THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK COURSE NUMBER: COURSE TITLE: SEMESTER: DAY/TIME: INSTRUCTOR: OFFICE HOURS: SOWO 882 Citizen Participation and Volunteer Involvement Fall 2009 Friday 9:00 ‐ 11:50 am Laurie Selz Campbell, MS, CPRP 202A Tate Turner Kuralt Bldg. (919) 843‐6394 lauriesc@unc.edu Friday 12:00 – 1:00 and by appointment, phone, or email as needed. 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: We 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 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: VeneKlasen, L. & Miller, V. (2007). A new weave of power, people, and politics: The action guide for advocacy and citizen participation. Oklahoma City, OK: World Neighbors; San Francisco, CA: The Asia Foundation. 1
The text is available through the Health Sciences Bookstore at UNC‐Chapel Hill. Links to additional assigned readings will be placed on the course Blackboard site under “Assignments”. 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. Your attention is an important sign of respect to your colleagues, and an important part of your learning. CLASS ASSIGNMENTS: The subject of this course is participation. By its very nature, therefore, you will function as both learner and teacher over the course of the semester. The following is a summary of assignments: Assignment 1: Small Group Warm­Ups. Each small group will be expected to facilitate one class “warm‐up” for 30 minutes at the beginning of class. The intent of the warm‐ups is to have students present what they think was important in the readings and to stimulate group discussion. The warm‐up should follow these guidelines: 1. You are not responsible for covering all of the readings. You can choose one or any combination of readings on which to focus. 2. Discuss among yourselves the most important ideas, principles, and/or skills discussed in the week’s readings, with particular focus on application to your field, work or volunteer experience (past or present). 3. Present what you think was most important in any format that you choose to stimulate discussion (for example, visuals, brief debates, or examples from your practice). 4. Facilitate discussion among class members. Assignment 2: 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. Submit a copy of written editorials to me before sending them 2
to newspapers or other media outlets, or submit a short description of your plan for a public presentation. You will choose one of the following methods of informing policymakers or the general public about an issue of social injustice. a. Present a statement concerning an injustice and its impact at a municipal, county or state public meeting, OR b. Write a letter to the editor (local, state or national) concerning an injustice and its effects, OR c. Present a radio or TV editorial informing the public of an injustice and its effects. Your position should shed "light" rather than" heat" on the issue and will be shared with the class (share the published version if it gets published). Your public statement will be evaluated based on your articulation of a social injustice, incorporation of appropriate data and evidence, and persuasiveness of your argument(s). In conjunction with this activity you will write a short paper (3‐4 pages) that discusses (a) the intended impact of your “speak out” on your audience, and (b) the personal impact of the experience. More detailed rubrics will be provided for each component of this assignment. Assignment 3: Facilitation and Analysis of a Participatory Exercise. This assignment will allow you to implement a strategy for facilitating citizen participation, and to reflect on the ways in which social workers can support citizen groups to build capacity and achieve the change they desire. You will choose an exercise from A New Weave of Power, People & Politics, and will implement the exercise with an organization or group with whom you are involved in any capacity (participant, volunteer, employee or intern). Choose an exercise that is relevant to a need the group may have, or that can help them learn new ways of working together. After facilitating the exercise, write a short paper (4‐6 pages), responding to the following questions: a. Group and Exercise Chosen: Identify the exercise and the group with whom you facilitated the exercise. Describe why you chose this particular exercise to use with the group. Briefly describe the characteristics of the group and the process of pulling them together and conducting the facilitation. b. Issues of Difference and Diversity: How did issues of difference ‐ race, class, culture, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or others – affect this exercise? Are there aspects of the exercise that facilitated (or hindered) appreciation of diverse perspectives? c. Effectiveness: How effective was the exercise for stimulating inclusive participation? In what ways did the exercise help your group, or not? Based on your attempt to stimulate participation, what factors do you believe facilitate or hinder this group’s ability to strengthen participation? How would you modify the exercise for future use? Assignment 4: Case Study. This assignment will allow you to analyze the ability of citizens to organize around an issue of concern, and to reflect on the effectiveness of their chosen strategies. You may examine a community organization that is government initiated (e.g. Commission for Women, County Social Services Board, etc.); grassroots/citizen initiated (e.g. 3
