THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
COURSE NUMBER:
COURSE TITLE:
SOWO 882 (SECTION 001)
Citizen Participation and Volunteer Involvement
SEMESTER:
DAY/TIME:
Fall 2013
Tuesday, 2:00 – 4:50 pm
INSTRUCTOR:
Laurie Selz Campbell, MSW, CPRP
Tate Turner Kuralt Bldg. Room 354
(919) 843-6394
lauriesc@unc.edu
OFFICE HOURS:
Tuesday 12:30 – 1:30 and by appointment, phone, or email.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Examines the role of grassroots organization in advocacy, self help and social
development; involvement of citizens in public and nonprofit planning; and
development of volunteer programs.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: At the end of the course, students should be able to:
1. Describe philosophical perspectives, value orientations (including the NASW Code
of Ethics and the International Federation of Social Work Code), and theoretical
understandings regarding citizen involvement in public and voluntary community
development activities.
2. Identify and analyze the degree to which local public and voluntary programs
currently involve citizens in their plans and policy-making.
3. Identify, practice, and evaluate methods and techniques for involving diverse
populations in community planning and change.
4. Describe the role of voluntarism in citizen participation, and examine the effective
integration of volunteers in service organizations.
5. Describe their personal philosophy, including ethical principles, for effectively
facilitating citizen involvement in social planning and economic development.
6. Demonstrate personal skills as facilitators of citizen participation and volunteer
involvement with a focus on supporting diversity and enabling members from all
sectors of the community to participate in its positive development.
EXPANDED DESCRIPTION:
The course will focus on current methods for involving citizens in public and
voluntary organizations and the philosophies and values that guide those methods.
Students will analyze and practice strategies for developing the capacity of people to
be involved in decisions that affect their lives, especially for people most often excluded
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from such involvement. The course also examines volunteerism in nonprofit and
public organizations, emphasizing motivations for volunteering and how volunteers
may be incorporated into the work of the organization.
TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER READINGS:
Kaner, S. Lind, L., Toldi, C., Fisk, S., & Berger, D. (2007). Facilitator's guide to
participatory decision-making (2nd. Ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (Kaner on
course outline).
Pyles, L. (2014). Progressive community organizing: Reflective practice in a globalizing
world. New York, NY: Routledge. (Pyles on course outline)
VeneKlasen, L. & Miller, V. (2007). A new weave of power, people, and politics: The
action guide for advocacy and citizen participation. San Francisco, CA: The Asia
Foundation. (VM on course outline) Note: Chapters from this book are
available on the web, and will be posted on Sakai.
Additional assigned readings will be posted on Sakai.
TEACHING METHODS AND EXPECTATIONS:
My hope is that our class will function as a learning laboratory for citizen participation
and involvement. As such, peer learning and inquiry will be crucial components of the
class. The class format will include readings, lectures, videos, discussions, exercises,
outside speakers, and field experiences. Full participation in these activities will be
essential to your learning process, and will allow you to successfully apply the course
material in a way that is personally and professionally meaningful. Students are
expected to come prepared for class having completed the required readings, and to
participate in discussions by sharing information from their reading and/or field
experiences.
I ask that you contact me, in advance, if you will miss a class. Any student with
significant difficulty with class participation requirements should speak with me at
the beginning of the semester so that alternative forms of contribution can be
identified.
POLICIES ON THE USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN THE CLASSROOM:
I expect that we will all be invested in creating a learning environment of respect and
engagement. During class, cell phones and other devices should be turned off or
transferred to voice mail. I welcome and encourage the use of laptops in class for
taking notes or completing small group tasks. However, I ask that you use them only
for relevant activities – not for checking email or surfing the Web. If students are
observed to be engaged in these activities, I will need to strictly limit the use of
electronics. Your attention is an important sign of respect to your colleagues, and an
important part of your learning.
