This course will develop student knowledge and understanding of community organizing history, theory and practice. It will provide insight into what propels people into action, the political independence and interdependence of various organizational forms, and how an organizational form, over time, serves to enhance or inhibit a group’s/movement’s original vision.  This course will also explore the relationship between social research and community building through a review of the research methods that communities use to develop strategy, tactics, and resources to solve problems. 

The objective of this course is to provide students with both a conceptual framework and the practical skills for organizing effectively in the community for social, environmental and economic justice. Through an exploration of the different types of community organization - grassroots citizen action groups, non-profit social service agencies, issue coalitions, and government-sponsored councils - this class will examine the concepts of self-interest, power, institutional change, community control, and leadership. It will also explore how these models relate to social movements and how issues of diversity, including race, ethnicity, class, gender, religion, sexual orientation and age affect organizing philosophy and strategy.