neighborhood association, Alliance for Economic Justice); or a combination government/private organization (e.g. Partnership for Young Children), that has evolved in response to adverse social or economic conditions. You will have 2 options for completing this assignment, with varying degrees of coordination with other students: Option A: Group Project: You will work in teams of 2‐4 students, based on geographic proximity and/or shared interests, and will study one community group or organization. Option B: Collaborative Project: You will still work in teams of 2‐4 students. However, each student will select her own group or organization to study. Then, you will work with your team to pull together the class presentation. To complete this assignment, it is necessary to get the permission of a group or organization to observe them. The group or organization should clearly understand the purpose of the assignment and how the case study results will be used. Confidentiality should be strictly upheld. Please be sensitive to the principle of reciprocity: the group or organization should feel that they get something out of the experience. You might consider making some type of contribution to the group or organization, depending on the circumstances. The case study should address the following: a. Goals/Objectives: What is the change that this group seeks to achieve? What are the quality of life improvements that they want to be true? b. Stakeholders: Identify the people (residents of a neighborhood, a group of people with shared circumstances, etc.) that have a stake in these desired quality‐of‐life improvements and analyze the extent to which they participate in the organization. c. Participation: Describe and analyze the efforts of the organization to increase the capacity of people who are affected by adverse conditions (stakeholders) to become involved in doing something to improve their quality of life. Include the extent to which these stakeholders make decisions that affect the organization. Describe the lessons you or your group learned about citizen participation/volunteer involvement from your observations and analysis. d. Strategies and Tactics: Describe and analyze the strategies that the group or organization uses to achieve quality of life improvements. Besides meeting, what do they do to seek the change that they desire? Be sure to relate these strategies and tactics to your course readings. You may choose to attend meetings, conduct key informant interviews, and/or review minutes in order to gather information about the group’s strategies. e. Impact: How successful is this group or organization in achieving desired quality of life improvements? Incorporating theory and practice skills and concepts from the course readings, what are the factors that facilitate or hinder the group or organization’s impact? f. Capacity Building/Social Work Role: Incorporating theory and practice skills and concepts from course readings, what ideas do you have for how this group could strengthen or improve participation and its strategy and tactics? As a professional 4
social worker, how would you go about working with this group or organization to help them improve in these respects? g. Contrast and Comparison (Option B only): Based on the sections completed above, write a collaborative section that analyzes and summarizes the key similarities and differences between or among the groups chosen for the case study. Each team will present the results of their findings during the final class period. In addition, your group will summarize your process and findings in a 2­3 page “brief” to be shared, as desired, with the agency. More detailed rubrics for the brief and presentation will be provided. You may invite representatives from the host organizations to join us during the team presentations. Presentations should be planned for about 30 minutes, including time for discussion and questions. Plan to use visual materials to quickly and graphically convey your understandings and perspectives. Each presentation will be followed by a brief question and answer session. SUMMARY OF COURSE EVALUATION COMPONENTS AND GRADING SCALE: The following summarizes the point breakdown and grading scale for the class: Class Attendance and Participation Speak Out on Injustice Facilitation and Analysis of Exercise Case Study H: 94 and above P: 93‐80 L: 79‐70 F: 69 and below 20% 20% 25% 35% 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. If this does not happen, you will lose 10% of the assignment’s points per day (including weekends, and including 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. 5
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 (5th 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, 5th Ed.)  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html (general information about documentation using APA style, 5th 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. 6
Class 1 August 28 Objectives Activities: Readings: Class 2 September 4 Objectives Readings: Class 3 September 11 Objectives Readings: Introduction ►
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COURSE OUTLINE Understand course objectives and format Learn about each other’s interests and learning goals Explore motivators, facilitators, and barriers to citizen involvement Nominal group technique: Why do citizens become involved in advocacy or grassroots activity? Why do they refrain from involvement? What facilitates or impedes citizen involvement? None. Defining Citizen Participation 
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Explain principles and key concepts associated with citizen participation Describe varying degrees of citizen participation Analyze the meaning of community for citizen participation 