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CLASS ASSIGNMENTS:
The following is an overview assignments; rubrics for each will be posted on Sakai:
In-Class Facilitations
In teams of two, you will facilitate a participatory activity in one class for
approximately 45 minutes (including processing and discussion time). The focus of
your facilitation should emerge from the week’s readings. You are free to be creative
with format – role plays, brief debates, examples from the field, multimedia (these
are just a few examples). You are not responsible for covering all of the readings -you can choose one or any combination of readings on which to focus. We will
choose dates and teams during the second or third week of class.
Speak Out On Injustice
This assignment will allow you to articulate a position on a current community or
social issue that embodies some form of social injustice, discrimination, or
oppression. You will develop two versions of your message – one focused on
legislators, county commissioners, and other professionals, and one focused on
engaging citizens in grassroots change. While the legislator-focused piece should be
a letter or fact sheet, you can use your creativity for the citizen-focused piece – in
addition to print material, you can experiment with video, social media, or other
formats.
In addition to your two documents, please write a brief (1-2 page) reflection that
discusses how and why you developed your speak-outs as you did (referring to
course readings as appropriate), and challenges that you might anticipate in
engaging either professionals or grassroots citizens in your agenda.
Your speak-outs will be evaluated based on your articulation of the issue and
incorporation of appropriate data and evidence, as well as the persuasiveness of your
argument(s), and effective targeting of your message.
Facilitation & Analysis of Participatory Exercise
This assignment will allow you to practice your participatory facilitation skills in
your field, or other work/volunteer setting. You can choose your exercise from the
textbooks, the Hidden Treasures website, or other source, and should make your
choice relevant to a need or objective that the group may have.
After facilitating the exercise, write a short paper (4-5 pages), in which you briefly
describe the facilitation, and reflect on the following: (a) your rationale for choosing
the particular exercise or strategy; (b) issues of power, difference, and diversity that
emerged during your facilitation; (c) the effectiveness of the activity in stimulating
inclusive group participation, (d) challenges that you encountered, and (e) anything
that you might do differently.
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Case Study of Citizen Participation in Action
This is the culminating assignment for the course and will allow you to apply
concepts and theories to an analysis of a citizen action or advocacy initiative. We
will work together as a class to flesh out the details of this assignment – my goal is to
make it as relevant as possible to your interests and practice settings. Each team or
individual will present their case study during the final class. In addition to
PowerPoint or other visuals, you should submit an Executive Summary (2-3 pages)
that synthesizes your findings.
Here are some broad questions that might guide your work in the case study:
History & Goals
 How and why was this group established?
 What is the change that the group seeks?
Stakeholders
 What is the composition of the group? Has it changed over time?
 How were stakeholders/participants identified? What strategies related
to citizen or volunteer recruitment/engagement were implemented?
 Who might be additional stakeholders not yet engaged? What might
account for this?
Citizen Engagement
 What are the structures, processes, and strategies through which the
group functions and relays its message? You can discuss the logistics of
coming together as well as major activities and advocacy strategies (i.e.
planning sessions, legislative advocacy, rallies, community outreach and
education, research).
 What rationale guided the choice of these structures, processes, and
strategies?
Decisions & Power
 How are decisions made within the group? Who provides leadership?
 What power dynamics exist within the group? Remember that these can
be driven by role (provider vs. client, governmental official vs. citizen), or
by factors of difference (race, age, sexual orientation, economic
resources, religion, disability, others).
 How are these dynamics addressed (or not addressed) within the context
of the group? How do they seem to impact the group’s effectiveness?
Impact
 In what ways has the group been successful in achieving its objectives? In
what ways have they not been as successful as they might like?
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 What factors have made the most difference in determining these
outcomes?
Capacity Building/Catalyst Role
 How might this group strengthen its capacity to achieve its goals?
 Being sensitive to our discussions about the role of professionals, how
might you support this group in their efforts? What would be the focus of
your work with them? What challenges do you anticipate?
Your research strategies can include interviews, observations, and/or review of
records (e.g. meeting minutes). In addition, you should incorporate literature
(does not need to be extensive – perhaps 5-6 scholarly sources) that sheds light on
the issues, groups, or processes on which you are focusing.
