SYLLABUS SOCIOLOGY 475: COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
-Fall 2014
HUMBOLDT STATE UNIVERSITY
HGH 106 M/W 5:00 – 6:50
Contact Information
Instructor
Jason Whitley
Department of Sociology
Office, Phone & Email
Office Hours: BSS 548 Tu Th 1-2:00
Meetings also by appointment
Phone: 826-3142 (don’t call, please use my email)
email : jmw85@humboldt.edu
Course Description
This course will develop student knowledge and understanding of community organizing history, theory and
practice. It will provide insight into what propels people into action, the political independence and
interdependence of various organizational forms, and how an organizational form, over time, serves to
enhance or inhibit a group’s/movement’s original vision. This course will also explore the relationship between
social research and community building through a review of the research methods that communities use to
develop strategy, tactics, and resources to solve problems.
The objective of this course is to provide students with both a conceptual framework and the practical skills for
organizing effectively in the community for social, environmental and economic justice. Through an exploration
of the different types of community organization - grassroots citizen action groups, non-profit social service
agencies, issue coalitions, and government-sponsored councils - this class will examine the concepts of selfinterest, power, institutional change, community control, and leadership. It will also explore how these models
relate to social movements and how issues of diversity, including race, ethnicity, class, gender, religion, sexual
orientation and age affect organizing philosophy and strategy.
We will examine various organizational models in terms of:
 Basic form, function and structure
 Role of constituency, membership and/or clientele
 Where power comes from, and how that power is used
 Where resources come from, and how that impacts organizational independence
 The roles and relationships of the board, staff, and leadership
Using real-world examples, the models will be compared and contrasted in terms of how the organizational
form enhances or inhibits the following:
 Ability to articulate and evolve a core philosophy
 Ownership of the organization by community members
 Identification and development of leaders
 Organizational decision making, both formal and informal
 Ability to act upon short and long term community issues/needs
 Role of skill building and learning as an organizational value
 Organizational strategy and tactics
Learning Outcomes
After completing this course, all students should be able to demonstrate the following course learning
outcomes, as well as progress toward final department and university-related learning outcomes:
 Distinguish between different types of grass-roots community organizations.
 Understand their role and function, and have a framework for analyzing their capacity, effectiveness, and
potential for growth.
 Students will have an understanding of basic community organizing history, theory and practice and will be
able to utilize this knowledge in developing or analyzing a grassroots community organization.
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Students will also learn some of the organizing and research skills necessary to engage in effective
community organizing and development activities.
Recognize and apply several different sociological theories & concepts to social issues.
Analyze the world with a critical perspective – both large scale social phenomenon and day to day
experience – sociologically; that is, using the theories, concepts, and methods of sociology.
Recognize and critically evaluate your own personal values.
Make linkages between empirical data and theoretical concepts.
Understand the ways in which race, class, gender, culture, political and economic systems affect individual
lives, and how individuals and groups can affect societies.
Think critically about social justice efforts and inequalities in communities and environments.
Engage in critical and sophisticated discussions concerning current social events, and use sociological
tools to envision solutions for social problems.
This course explicitly contributes to students’ acquisition of skills and knowledge relevant to
HSU Learning Outcomes:
HSU graduates will have demonstrated:
1. Effective communication through written and oral modes.
2. Critical and creative thinking skills in acquiring a broad base of knowledge and applying it to complex
issues.
3. Competence in a major area of study.
4. Appreciation for and understanding of an expanded world perspective by engaging respectfully with a
diverse range of individuals, communities, and viewpoints.
HSU graduates will be prepared to:
5. Succeed in their chosen careers.
6. Take responsibility for identifying personal goals and practicing lifelong learning.
7. Pursue social justice, promote environmental responsibility, and improve economic conditions in their
workplaces and communities
Minimum Grade
Sociology students must earn a grade of C or above to meet degree requirements.
