SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia
SW 7100 Foundations of Community Partnerships
Fall Semester 2011
Fred Brooks, Ph.D.
1254 Urban Life
404-413-1059 (office)
404-775-6902 (cell)
fbrooks2@.gsu.edu
OFFICE HOURS: W-Th 11:00- 12:00, and by appointment.
I.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Foundations of Community Partnerships. This integrative course will introduce students to
community partnerships from social systems and ecological perspectives. Macro content from
human behavior and social environment, policy, and practice content, undergirds the community
partnership framework. Provided is an overview of community practice, through an examination
of theories, history, applications, and domains. Students will develop an understanding of the
mission of social work and issues of economic and social justice in the context of community
and will participate in community building through an experiential component.
II.
COURSE COMPETENCIES & PRACTICE BEHAVIORS1
Competency #2: Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice.
a. Make ethical decisions by applying standards of the NASW Code of Ethics [outcome
measure: community analysis] (1st-yr)
Competency #3: Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments.
a. Synthesize models of community practice in making professional decisions. [community
analysis] (2nd-yr)
Competency #4: Engage diversity and difference in practice.
a. View themselves as learners and engage those with whom they work as informants.
[outcome measure: community analysis assignment] (1st-yr)
b. Engage in community partnership practices that are responsive to diversity and
difference. [community analysis] (2nd-yr)
Competency #5: Advance human rights and social and economic justice
a. Analyze ways in which differential power and privilege shape communities and
society. [Community Analysis]
Competency #7: Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment.
1
a. Assess the interconnection between individuals/groups and their environment in
developing community partnership intervention strategies. [community analysis] (2ndyr)
Competency # 9: Respond to contexts that shape practice.
a. Continuously discover, appraise, and attend to changing locales, populations, scientific
and technological developments, and emerging societal trends to provide relevant
services. [outcome measure: community analysis – community context] (1st-yr)
b. Develop strategies to adapt to changing circumstances and emerging societal trends
[outcome measure: community analysis – GIS] (2nd-yr)
Competency #10a.: Engagement with groups, organizations, and communities. (2nd-yr)
a. Identify and define community as a client system. [outcome measure: community
analysis]
Competency #10b.: Assessment with groups, organizations, and communities. (1st-yr)
a. Identify and assess organizational and community needs and assets. [outcome measure:
community analysis]
b. Contribute to the development and selection of strategies and tactics for community
intervention. [Outcome measure community analysis]
Overarching Questions for the Semester
1. Martin Luther King quoting the abolitionist Theodore Parker once stated: “The arc of
moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice”
a. Which direction is the arc of the moral universe currently bending?
b. What type of social work practice might make the moral arc of the universe
bend more strongly toward social justice?
c. Can individual (or collectively) social workers have any impact on the moral
arc of the universe?
2. Why has it been 80 years since a social worker from the USA won a Nobel Peace
Prize? (Jane Addams won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931)
a. Can you name any Social Workers from the USA that you would nominate for
a Nobel Peace Prize?
b. Does this mean that social work practice peaked in early 20th century?
c. Should a goal of social work education be to educate/inspire/train budding
social workers to engage in a type of social work practice that would warrant
consideration of a Nobel Peace Prize?
3. Is geographic community organizing (conflict or consensus) still a viable social
change methodology?
a. Or, is the future of organizing “virtual communities”?
4. How do we empirically measure the bottom line success of any organizing
intervention?
5. Looking back over the last 30 years: What were 4-5 government policies (legislation,
Supreme Court decisions, Executive Orders, etc.) on National, State or local level that
had the effect of decreasing inequality in the USA?
a. What role did community, labor or some other form of organizing play?
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II.
TEXTS
- Friere, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the Oppressed (3rd edition). New York: Contiuum.
-Ohmer, M. and Demasi, K. (2009). Consensus organizing: A community development
workbook. Los Angeles: Sage Publications
Other required readings are posted in U-learn (readings are typically posted in the folders
under the week/date they are due) & sometimes will be handed out in class.
Suggested, but not required:
-Lukas, A. (1985). Common ground: A turbulent decade in the lives of three American
families. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
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The course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary.
IV.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION/COURSE FORMAT
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
V.