Below are two possible configurations that the case study could take:
(1) Teams of 2-4 studying a single community group or organization:
Example: A team of students studied the work of the Farmworkers’
Advocacy Network in North Carolina. They distributed the tasks among
themselves, including key informant interviews with staff and farmworkers,
attendance at a community education event, review of advocacy, and review
of the literature on farmworker/migrant worker rights and advocacy. They
identified strengths, challenges, and potential directions for continued
engagement of farmworkers and community members in the work of FAN.
(2) Teams of 2-4, with each person selecting his/her own group or organization
(should focus on similar target groups or issues).
Example: A team of students decided to compare 3 different youth
engagement initiatives (a community gardening group, a local governmentbased service organization, and a foster youth advocacy organization). Each
team member examined the work of one of the initiatives, and then they came
together to synthesize their findings, and to compare/contrast the ways in
which the groups achieved their goals.
SUMMARY OF COURSE EVALUATION COMPONENTS AND GRADING SCALE:
The following summarizes the point breakdown and grading scale for the class:
Meaningful Participation
In-class Facilitation
Speak Out on Injustice
Community Facilitation
Case Study Presentation
Case Study Executive Summary
Total
10 points
15 points
20 points
20 points
25 points
10 points
100 points
5
H:
P:
L:
F:
94 and above
93-80
79-70
69 and below
POLICY ON INCOMPLETES AND LATE ASSIGNMENTS:
Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day noted. You must notify me at
least 3 days before a due date if you would like to be granted an extension. Otherwise,
you will lose 10% of the assignment’s points per day (including weekends and the date
on which the assignment was due, if you submit it after the beginning of class).
Incompletes may be granted if (a) there are extreme and unforeseeable circumstances
that affect your ability to complete the semester’s work, and (b) you meet with me in
advance to develop a plan and timeline for completing your work.
POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:
I assume that all students follow the UNC Honor Code. Please ensure that the Honor
Code statement “I have neither given nor received any unauthorized assistance in
completing this assignment”, with your signature, is on all assignments. In keeping
with the Honor Code, if reason exists to believe that academic dishonesty has
occurred, a referral will be made to the Office of the Student Attorney General for
investigation and further action as required.
Please refer to the APA Style Guide, the SSW Manual, and the SSW Writing Guide for
information on attribution of quotes, plagiarism, and the appropriate use of assistance
in preparing assignments.
WRITING GUIDELINES:
All written assignments must be typed and follow APA format for citations, quotes,
and the like. Students should refer to the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (6th Ed.). You can also find a self-paced tutorial for APA
style at http://www.lib.unc.edu/instruct/citations/apa/index.html
The following web sites provide additional information:
 http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html (APA Style for material in electronic
formats, 6th Ed.)
 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html (general
information about documentation using APA style, 6th Ed.)
POLICY ON ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
If you have a disability that affects your participation in the course and you wish to
receive accommodations, you should contact the University’s Disabilities Services.
They will then notify me of the documented disability, and we can meet to design the
appropriate accommodations to support your learning.
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COURSE OUTLINE
Date
Topics
Readings
Week 1
8/20
Introductions,
Overview
None
Week 2
8/27
Levels, Forms,
Joys, Challenges
Related to
Facilitating
Citizen
Participation
Pyles:
Week 3
9/3
The Paradoxical
Role of
Professionals
Kaner: Ch 3: Introduction to the Role of Facilitator
Due
Ch 1: Foundations of Community Organizing
Ch. 2: The Self Aware Organizer
Additional Articles/Chapters:
Bergdall, T. (2003). Reflections on the catalytic role of an
outsider. Evanston, IL: Asset Based Community
Development Institute, Northwestern University.
http://www.abcdinstitute.org/docs/ABCD-outsidecatalyst.pdf
McKnight, J. (1995). The Careless Society: Community and its
Counterfeits. New York: Basic Books. Read: The
professional problem (pp. 16-25); A nation of clients (pp. 91100); and Redefining community (pp. 115-123).
