AP/HREQ 3892 3.00
Community Action, Advocacy, and Social Justice
This course uses a critical human rights approach to understand the role of community action and advocacy in enhancing social justice outcomes. Grassroots movements to effect social change and combat discrimination in all its forms are explored.
Students will be able to connect personal experiences with social issues and acquire both macro- and micro social perspectives on the dynamics of organizational and social factors in effecting social changes. This course encourages students to engage in debate, dialogue, and critical analysis of strategies designed to enhance individual and collective rights, responsibilities, and equity, including an interrogation of the concepts of advocacy, social movements, empowerment and community accountability. The course prepares students to be informed and active engaged participants in the process of community building and social change. Community action and social change incorporates an analysis of positive sources of power and the experiences of individuals, groups, and communities mobilizing for social change. Further, the course highlights an advocacy approach that confronts systemic barriers and challenges, leadership and organizational development, social justice strategy frameworks, and community-building. Case studies include critical intersectional social justice analyses Equally, we examine inter-related stages of organizational change and community organizing. The course provides students with an opportunity to explore theoretically, historically and comparatively the nature of advocacy and community movements.
Prerequisite: 24 credits