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Identify professional roles related to citizen participation Articulate how they may help and hinder citizen participation Describe best practices for facilitating community engagement TEXT: Introduction Chapter 1: Politics & Advocacy Chapter 2: Democracy & Citizenship Arnstein, S. (1971). Eight Rungs on the ladder of citizen participation. As excerpted in Dale, D. (1978). How to make citizen involvement work. (pp. 11‐13). Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts. (BB) International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) Ethics in Social Work Statement of Principles. Found at: http://www.ifsw.org/en/p38000324.html McKnight, J. (1995). The Careless Society: Community and its Counterfeits. New York: Basic Books. Redefining community (pp. 115‐123) (BB) Browse: Gamble, D. N. and Weil, M. O. (1995). Citizen Participation. In R. L. Edwards, (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Social Work, 19th Edition (pp. 483‐494). Washington D. C.: National Association of Social Workers. (BB) The Role of “Participation Professionals” Finn, J.L. & Jacobson, M. (2003). Chapter 3: Values, Ethics, and Visions, in Just practice: A social justice approach to social work, (pp. 93‐134). Peosta, Iowa: Eddie Bowers Publishing Co. Inc. (BB) McKnight, J. (1995). The Careless Society: Community and its Counterfeits. New York: Basic Books. The professional problem (pp. 16‐25) (BB) McKnight, J.L. (2003). Regenerating community: The recovery of space for citizens. 7
Class 4 September 18 Objectives Readings: Class 5 September 25 Objectives Readings: Distinguished Public Policy Lecture, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University. (BB) Cagan, E., Hubinsky, T., Goodman, A., Deitcher, D. & Cohen, N. (2001). Partnering with communities to improve health: The New York City Turning Point experience. Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, 78(1): 176‐180. (BB) Methods & Techniques for Promoting Participation 
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** GROUP 1 WARM­UP **
Use group decision‐making techniques Explain what works to increase citizen participation Identify factors that promote participation Annie E. Casey Foundation. (n.d.). Walking our talk in the neighborhoods. Partnerships between professionals and natural helpers. Building Community Partnerships in Child Welfare, Part 3. (read pp. 5‐26) (BB) 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. (BB) 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. (BB) Delbecq, A. L., Van de Ven, A.H. & Gustafson, D. H. (1975). Group techniques for program planning, (pp. 7‐14). Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman Co. (BB) McKnight, J. (1995). The Careless Society: Community and its Counterfeits. New York: Basic Books. Community organizing in the 80s (pp. 153‐160) (BB) University of Wisconsin‐Extension. (2002). Quick tips: Collecting group data: Nominal group
technique. http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/resources/pdf/Tipsheet3.pdf Methods & Techniques for Promoting Participation, Part 2 ** GROUP 2 WARM­UP **
 Understand social capital and how it is developed  Best practices for citizen and client participation in organizations  Articulate principles of asset‐based community development Homan, M.S. (2008). Relating community change to professional practice (Chapter 3). In Promoting community change: Making it happen in the real world 4th edition). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole. (BB) McKnight, J., & Kretzman, J.P. (1997). Mapping community capacity. In M. Minkler (Ed.). Community organizing and community building for health. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. (pp. 157‐172). (BB) Nelson, G.M. (2000). Creating a framework for self‐governance (Chapter 1). In Self­
governance in communities and families. San Francisco: Berrett‐Koehler Publishers. (BB) Nelson, G.M. (2000). Designing self‐governance dialogues (Chapter 4). In Self­governance in communities and families. San Francisco: Berrett‐Koehler Publishers. (BB) 8
Class 6 October 2 Objectives Readings: Class 7 October 9 Objectives Readings: Rohe, W.M. (2004). Building social capital through community development. Journal of the American Planning Association, 70(2): 158‐164. (BB) Power, Empowerment and Mediating Structures ** GROUP 3 WARM­UP **
 Identify different types of power in a community  Explain how power is distributed and used in a community  Apply decision‐making theories to community examples TEXT: Chapter 3: Power & Empowerment Bullard, R.D. (1997). Dismantling environmental racism in the policy arena: The role of collaborative social research. In Nyden, P. et. al. (Eds.), Building community: Social science in action (pp. 67‐73). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press. (BB) Homan, M.S. (2008). Power (Chapter 6). In Promoting community change: Making it happen in the real world 4th edition). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole. (BB) McKnight, J. (1995). The Careless Society: Community and its Counterfeits. New York: Basic Books. A nation of clients (pp. 91‐100) (BB) Browse: Pennell, J., Noponen, H. & Weil, M. (2005). Empowerment Research. In M. Weil, The handbook of community practice, pp. 620‐635. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. (BB) Initiating and Sustaining Grassroots Groups and Organizations ** GROUP 4 WARM­UP **