Reading (including reflecting on, analyzing & criticizing the readings)
Writing (reflection papers & formal paper(s)
Class Discussion (on readings, lectures, papers)
Online discussions in U-learn
Lecture (not the dominant form of instruction, but you should expect some lecturing)
DVDs, and other audio/visual technology
Guest Presenters
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Class Attendance Policy (and Participation) 10%
Attendance will be graded on the following scale:
No absences
A+
One absence
A
Two absences
B
Three absences
C
Four absences
D
Five absences
F
Participation points may be deducted if it is clear that the student is not engaged in the
course (e.g., not doing the readings, not contributing to class or on-line discussions)
Class attendance, punctuality, and engagement are considered essential to both academic
and professional development as a social worker and will be documented by faculty
during all courses. Any concerns will be reported to the respective BSW/MSW program
director and addressed accordingly (See review process found in the School of Social
Work’s Student Handbook).
Grading/Student Evaluation
3
Attendance & Participation
Individual Reflection Papers
Ind. Reflection Papers & Group Discussions
Community Analysis Paper
10%
20%
20%
50%
Assignments turned in late will receive a letter grade deduction for each day late the assignment
is turned in.
The following final grading scale was approved by SSW faculty:
Grade:
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
D
F
Points:
97+
90-96
88-89
86-87
80-85
78-79
76-77
70-75
60-69
below 60
Points (what a letter grade is worth on RPs)
100
95
89
87
85
79
77
75
69
Make-up Policy
If a student misses a written assignment completely they may turn it in late and still
receive partial credit.
Assignments
1. Individual Reflection Papers & Exercises (homework) (20% of grade). (due every class
period in U-Learn when readings are assigned). Reflection papers are short (1/2 to 1
page), reflective papers on the assigned readings for each class. Reflection papers are
done in U-Learn using the discussion icon that shows up for each class period (DO NOT
USE THE ATTACHMENT FUNCTION). On days that class meets reflection papers are
due in U-Learn before the designated time your class begins. For on-line classes RPs are
due by midnight of the same day your class was scheduled to meet (either Wed. or
Thursday at midnight) On days that class meets, you should bring a copy of RPs to
class because Reflection papers will also be used to facilitate class discussion on the
readings.
Here is the outline you should use for Reflection Papers (I call this the default outline):
1. Describe one fact, statistic, incident, story, or thing you remember from the reading.
2. Describe any emotional reaction you had to the reading. (this includes positive,
negative, no emotion & other manifestations of emotion)
3. In your opinion, what is the most important point expressed in the reading?
--Also, do you agree or disagree with this point?
4. How might you apply this to (your) social work practice?
5. What question(s) would you like the class to address related to this reading?
4
Sometimes, especially for the on-line classes there will be additional questions or a class
exercise in addition to the default reflection. So make sure you read carefully the directions
for a reflection paper posted in U-learn with a discussion Icon on the day it is due.
Reflection papers are sometimes assigned for you to reflect on DVDs or videos we watch. Use
the default outline for these reflections.
2. Individual Reflection Paper plus Small Group Discussion. 20% These assignments
apply to On-line classes only. You will write and post your individual reflection paper
the same as usual, but with the small group discussion you are required to read your
group members papers & respond to a key element in someone else’s paper. You could
express agreement, disagreement, offer an alternative perspective, raise a question, try to
answer a question she/he raised, or deepen the discussion in some fashion.
3. Community Analysis (50% of final grade). This is your major assignment which you
will begin during the 3-4th week of the semester and work on weekly until the due date of
11/30 or 12/1. Your final product is a formal (APA formatted paper) paper which will
probably be 10- 20 pages. You will use multiple sources of data collection for this
assignment including: a literature review of scholarly articles, newspaper & magazine
articles, and possibly newsletters from local community organizations; Census data
and/or GIS mapping; field work including walking and/or windshield tours of your
local community, and (most importantly) in-person interviews (a minimum of 6) with
residents (3 minimum); key stakeholders from internal community resources (e.g, small
business owners or members/leaders of local organizations—2 interviews minimum; and
one interview with from an External Community Resource (politician, member of a
foundation etc). Details of all possible internal and external community resources are
explained in Ohmer & Demasi Chapters 7 and 8 respectively.