Estimated Outside Class Time
Students hoping to earn an “A” in this class can anticipate spending an average of 6-8 hours each week on
outside class activities: reading, writing and editing, researching, and thinking about material in preparation for
our class meetings. The format of this course is lecture, activity, service learning, and discussion.
Course Readings
Required Books
Herbert Rubin and Irene Rubin. 2007. Community Organizing and Development.
INCITE Collective. 2007. The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex
Other course readings are found on Moodle.
Should you take this course?
This course is designed for people who are involved in or plan to get involved in community organizing and/or
development activities. This course will serve you best if you are truly interested in learning about the issues
and developing skills that can be used to further progressive social change. This is an especially bad course if
all you want is an easy 4 credits, as the workload is heavy.
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Course Requirements
Components and Weight
 Class Discussion Groups 15%
Students will be assigned to groups (2-3 students per group) to lead discussions on specific days during the
semester in order to ensure that all students take an active role in the course. Students should prepare to lead
three (3) meaningful discussions in class.
Content when leading discussion. The discussion group leaders must communicate effectively a) the
content/chief points of the reading, b) the important community organizing issues for the class to
discuss and think about, and c) raise questions about the material that provoke class discussion.
Discussion leaders should be able to field questions and stimulate students to draw connections
between what you have presented and what they already know.
Presenters are required to provide handouts for the class. If you wish to use a video, please ask me
first. Videos are best used when you show only a few minutes of them. If you would like me to help you
prepare your presentation, I will be happy to do so. I am also happy to schedule a follow-up meeting to
reflect on the presentation with you.
Evaluating the presentations. I will be looking to see specifically that you have satisfied the
expectations mentioned above. Each student must lead three (3) separate sessions (each worth 5% of
your final grade).
 Community Organizing Journal 20%
Each student will be required to write a journal reflecting on your community organizing experience and how
the course material relates to and informs your organizing. Journals can cover any material related to your
community organizing but need to be typed and single spaced. A separate handout will be provided with
detailed instructions.
 “This week I learned….” Papers 30% (3)
People doing community organizing and development rarely get the opportunity to really reflect on their work-they are too busy doing it to think about it. That comes with some risks, however, because they don't get the
chance to innovate. These papers give you the opportunity to reflect on the readings for the week and the
practice of community organizing and development in the hopes that by writing about what you personally are
learning, you can come up with new ideas and/or evaluate your own practice. Please treat these papers as
opportunities to make the course relevant to your needs.
o You can only write one paper per week. You can choose which 3 weeks you would like to submit a
paper. You are responsible for keeping track of the number of papers submitted. Each student
must have submitted at least two (2) papers prior to Fall break.
o Each paper is due the Wednesday of the week you are writing about (except for the first week), and
they must include some discussion of the week’s readings (at least one reading per day, minimum 2
readings each week need to be discussed in the paper). If they are late for that week, they don't
pass. You are free to turn in papers early. In community organizing and development, if you miss a
grant deadline, or a reporting deadline, or are unprepared for a meeting with a city council member,
it's all over. My advice is to not wait until the last minute.
o You can do a paper the second week if you wish, and that will give you a head start. You can also
write more than 3 papers in the event some of your papers don't pass (lots of people don't pass
their first paper). You can also write fewer than 5 papers, depending on what grade you want.
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Group Project and Presentation 20%
Your grade will be based on equal participation from members, organization of material to be presented, and
thoroughness and cogency of analysis. Each group will research a grassroots citizen action group, a non-profit
social service agency, and a government-sponsored council that are dealing with the same issue. Teams will
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be required to divide up and interview the organizations’ directors, board members, staff, and/or
members/clients and attend a board meeting, community meeting or action. Each group will be required to
write a paper comparing and contrasting the groups that were researched. Detailed instructions for this
assignment can be found on Moodle. Each group is required to visit me during my office hours (as a
group) and discuss their plans for their research project and is required to submit a one-page statement
on the organizations they will investigate.
