SOCIAL SCIENCE 1185 9.0: WOMEN AND SOCIETY                          2010-2011
Professor Linda Briskin

WOMEN’S ORGANIZING
RESEARCHING AND ORGANIZING VIA THE WORLD WIDE WEB
                       
This assignment will help familiarize you with researching on and organizing on the world wide web (WWW).

For this assignment, you will do an on-line tutorial on web research, examine (in small groups) the website of one social justice/women’s organization in the Greater Toronto area, prepare a one-page information sheet on this organization, and participate in a Tutorial Roundtable.

GRADE: part of your Tutorial Participation/Work Grade.

IMPORTANT:  You will only get Tutorial Work credit if you hand in your test results from the Web Research Tutorial. 

STEP ONE: ONLINE TUTORIAL ON WEB RESEARCH.
<http://www.yorku.ca/webclass/>.

The Web Research Tutorial teaches you to use publicly-accessible web sites for research, understand what kind of information is freely available on the web, what kinds of search tools and techniques will help you get useful results, and how to critically evaluate and properly document what you find. The most important part of the tutorial is on “Evaluating Web Resources” and “Citing Web Resources”.  The tutorial includes a self-test at the end allowing you to gauge your understanding.

Re-do the self test until you have scored 100%. Print out your results. Hand in on day of Tutorial Roundtable.

You are also encouraged to do the tutorial titled “Internet Detective” which is available under the “Other Resources and Useful Links” <http://www.yorku.ca/webclass/module5f.html>

STEP TWO: EXPLORING ONE ORGANIZATION
Your tutorial leader will divide you into groups. Each group will examine one website from the attached list of women’s groups and organizations that engage in social justice organizing, and/or provide advocacy and support services to particular communities in the Greater Toronto Area.

As a group, do the following tasks.

1. Examine the website of the group. Be sure to click on every link.

2. Explain their mission, that is, the goals of this group or organization.

3. List the major activities in which they are involved.

4. What specific opportunities are available to join, participate and/or volunteer?

Identify the contact person and/or email for further information about joining, participating or volunteering.

5. Produce a one-page sheet on your organization/group with answers to four questions above.

At the top of the sheet, be sure to include the name of the organization, the url (website address), telephone number, email, mailing address and any relevant contact names..

Also include your own names.

Bring enough copies of your handout for everyone in your tutorial.

STEP THREE: TUTORIAL ROUNDTABLE ON WOMEN’S ORGANIZING
Information sheets will be distributed at the Tutorial Roundtable.

For the Tutorial Roundtable discussion, each person should come prepared with a comment on one or both of these questions.

1. Identify the most important thing you learned about women’s organizing, volunteering and/or making change. Be quite specific. Try to link your comment to a course concept or reading.

2. Would you consider volunteering/participating in the organization you explored? Why or why not?

Your Tutorial Leader will provide further directions for the Roundtable.

DUE: see date on your Course Outline.

GRADE: a portion of the grade points assigned for Tutorial Participation/Tutorial Work

HAND IN: Your completion sheet on the Web Research Tutorial.

HAND OUT: Information sheet on your organization

Young Feminists
http://www.rebelles.org/en/node
The Rebelles Movement

Violence Against Women
http://www.yorku.ca/sassl/
Sexual Assault Survivors Support Line

http://www.springtideresources.org/
Springtide Resources

http://www.schliferclinic.com/schliferClinic.html
Barbara Schlifer Commemorative Clinic

http://www.trccmwar.ca/index.html
The Toronto Rape Crisis Centre

http://www.owjn.org/
Ontario Women’s Justice Network

Homeless, Marginalized and Low Income Women
http://www.sistering.org/
Sistering

Election of Women
http://www.equalvoice.ca/index.cfm
Equal Voice

Serving Particular Communities of Women
http://www.sawc.org/
South Asian Women’s Centre

http://www.fmw.org/
Federation of Muslim Women

http://www.cbwc-ontario.org/
Congress of Black Women of Canada (Toronto chapter)

Eating Disorders
http://www.sheenasplace.org/index.php?page=about_our_programs
Sheena`s Place

Poverty
http://update.ocap.ca/
Ontario Coalition against poverty

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Transgendered  
http://www.fsatoronto.com/programs/lgbtparenting.html
LGBT Parenting Network

http://www.soytoronto.org/
Supporting Our Youth

Immigration
http://toronto.nooneisillegal.org/
No one is illegal

Mental Health
http://www.griffin-centre.org/aboutus.asp
The Griffin Centre