speakers and panel discussions, and field trips. Class attendance and full active participation are required in this course. Assigned readings should be read before class, and students should be prepared to discuss and apply readings during class.

VI. Instructor Responsibilities

· Deliver lectures relevant to learning goals and objectives.

· Develop discussion and exercise materials.

· Arrange for supplemental materials as needed.

· Facilitate large group and small group activities.

· Arrange for and facilitate discussion with guest speakers and panels.

· Arrange field trips.

· Read and comment on student assignments.

· Evaluate student work and provide feedback.

VII. Student Responsibilities

· Arrive for class on time. Return from breaks on time.

· Actively participate in class sessions. (Please contact the instructor in advance if you will be absent)

· Share ideas, learning, and experiences with the class.

· Complete all assignments on time, including readings and papers.

· Provide feedback on identified learning needs as the course progresses.

There will be a 15-minute break halfway through each class session.

Students with Special Needs:

If you have a learning disability, sensory, or physical disability or other impairment, or if English is your second language and you may need special assistance please contact the appropriate University administrative office and be sure the professor is notified.

VIII. Grading

Attendance/Participation (20 Points)

Assignment 1: Concept paper (30 Points)

Assignment 2: Strategy Paper (50 Points)

Grading Criteria

Assignments must be turned in on the due date. Late assignments will result in a deduction of points. Prior approval should be obtained from the professor in extenuating circumstances for permission to turn papers in late.

Reminder: Attendance and participation in class are required in this course. Lack of attendance and participation will result in a lower score.

Grade Scale: A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

IX. Assignments

Attendance/Participation (20 Points):

Participation points will be given based on attendance, preparedness, and active participation in class.

Assignment #1 (30 Points) Concept Paper:

In a 6 to 8 page paper, please address the following:

Reflect on community as a unit of action for promoting social change. What is “community” and what is its relevance for improving the quality of life of individuals and families? What are the benefits and possibilities of community-based action? What are the limitations and challenges of a focus on community? What are the different ways that “community” can be defined – and does it make a difference for the type of community-based action that can be taken? Select a social problem that most concerns you, and assess the relevance of “community” to that issue.

The paper should be typed, double-spaced, 12-point font and proofread. There should be a cover page, but do not count the cover page towards your page limit and do not put a page number on your cover page. Do not include a header/footer with your name on any inside pages. This assignment is due Tuesday February 6th, 2007 (Week Four).

Assignment #2 (50 points) Strategy Paper:

In a 12 to 15 page paper, please address the following:

Identify a social problem and design a community-based strategy to address it. Ground your analysis and strategy in an actual community that you know – describe the history, demographics and dynamics of the community and provide a rationale for why your strategy is well-suited to that community. Describe the sequence and components of your strategy with a clear rationale for the design choices you have made. What types of short-term and long-term differences for people and places do you think your strategy will achieve, and how? What will be the biggest challenges in implementing your strategy and what can be done to confront those challenges? Be sure to incorporate key perspectives from the readings to help frame and support your analysis and recommendations.

X. Class Sessions

SECTION I: THEORIES AND CONCEPTS

Week One – January 18, 2007:

Topics: Community and community-based action; Other key concepts and principles

Following an overview of the course, students will share their background and perspectives on community and community development. We will then examine definitions of these and other related terms and consider their relevance for social change. We will consider the benefits and limitations of a community-based approach. We will also discuss other core concepts related to community action including power, asset-based development, and social capital. The decline and potential revitalization of the Cleveland metropolitan area will be discussed, with a consideration of the relevance of “community” to this process.

Activities:

Video: Cleveland: Confronting Decline in an American City (58 minutes).

Readings: [Reminder: The equivalent of 2 class sessions are covered each week]

Sampson, R. (1999). "What 'Community' Supplies." Pp. 241-292 in Urban Problems and Community Development, edited by Ronald F. Ferguson and William T. Dickens. Washington, D. C.: Brookings Institution Press. Focus on pp 241-265 and 277-79.

McKnight, J. (1987). “Regenerating Community.” Social Policy. Winter 1987. pp 54-58.

Halpern, R. (1995). Rebuilding the Inner City: A History of Neighborhood Initiatives to Address Poverty in the United States. New York: Columbia University Press. “Introduction”, pp.1-18.