Week 4
9/10
Citizen
Engagement 1:
Recruitment &
Outreach
Pyles: Ch. 6: Organizing People: Constituencies & Coalitions
VM:
Ch 13: Messages & Media
Additional Articles/Chapters:
Castelloe, P., & Prokopy, J. (2001). Recruiting participants for
community practice interventions: merging community
practice theory and social movement theory. Journal of
Community Practice, 9(2), 31-48.
Valenti, M., & Campbell, R. (2009). Working with youth on LGBT
issues: Why gay-straight alliance advisors become
involved. Journal of Community Psychology, 37(2), 228-248.
Week 5
9/17
Citizen
Engagement 2:
Engaging
Disenfranchised
Groups
Note: Read Mizrahi article, then explore additional
readings of interest to you.
Blanchet-Cohen, N., & Salazar, J. (2009). Empowering practices
for working with marginalized youth. Relational Child &
Youth Care Practice, 22(4), 5-15.
Kretzman & Green, 1998: Building the bridge from client to
citizen: A community toolbox for welfare reform.
7
Date
Topics
Readings
Due
http://www.abcdinstitute.org/docs/ClienttoCitizen.pdf
Mizrahi, T., Humphreys, M. L., & Torres, D. (2009). The social
construction of client participation: The evolution and
transformation of the role of service recipients in child
welfare and mental disabilities. Journal of Sociology &
Social Welfare, 36(2), 35-61.
Rans, S. & Green, M. (2005). Hidden treasures: Building
community connections by engaging the gifts of people on
welfare, people with disabilities, people with mental illness,
older adults, and young people. Evanston, IL: ABCD
Institute.
http://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/docs/abcd/hiddentreas
ures.pdf
Week 6
9/24
Participatory
Education on the
Spectrum of
Community
Organizing
Approaches
Pyles:
Ch. 5: Critical Organizing Frameworks
Kaner:
Foreward & Introduction
Ch 2: Participatory Values
Additional Articles/Chapters:
Castelloe, P. & Gamble, D.N. (2005). Participatory methods in
community practice: Popular education and participatory
rural appraisal. In M. Weil, (Ed.), The handbook of
community practice, pp. 261-275. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Publications.
Castelloe, P. & Watson, T. (1999). Participatory education as a
community practice method: A case example from a
comprehensive Headstart program. Journal of Community
Practice, 6(1), pp. 71-89.
Optional:
Castelloe, P., Watson, T., & White, C. (2002). Participatory
change: an integrative approach to community practice.
Journal of Community Practice, 10(4), 7-31.
Week 7
10/1
Facilitator’s
Toolbox 1:
Overview of the
Process;
Fostering
Engagement &
Participation
Kaner:
Ch 1: Dynamics of Group Decision Making
Ch 4: Facilitative Listening Skills
Ch 5: Chartwriting Technique
Ch 6: Facilitating Open Discussion
Ch 7: Alternatives to Open Discussion
Ch 8: Brainstorming
Ch 9: Tools for Managing Long Lists
Ch 11: Effective Agendas: Desired Outcomes
Week 8
10/8
Facilitator’s
Toolbox 2:
Kaner:
Ch 10: Dealing with Difficult Dynamics
Ch 13: Building Sustainable Agreements
Speak Out on
Injustice Due
8
Date
Topics
Readings
Navigating the
Groan Zone
Due
Ch 14: Gathering Diverse Points of View
Ch 15: Building a Framework of Understanding
VM:
Ch 9: Analyzing Problems & Selecting Issues
Ch 16: Developing Inclusive Solutions
Ch 17: Importance of Clear Decision Rules
Ch 18: Striving for Unanimity
Ch 19: Reaching Closure Step by Step
Week 9
10/15
Facilitator’s
Toolbox 3:
Generating
Solutions
Kaner:
Week 10
10/22
Addressing
Issues of Power &
Difference
Pyles:
Ch. 10: Toward Solidarity: Understanding Oppression &
Working with Identity Politics
VM:
Ch 3: Power & Empowerment
Ch 4: Constructing Empowering Strategies
Ch 7: Understanding the Big Picture
Additional Articles/Chapters:
Dessel, A., Rogge, M., & Garlington, S. (2006). Using intergroup
dialogue to promote social justice and change. Social Work,
51(4), 303-315.