 Describe the basic processes of grassroots development  Explain how issues of difference can be addressed to build citizen groups TEXT: Chapter 4: Constructing Empowering Strategies, pp. 59‐78. Gutierrez, L., Lewis, E.A., Nagda, B.R.A., Wernick, L. & Shore, N. (2005). Multicultural community practice strategies and intergroup empowerment. In M. Weil, The handbook of community practice, pp. 341‐359. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. (BB) Kahn, S. (1991). Organizing (Chapter 1; pp. 5‐20). In Organizing: A guide for grassroots leaders. NASW Press. (BB) Stout, L. (1996). Bridging the class divide and other lessons for grassroots organizing, (Invisible walls, pp. 117‐140). Boston, MA: Beacon Press. (BB) Class 8 October 16 Objectives Browse: Weil, M. O. & Gamble, D.N. (1995). Community practice models. In Richard L. Edwards, Editor‐in‐Chief. Encyclopedia of Social Work, 19th Edition, (pp. 577‐
594).Washington D. C.: NASW. (BB) Issues and Strategies For Citizen­Led Change, Part 1 ** “SPEAK­OUT” ASSIGNMENT DUE **  Understand priority setting and decision‐making in citizen groups  Identify tools citizen groups can use to understand problems and issues in their communities 9
Readings: October 23 Class 9 October 30 Objectives TEXT: Chapter 5: The Basics of Planning for Citizen‐Centered Advocacy Chapter 9: Planning Moment #4: Analyzing Problems & Selecting Priority Issues Bobo, K. Kendall, J. & Max, S. (2001). Organizing for social change. Read: Choosing an issue (Chapter 3, pp. 22‐29) and Developing a strategy (Chapter 4, pp. 30‐47). Santa Ana, CA: Seven Locks Press. (BB) University of Oregon. (2004). The WUN Map Project: Enhancing citizen participation with mobile GIS technology. http://www.uoregon.edu/~wunmap/about_wunmap.htm Read: Project Summary, Project Reflection, review a couple of maps and this related article: http://www.uoregon.edu/~wunmap/documents/io.htm No Class – Happy Fall Break! Issues and Strategies For Citizen­Led Change, Part 2 
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Readings: Class 10 November 6 Objectives Readings: ** GROUP 5 WARM­UP **
Explain how citizen groups can develop strategy for social change based on force field analysis Analyze the role of youth in promoting social change TEXT: Chapter 10: Planning Moment #5: Mapping Advocacy Strategies Chapter 12: Forces, Friends and Foes Training for Change. (nd). Force field tool http://trainingforchange.org/images/stories/files/reports/handout2.pdf Otis, M. (2006). Youth as engaged citizens and community change advocates through the Lexington Youth Leadership Academy. Journal of Community Practice, 14(1/2): 71‐88. (BB) Stuhldreher, A. (2007). The people’s IPO: Lower‐income patrons of Market Creek Plaza can now invest in the shopping center. Stanford Social Innovation Review, Winter 2007: 62‐63. (BB) Participation Issues in International Development ** FACILITATION EXERCISE DUE **  Analyze citizen participation in a global context  Understand factors influencing citizen participation in developing countries Barbarin, O. A. (2000). Community violence and social inequality as legacies of apartheid: Implications for social development in South Africa. Social Development Issues, 22 (2/3), pp. 39‐45. (BB) Korpivaara, A. (2004). Beyond the mountains: The unfinished business of Haiti. New York: Open Society Institute. (BB) Xu, Q. & Chow, J. (2006). Urban community in China: service, participation and development. International Journal of Social Welfare, 15: 199‐208. (BB) Healy, K. (1991). Animating grassroots development: Women’s popular education in Bolivia. Grassroots Development, 15(1), pp.26‐34. (BB) 10
Class 11 November 13 Objectives Readings: Class 12 November 20 Objectives Volunteers & Voluntary Organizations, Part 1 
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Bell, M. (1999). Volunteering: Underpinning social action in civil society for the new millennium. In, E. Mbogori (Ed.), Civil society at the millennium (pp.27‐41). West Hartford, CT: Kumarian Press in cooperation with CIVICUS. (BB) Independent Sector. (2001). Giving and volunteering in the United States: Key findings. Retrieved on January 2, 2007 from: http://www.independentsector.org/PDFs/GV01keyfind.pdf (BB) Perry, J. & Thomson, A. (2007). The effects of national service in the United States: A research synthesis. In A.M. McBride & M. Sherraden (Eds.) Civic service worldwide (pp. 74‐
94). Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe. (BB) Sherr, M.E. (2008). Why people volunteer (Chapter 2). In Social work with volunteers. Chicago: Lyceum. (BB) Skoglund, A. (2006). Do not forget about your volunteers: A qualitative analysis of factors influencing volunteer turnover. Health and Social Work, 31(3): 217‐220. (BB) Volunteers & Voluntary Organizations, Part 2 
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Readings: November 27 Class 13 December 4 ** GROUP 6 WARM­UP **
Understand the degree and types of voluntarism in the U.S. Identify the social and cultural factors influencing voluntarism in the U.S. Explain how all members of the community can and should be involved and supported in voluntary organizations Identify overlooked sources of voluntarism in disenfranchised communities Daley, J. M. (2002). An action guide for nonprofit board diversity. Journal of Community Practice, 10 (1), 33‐54. (BB) Delgado, M. (1998). Role of latina‐owned beauty parlors in a Latino community. In P. L. Ewalt, E. M. Freeman, & D. L Poole, (Eds.), Community building: Renewal, well­being and shared responsibility, (pp. 82‐92). Washington DC: NASW Press. (BB) Kretzmann, J.P., McKnight, J.L. & Turner, N. (2003). Voluntary associations in low­income neighborhoods: An unexplored community resource. The Asset‐Based Community Development Institute.
http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/publications/papers/grandblvd.pdf (BB) Sherr, M.E. (2008). The context‐specific optimal partnership model (Chapter 7) and Putting the context‐specific optimal partnership model into action (Chapter 8). In Social work with volunteers. Chicago: Lyceum. (BB) No Class – Happy Thanksgiving!! Case Study Presentations ** CASE STUDIES DUE ** 11