A community analysis is the essential starting point for any type of community
intervention (partnerships, organizing, planning, service delivery, etc.). If you want to
improve a community you need to have a clear, critical understanding of a community’s
strengths, weaknesses, power structures, and what the residents want. After completing
this assignment you should have strong, introductory skills in analyzing a community.
Your guide to completing this analysis is section III of Ohmer & Demasi (pp.127-226). While
the text will serve as your general guide, this syllabus, a detailed outline for the written paper & a
grading rubric (to be handed out in 2 weeks) will also inform your data collection, analysis and
final paper.
Since this is a student exercise and you will not be continuing to “organize” the neighborhood
after this assignment is completed it is important that you explain this in your interviews and
conversations with neighborhood residents. You should not give residents the impression that
you plan on organizing the neighborhood to help them resolve problems for the next couple of
years. In organizing we call this “burning the turf.” Turf gets burned when an organizer does
initial work that leads people to believe that a permanent organizing project is being launched,
but then abandons the organizing project or the neighborhood.
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Using Ohmer & Demasi as a general guide you will complete the analysis in four steps:
1. Understanding the Community’s History & Current Conditions
a. Define community, name & boundaries
b. Conduct walking and/or windshield tour of community
c. Collect census data on demographics
d. GIS mapping of community & key variables
e. Collect literature on the community—local news articles, CO newsletters, etc.
f. Begin face to face interviews
2. Step Two: Understanding & Engaging Individuals From Internal Community Resources
a. Continue face-to-face interviews with different key stakeholders (residents,
business owners, CO members & leaders etc. see pp.162-163). Interview guide on
p. 167.
b. Analyze self-interest of people interviewed & the organization and institutional
self-interest they have
c. Begin assessing power structure in the community
3. Step Three: Understanding & Engaging Individuals From External Community
Resources.
a. Identify the self-interest of external community resources—e.g. large corporations,
the media, Banks, government officials, & philanthropic institutions
b. You will complete at least one interview with an individual from an external
community resource
4. Step Four: Analyze Your Data and Write Your Report
VI.
GENERAL COURSE OUTLINE (weekly topics, readings, assignments, etc.)
Overview of Course
Date
Type
Topic(s)
Questions Addressed
8/24
or
25
In
class
Review Syllabus & Course
Overview
Review Technology (ulearn,
podcasts, etc)
Class
1
8/31
or
9/1
In
class
Assigned readings/Activities/Items Due
(Readings & RPs due on the date
corresponding on the syllabus)
Note: all readings not from texts will be posted in
U-learn as a PDF, or handed out in class
Begin thinking about
overarching questions:
syllabus p. 2
The Current Social, Political,
& Economic Context for
Community Practice
Global to the ATL
Class
2
DVD: Inside the Meltdown
9/7
Why focus on Community?
1. Ohmer & Demasi Ch. 2 pp. 27-49
2. Matt Miller “America the Ungovernable”
3. Thomas Friedman Nov. 22 article on
Suboptimal Solutions
4. End of Social Work by L. Kreuger
Due: One RP integrating all the readings
1. The Poverty Clinic by Paul Tough
On6
Or
9/8
line
2. TBA
Class
3
9/14
Or
9/15
Due: 1) RP & Discussion Posts integrating both
readings
Inclass
What is Community?
Is Geographic CO still
viable?
Class
4
2) Post a Response to Overarching Questions 1
(a,b,c) and 2 (a,b,c) that are on p. 2 of the
syllabus
1. Defining Community by Fellin
2. School of Social Work “Purpose,
Mission,…” & Skill Sets
3. A Ladder of Citizen Participation by
Arnstein
Due one brief RP on each of the 3 readings, but
include all 3 in one Post
9/21
Or
9/22
In
Class
Class
5
9/28
or
9/29
Class
6
Introduction to the primary
Frameworks of Community
Practice
Film: Holding Ground
Online
Theories that Inform
Community Practice &
Understanding Consensus
Organizing
Consider How these theories
might apply to your
community practice and your
community analysis
Community Analysis: begin defining the
community you are going to analyze, including
its name, boundaries etc.