Each group will also be expected to complete a 15-20 minute presentation to the class. The presentation must
be well organized, interesting, thorough and well delivered. Be as creative as you like, but be sure to follow the
criteria outlined on Moodle.
 Attendance/Participation 15%
There is an attendance requirement and participation requirement as these are both are critical to the success
of this course. You can miss three classes. Regardless of whether you start the course late, get sick; have to
work, etc., you only get three absences. My recommendation – use your absences only when you are sick.
After the third absence your grade drops by one letter. There are no excused absences when doing community
organizing. It's just like a job (except that this is more important)--after you use up your sick time, it comes out
of your check. If you chronically arrive late or leave early I reserve the right to mark you absent. If you
chronically come to class not having done the readings, pack up before the end of class, or text message in
class, I reserve the right to mark you absent for that day. I will send a sign-up sheet around during class to
check attendance. If you run into severe personal difficulties that impact your attendance I may allow
completion of extra work to make up one absence. If you do miss a class please do not ask me, “What did I
miss?” or, my personal favorite, “Did I miss anything?” Instead, get the notes from a fellow classmate, keeping
in mind that s/he may or may not be a good note taker.
You are expected to come to class familiar with the required readings and ready to participate in discussions. If
you fail to participate at a meaningful level in the course, your grade will drop one full letter grade. Your grade
will drop 10% if you just come to class and say nothing.
The goal of the exams and writing assignments described above is to facilitate your learning and
understanding of course materials. Therefore, I use a non-competitive grade scale. This means that the grade
you receive will depend entirely on your mastery of the course material, not on how well you perform compared
to others in class. Course requirements will be weighted as follows in determining your final grade:
Grading Scale
A = 94-100 %
A- = 90-93
B+ = 87-89
B = 83-86
B- = 80-82
C+ = 77-79
C= 73-76
C- = 70-72
D+ = 67-69
D = 63-66
D- 60-62
F = 0-59
COURSE RESOURCES AND POLICIES
This class has a website on Moodle. The course web site contains useful information including a copy of this
syllabus, links to readings, copies of handouts used in class, important announcements such as changes in the
class schedule or office hours, assignments, and suggestions for further readings on topics related to this
class.
POLICY ON LATE ASSIGNMENTS, MISSED EXAMS, AND SCHEDULING CONFLICTS
Unless otherwise noted, papers and other assignments are due at the beginning of class on the specified due
dates. It is your responsibility to check the class website, syllabus, and listen in lecture for assignment due
dates. Please make it easier on all of us by turning in your assignments on time. It is unfair to students who
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turn their work in on time to give full credit for late assignments. If you absolutely must turn something in late,
know that your grade will be affected as follows:
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Papers are considered late if they are turned in after the due date.
Papers not turned in within one week of the due date will get a grade of zero.
Makeup exams and paper extensions will be given ONLY in cases of documented illness or other
emergency
I do not accept any work via email, so don’t send me any assignments via email
If you anticipate scheduling conflicts or other problems meeting the requirements of the class, please consult
with me well in advance.
Writing is a necessary component of this course. There are accepted methods of referencing and noting
materials in essays. Check the course Moodle site for the ASA style guide, the Chicago Manual of Style or
Kate Turabian's Guide to Writing. Proofreading is absolutely crucial for all your written work; you should use a
spellchecker, but do not depend on this alone. If in doubt, let me know. I will be happy to offer guidance about
writing style and content. Office hours are provided for you to utilize. If you need to contact me outside those
times or make an appointment, please email me. I very rarely check my phone.
If you are not able to commit to doing the course work or meeting the attendance requirement, I strongly
recommend you do not take this course. Also, if you run into problems getting to class or doing the work, see
me immediately so you can try to figure out how to accomplish those objectives. Whatever you do, do not try
to cheat on exams, quizzes, attendance or plagiarize (copy) your papers--it can get you kicked out of school.