Ferguson, R.F. & Stoutland, S. E. (1999). “Reconceiving the Community Development Field.” Pp. 33-74 in Ronald F. Ferguson and William T. Dickens (eds.), Urban Problems and Community Development. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press. Focus on pp. 33-44.

Lemann, N.(1999). “The Myth of Community Development” in Hird, John A., and Michael Reese (Eds.). Controversies in American Public Policy. Boston and New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Kretzmann, J. & McKnight, J.P. (1996). Assets-Based Community Development. National Civic Review v85n4: p.23-29.

SECTION II: CONTEXT

Week Two – January 25, 2007:

Topics: The history of community action and community development policy; The political economy of cities and neighborhoods

Community-based efforts to promote social change were a part of the very roots of social work in the U.S. and there have been over a century’s worth of efforts to use community as a lever to improve the conditions of life for individuals and families in America. There is a likewise a long history of actions and decisions by policymakers and other powerful forces in America that have influenced the decline and, in some cases, revitalization of urban communities. We will review and discuss this historical context. Understanding the potential and limitations of community action requires an understanding of the broader economic and political forces that shape and constrain opportunities at the community level. We will examine and discuss these forces.

Activities:

Video: Timeline: A History of Community Development Policy in America (90 minutes).

Guest Speaker: To be announced.

Readings:

O’Connor, A. (1999). Swimming Against the Tide: A Brief History of Federal Policy in Poor Communities. Pp. 77-137 in R. F. Ferguson and W. T. Dickens (eds.), Urban Problems and Community Development. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.

Halpern, R. (1995). Rebuilding the Inner City: A History of Neighborhood Initiatives to Address Poverty in the United States. New York: Columbia University Press. Chapter 1: The Emergence of Neighborhood Initiative. Pp.19-56.

Briggs, X. de S. (2005). The Geography of Opportunity. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.

Week Three – February 1, 2007:

Topics: How neighborhoods matter; Race, ethnicity and immigration

What are the important facets of the urban context for community action? We will combine in-class and out-of-class activities to consider this question, using the city of Cleveland as a real-world example. An important starting point for designing and implementing community-based strategies in urban neighborhoods is determining whether and in what ways neighborhoods matter to their residents. We will review and discuss the broad literature on neighborhood effects and its implications. A core issue in understanding urban poverty and the state of inner city neighborhoods is structural racism – decisions and actions by those with power that have resulted in inequitable conditions and opportunities for people of color, particularly African Americans. We will explore how race has and will continue to matter in community development.

Activities:

Field Trip: Tour of Cleveland Neighborhoods

Video: Race: The Power of an Illusion (56 minutes).

Readings:

Wilson, W. J. (1987) The Truly Disadvantaged. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. pp. 20-62.

Ellen, I. G. & Turner, M.A. (2003) Do Neighborhoods Matter and Why? In J. Goering and J. Feins, (Eds.) Choosing a Better Life: Evaluating the Moving To Opportunity Social Experiment. Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute Press. p. 313-338. Focus on pp. 324-331.

Furstenberg, F. (1993) “How families manage risk and opportunity in dangerous neighborhoods” In Sociology and the Public Agenda, edited by William J. Wilson, 231-258. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Lawrence, K, Sutton, S., Kubisch, A., Susi, G., & Fulbright-Anderson, K. (2004). Structural Racism and Community Building. Washington, D.C.: The Aspen Institute Roundtable on Community Change.

Potapchuk, M., Liederman, S., Bivens, D., & Major, B. (2005). Flipping the Script: White Privilege and Community Building. MP Associations/Center for Assessment and Policy Development. Chapter 2.

SECTION III: STRATEGIES

Week Four – February 8, 2007:

Topics: Community organizing; Community building

As we move into the section of the course that focuses on strategies, we will examine two broad strategies for connecting with community members and connecting them with each other: community organizing and community building. Although some use these terms interchangeably, we will clearly define the important differences between community organizing as a specific action strategy and community building as a philosophical concept and strategic “lens.” Community organizing has a much longer history of implementation in the U.S., community building is a more recent concept, developed and popularized in the 1990s. We will discuss the value of each to community-based efforts and the successes and failures of their implementation to date.