1. Rothman: Multi Modes of Intervention at
the Macro Level
2. Ohmer & Demasi Ch 1 pp. 1-24 (parts are
redundant to Rothman you skim these
parts)
Due: one RP primarily on Rothman, but integrate
Ohmer & Demasi
1. Hardcastle & Powers Theory Based,
Model Based Community Practice, pp. 3360 (part on Rothman is redundant can skip
if you understand Rothman)
2. Ohmer & Demasi Ch. 3
Due: RP & Discussion Posts
.
Dr. Brooks in Egypt 9/2510/1
7
10/5
Or
10/6
In
Class
Beginning your community
analysis: tour, data, literature
Due: RP on Ohmer & Damasi
Class
7
10/12
Or
10/13
Class
8
10/19
Or
10/20
Class
9
Ohmer & Damasi Ch. 6
InClass
Online
Continuing Community
Analysis: Interviewing
Check-in on community
analysis
Geographic Information
Systems
Activities: walk/windshield tour of community,
begin collecting census data, local literature on
community
Ohmer & Damasi Ch. 7-8
Due: RP on Ohmer & Damasi
Activities: Complete 1-2 interviews this week
1. Hillier: Why Social Work Needs Mapping
2. McKnight & Kretzman: Mapping
Community Capacity
Due: one RP & Discussion posts integrating both
readings
10/26
Or
10/27
Online
Oppression & Liberation:
View from Brazil
Dr. Brooks at CSWE in ATL
Class
10
11/2
Or
11/3
In
class
Class
11
11/9
or
11/10
Class
12
In
Class
Activities: begin creating a mapping component
for your community analysis; complete at least
one interview this week
1. Freiere Pedagogy of the Oppressed Ch.12, pp. 43-86
Due: RP & Discussion Posts on Freiere
Activities: complete at least one interview this
week
Check-in on community analysis
1. Freier: Ch 3, 87-126
2. Hardina: Guidelines for Ethical Practice
in Community Organizing
Ethical Dilemmas
& Pedagogy of the
Oppressed in Action
Check-in on Community
Analysis
Activity: complete 1-2 interviews for community
DVD: Adventures of a
analysis
Radical Hillbilly
Social Movements, Conflict
1. Bobo, Kendall, & Max: Ch. 2, pp. 5-19
Organizing, & Social Change
2. Brooks: The Living Wage Movement:
Potential Implications for the Working
DVD: A Philip Randolph
Poor
Due: One RP integrating both readngs
Activity: complete 1-2 interviews
8
11/16
Or
11/17
In
Class
Class
13
11/30
Or
12/1
Class
14
12/7
Or
12/8
The Labor Movement, the
Impact of Unions & Social
Workers
Video: Local 226: The
Culinary Workers Union
Inclass
1. Greenhouse: Las Vegas Land of the
Living Wage & The Culinary
2. Reading on Social Workers & Unions
1. Course wrap-up,
Panel of Guest
Speakers on
Community Practice
& partnerships
Due: One RP integrating all the readings
Activity: complete 1-2 interviews for community
analysis
Interviews should be completed by today 6-10
total.
Community Analysis Due
No Class/Exam Week
Your constructive assessment of this course plays an indispensable role in shaping
education at Georgia State. Upon completing the course, please take time to fill out the
online course evaluation.
VII.
REFERENCES/SOURCE MATERIAL/SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS
(handout)
VIII. Professional Competence
From the School of Social Work’s Student Handbook:
Georgia State University’s School of Social Work has the goal of educating competent
social work practitioners. If a student fails to meet the standards set by the National
Association of Social Workers and/or the School of Social Work, corrective action may
be taken. Corrective action is intended to provide students and faculty with the
opportunity to openly discuss problems and issues identified, and to seek a solution to
correct the situation or problem presented. Dismissal from the program is an option and
may supersede any discussion of corrective action. Professional incompetence signifies
that a student is not adequately or appropriately performing at the respective BSW or
MSW program level.
The field placement is a critical component of the student's development as a professional
social worker, particularly as it reflects the student's ability to internalize academic course
content and to combine professional knowledge and skill with a professional demeanor
appropriate for practice. The student must maintain a professional demeanor that
separates personal problems/issues from practice in order to engage successfully in one's
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professional responsibilities to clients, the agency, and the community. Should a student's
personal problems, psychological well-being, lack of maturity or lack of learning
readiness in the student intern role impair the student's field performance and
responsibilities to clients, the agency, and/or the community, the field supervisor and the
faculty liaison have the responsibility to intervene.
