Self and Community

Fall 2007

Syllabus

Welcome to Self and Community.  During fall quarter, you can look forward to studying psychological and sociological perspectives on identity, society, social problems, and human service work.  We will examine questions such as: Where do I fit within my community?  How does my society influence me? How can I have a positive impact on my community and society?  We will explore the reciprocal relationship between self and community through program readings, class activities, and fieldwork exercises.  Students who complete fall quarter will be prepared to enter a full-time internship during the winter in order to do service work in an area that is meaningful to them.  This is a full-year program, and we expect students to remain in the program for the entire year. 

Please consult our website weekly for program updates (www2.evergreen.edu/self).

Contact Information

Typical Week in Fall Quarter

Be mindful of these Expectations as you work in our program.  Discuss your progress toward these goals in your self-evaluation and during your conferences with faculty.

1. Articulate and assume responsibility for your own work.

2. Participate collaboratively and responsibly in our diverse society.

3. Communicate creatively and effectively.

4. Demonstrate integrative, independent, and critical thinking.

5. Apply qualitative, quantitative, and creative modes of inquiry appropriately to practical and theoretical problems across disciplines.

6. As a culmination of your education, demonstrate depth, breadth, and synthesis of learning and the ability to reflect on the personal and social significance of that learning.

We will cancel class if campus is closed, and we may also do so if we believe it is unsafe to hold class.  If this happens, we will try to send an all-program email notification, so make sure the registrar has your current email address.  You should also check the announcements page on our program's website and call your seminar faculty's phone number (we may leave pertinent information on our voicemail). 

Note: One of the benefits of being a learning community is that learning can happen without the guidance of a faculty member.  If your faculty is late to class, you should begin class on your own rather than assuming class is canceled. 

The books for this program will be available at the Evergreen bookstore.  Be sure to get the correct edition of the texts by buying them at the bookstore or by checking the ISBN at the bookstore before buying the books elsewhere.  The ISBNs listed are the ones we ordered, but occasionally different ones arrive. 

Ayers, William.  1998.  A Kind and Just Parent: The Children of Juvenile Court.  Beacon Press.  ISBN: 9780807044032 or 0807044032.

Dalton, J. H., Elias, M. J., & Wandersman, A. (2007).  Community Psychology:  Linking Individuals and Communities  (2nd ed.).  Belmont:  CA: Thomson.  ISBN 780-534-63454-4-0 or 0-534-63454-0

Eichler, M.  (2007).  Consensus Organizing:  Building Communities of Mutual Self-Interest.  Thousand Oaks: CA.  Sage.  ISBN 978-1-4129-2659-1 or 1-4129-2659-9

Gladwell, Malcolm.  2002.  The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.  Back Bay Books/Little, Brown, and Co.  ISBN: 978-0-316-34662-7 or 0316346624.

Johnson, Allan.  2005.  Privilege, Power, and Difference (2nd ed).  McGraw-Hill Companies.  ISBN: 9780072874891 or 0072874899.

Lappe, Frances and Anna Lappe.  2003.  Hope's Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet.  Tarcher [Imprint]; Penguin Group.  ISBN: 9781585422371 or 1585422371.

Liebow, Elliot.  1995.  Tell Them Who I Am: The Lives of Homeless Women.  Penguin.  ISBN: 9780140241372 or 014024137X.

Solinger, Rickie. 2007.  Pregnancy and Power: A Short History of Reproductive Politics in America.  New York University Press ; ISBN: 9780814798287 or 0814798284.

Some readings may also be placed on reserve at the library circulation desk or in a secure location on our program web page.

There are a variety of group and individual assignments in this program.  You will find descriptions below, and will receive more detailed information for some assignments during program meetings and on our program website.

This two-stage project is designed to provide you the opportunity to: explore a social issue that is important to you improve your library research knowledge and skills, create an annotated bibliography, and work collaboratively to present your findings to your peers.  Specific assignment details follow.

During fall quarter we will be reading, reflecting on, and discussing several texts in our exploration of self and community. Seminar is a cornerstone of your Evergreen education. To get the most out of this experience, you must complete your readings and assignments well before seminar and bring that week's readings to class. An assignment will be due most weeks during seminar.  These assignments vary week to week, although all assignments involve reading an entire text or a selection of text. Specific assignment details follow in the class schedule.

During fall quarter students will be meeting in small groups on Monday to further explore program topics and to discuss research findings. Two process papers, peer feedback on research papers, and in-depth processing of the program content are associated with this learning group. 

Hands-on experience is an important part of learning.  You will conduct some brief fieldwork assignments to familiarize yourself with our community and with yourself.  Your assignments must be completed before you come to class, as they will form the basis of our activities that day. 

Understanding yourself includes learning about the connections between your mind, body, and spirit.  To facilitate this understanding, we will participate in a basic yoga practice, Tibetan movement, and other movement activities together each week.  Your program registration included a small fee for use of the school's yoga equipment; you have automatically paid this fee. 

Winter Internship Preparation Assignments

You will devote your entire winter quarter to service work that is meaningful to you.  Some fall quarter assignments will help you identify your interests and locate potential volunteer or internship organizations.  You must have your winter plans formalized before the end of fall quarter.

Additional Items

Other assignments may include questions for guest speakers, unannounced in-class essays on the assigned readings, and a portfolio of your completed work that includes your self-evaluation. 

Weekly Schedule

This syllabus is a fluid document that may change to incorporate new opportunities or to enhance learning.  Any changes will be announced in class and will be posted to the web. It is recommended that you check the website once a week (www2.evergreen.edu/self).

A note on readings: You will be reading some materials in preparation for lectures and other materials in preparation for seminars and workshops.  Complete the readings well before the day they are listed.

oral report on research due Tues, Sept. 25th at 10 a.m.: What were the political, economic, cultural, and global phenomena at the time of your birth?  What was the influence of these conditions on how you were raised and on the values in your family?  (Ask your parents, look at newspapers from that period...)

Seminar assignment on Johnson: Construct your own "diversity wheel" using Johnson pg. 15 as a model.  How do these factors define and influence your own communities?  Using specific examples, apply the concepts of "paths of least resistance" and "getting off the hook" to your own experiences with marginalization and oppression.  Using text references from ch. 9, discuss concrete strategies you can use within your own communities to work toward social justice.

Seminar assignment on Gladwell: How will you apply what you've learned from The Tipping Point to your Winter service learning work?  Be specific about what you've learned, use specific examples of how you'll apply this learning, and use page citations throughout your discussion.

Week Six: Understanding Violence, Crime, and Juvenile Justice

Do not make plans to leave campus before December 14th, which is the end of the quarter. Evaluation conferences will be scheduled with your seminar faculty member.