Keys to Success in This Course
Sociology is an extremely complex subject that will require you to think in a way that may be entirely new to
you. Please be prepared for an exciting and challenging semester. Here are some basic suggestions for doing
well in this course:
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Read assignments before coming to class.
Attend lectures on a regular basis.
Take notes on lectures.
Take notes on readings.
Write multiple drafts of your papers and ask for feedback prior to the due date.
Read assignments and exam questions carefully – you don’t want to lose points for not reading the
assignment.
Hand in all assignments completed and on time.
Proofread your papers.
If you are having difficulty with the class, I strongly recommend using some of the resources at the HSU
Learning Center (826-5217).
Classroom Behavior
This course may produce discomfort – sociology is considered by many to be subversive. Sociology looks at
the institutions and structures of society critically: facades are stripped away and society is exposed for what is
really is, rather than what we believe it to be. Since we all will have something to say, but may be saying vastly
different, even contradictory things, the following few simple, common sense guidelines will be adhered to
while in this course. If everyone follows these our class time together will be a pleasant experience for us all.
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Acknowledge that prejudice and discrimination based on race, class, sex, sexual orientation, and physical
differences exist.
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Acknowledge that all of us have learned misinformation about our own group and about members of other
groups, whether we belong to a majority or a minority group, from the mass media and other sources.
Assume that people in this class are doing the best they can do.
Never demean, devalue, or in any way “put down” people for their experiences, backgrounds, or
statements. This does not mean that you can’t disagree, only that you do so with respect.
Please don’t interrupt. Listen before speaking.
Please arrive on time. If you must come late, please sit down as quietly as possible.
Please do not pack up your belongings before the end of class. I do keep an eye on the clock and will let
you out in time. In exchange, I ask that you refrain from shuffling papers, etc. before class is over.
Do not be deceived by the illusion of anonymity in this class. You are visible to everyone, so please do not
talk to your friends, sleep, read newspapers, listen to music, surf the web, etc. All of these behaviors are
distracting to other students.
Please turn off all cell phones and any other little beeping, shrieking, or music-making devices before you
come to class. Absolutely no cell phone, text messaging, or laptop use is allowed in this class. Violations
will result in a deduction in your final grade. Frequent offenders will be asked to leave the class.
Do not interrupt others or talk to your neighbor while others are speaking.
Address your fellow classmates respectfully, whether or not you agree with their particular opinions on
something.
Do not read the newspaper, work on an assignment for another class, or otherwise be disengaged from
what is going on in the classroom.
Students are responsible for knowing policy regarding attendance and disruptive behavior: See the HSU
policy http://studentaffairs.humboldt.edu/judicial/attendance_behavior.php
Students with Disabilities
This syllabus was designed using recommended practices for creating accessible word documents. If you
have suggestions regarding improving the accessibility of this document or other content for this class, please
contact me. Persons who wish to request disability-related accommodations should contact the Student
Disability Resource Center in House 71, 826-4678 (voice) or 826-5392 (TDD). Some accommodations may
take up to several weeks to arrange. http://www.humboldt.edu/~sdrc/
Add Drop Policy
Students are responsible for knowing the University policy, procedures, and schedule for dropping or adding
classes. http://www.humboldt.edu/~reg/regulations/schedadjust.html
Emergency Evacuation
Please review the evacuation plan for the classroom posted on the orange signs and review
http://studentaffairs.humboldt.edu/emergencyops/campus_emergency_preparedness.php for information on
campus Emergency Procedures. During an emergency, information can be found campus conditions at: 826INFO or www.humboldt.edu/emergency
Academic Honesty
Students are responsible for knowing policy regarding academic honesty:
http://studentaffairs.humboldt.edu/judicial/academic_honesty.php or
http://www.humboldt.edu/~humboldt/catalogpdfs/catalog2007-08.pdf
Course Schedule
The course schedule is subject to change, depending on our progress in covering the material. Any changes
will be announced in class. It is your responsibility to know what is announced in class, whether or not you are
present when it is announced. Readings should be completed prior to class for which they are assigned.
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