Optional:
Stout, L. (1996). Bridging the class divide and other lessons for
grassroots organizing. Boston, MA: Beacon Press. Read:
Invisible walls (pp. 117-140)
Week 11
10/29
Action &
Advocacy
Strategies:
Working Inside
& Outside of the
Institutional
Landscape
Pyles:
Ch. 9: Tactics for Change
Ch. 11: Religious & Spiritual Aspects of Organizing
VM:
Ch 10: Mapping Advocacy Strategies
Ch 11: Finding Policy Hooks
Ch 12: Forces, Friends, & Foes
Reading on civil disobedience to be added
Week 12
11/5
The Role of
Nonprofit
Agencies in
Promoting
Citizen
Engagement
Pyles:
Ch. 7: Toward Empowering Organizations
Additional Articles/Chapters:
Hunt, V. H. (2007). Community development corporations and
public participation: Lessons from a case study in the
Arkansas delta. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 34(3),
9-35
Christens, B., & Kirshner, B. (2011). Taking stock of youth
organizing: An interdisciplinary perspective. New
Directions For Child & Adolescent Development, 134, 27-41.
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Date
Week 13
11/12
Topics
Volunteerism 1:
Recruiting &
Engaging
Readings
Due
Barnes, M. L., & Sharpe, E. K. (2009). Looking beyond traditional
volunteer management: A case study of an alternative
approach to volunteer engagement in parks and recreation.
Voluntas: International Journal Of Voluntary & Nonprofit
Organizations, 20(2), 169-187.
Facilitation
Analysis Due
Tang, F., Carr-Copeland, V., & Wexler, S. (2012). Racial
differences in volunteer engagement by older adults: An
empowerment perspective. Social Work Research, 36(2),
89-100.
Yanay, G., & Yanay, N. (2008). The decline of motivation?: From
commitment to dropping out of volunteering. Nonprofit
Management & Leadership, 19, 65-78.
Week 14
11/19
Volunteerism 2:
Sustaining
Involvement;
Organizational &
Power Issues
Brudney, J. L., & Meijs, L. M. (2009). It ain't natural: Toward a
new (natural) resource conceptualization for volunteer
management. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly,
38(4), 564-581.
Kelley, M. S. (2005). Doing syringe exchange: Organizational
transformation and volunteer commitment. Nonprofit &
Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 34, 362-386.
Lie, M., & Baines, S. (2007). Making sense of organizational
change: Voices of older volunteers. Voluntas: International
Journal Of Voluntary & Nonprofit Organizations, 18(3), 225240.
Nenga, S. K. (2011). Volunteering to give up privilege? How
affluent youth volunteers respond to class privilege. Journal
of Contemporary Ethnography, 40(3), 263-289.
Week 15
11/26
International
Work
Pyles:
Ch. 12: Global Justice: Organization & Resistance
Additional Articles/Chapters:
Denhardt, J., Terry, L., Delacruz, E., & Andonoska, L. (2009).
Barriers to citizen engagement in developing countries.
International Journal of Public Administration, 32(14), 12681288.
Healy, K. (1991). Animating grassroots development: Women’s
popular education in Bolivia. Grassroots Development,
15(1), pp.26-34.
Russell, C. (2009). From Needs to Assets: Charting a Sustainable
Path towards Development in Sub-Saharan African
Countries. ABCD Institute.
http://www.abcdinstitute.org/docs/From%20Needs%20to
10
Date
Topics
Readings
Due
%20Assets%20Charting%20a%20Sustainable%20path%20towards%20Dev
elopment%20in%20SubSaharan%20African%20Countries.pdf
Week 16
12/3
Case Study Presentations
Executive
Summaries
Due
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