The following criteria will be used to determine the basis of professional competence:
1. Academic performance: see BSW and MSW academic competence criteria set forth in
the School of Social Work’s Student Handbook.
2. Field placement experience: The agency field supervisor, the faculty liaison, and/or the
Director of Field Education’s evaluation of the student will be reviewed. Concerns
around the student’s professional competence may arise due to the student’s inability to:
(1) establish and maintain positive and constructive interpersonal relationships with
clients and field supervisors, (2) poor performance in the field (see mid-semester and
final evaluation criteria), and/or (3) lack of professional demeanor. Any of these
concerns will be assessed within the developmental framework of the student’s social
work education and experiences. Lack of professional demeanor may be evidenced by
the student’s:
Lack of commitment to professional growth and development
Tardiness or absenteeism at the field placement
Failure to adhere to agency policies, standards, and guidelines
Lack of appropriate professional dress and appearance
Failure to enact appropriate behaviors with clients
Failure to meet project/task/assignment deadlines
Inability to accept constructive feedback from the field supervisor
Failure to exhibit maturity or learning readiness
Failure to maintain professional boundaries
Failure to exhibit ethical behavior
3. Unprofessional behavior or ethical misconduct: Failure to comply with the ethics,
values, and principles of the social work profession as defined by the NASW Code of
Ethics; exploitation of clients, engaging in sexual activities with clients; participation in
dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation; and/or involvement in illegal activities
(conviction of a felony, breaking the law, specific criminal behavior such as trafficking in
and/or possession of drugs).
4. Inability to function within the role of a student: Inappropriate classroom behavior
(disruptiveness, tardiness, inattentiveness, behaviors that undermine the work or morale
of faculty and students). The student demonstrates an inability to accept feedback and
effectively utilize the problem solving process.
5. Negative attitude: Demonstrates a negative attitude/lack of enthusiasm toward the
social work program, the social work profession, and/or the field placement, to such a
degree that it impairs the student’s ability to actively participate in the learning
experience.
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6. Personal problems: This may include either physical, emotional, or life-related
problems that interfere with a student’s ability to meet both the academic and
professional standards and requirements and/or raise questions about suitability for
profession. This may include evidence of psychological/emotional problems such as
mental illness, emotional instability, emotional disturbance, overt psychosis, irrational
behavior, substance abuse, and addictive behavior.
7. Failure to comply with the policies and procedures of Georgia State University
and/or the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies and/or the School of Social Work
and/or the field placement agency.
Academic Honesty
All students at Georgia State University are expected to engage in academic pursuits on
their own with complete honesty and integrity. Any student found guilty of dishonesty in
any phase of academic work will be subject to disciplinary action.
From the Policy on Academic Honesty:
Plagiarism. Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism
includes any paraphrasing or summarizing of the works of another person without
acknowledgment, including the submitting of another student’s work as one’s own.
Plagiarism frequently involves a failure to acknowledge in the text, notes, or footnotes
the quotation of the paragraphs, sentences, or even a few phrases written or spoken by
someone else. The submission of research or completed papers or projects by someone
else is plagiarism, as is the unacknowledged use of research sources gathered by someone
else when that use is specifically forbidden by the faculty member. Failure to indicate the
extent and nature of one’s reliance on other sources is also a form of plagiarism. Failure
to indicate the extent and nature of one's reliance on other sources is also a form of
plagiarism. Any work, in whole or part, taken from the internet without properly
referencing the corresponding URL may be considered plagiarism. An author's name and
the title of the original work, if available, should also be included as part of the reference.
Finally, there may be forms of plagiarism that are unique to an individual discipline or
course, examples of which should be provided in advance by the faculty member. The
student is responsible for understanding the legitimate use of sources, the appropriate
ways of acknowledging academic, scholarly or creative indebtedness, and the
consequences of violating this responsibility.
Cheating on Examinations. Cheating on examinations involves giving or receiving
unauthorized help before, during, or after an examination. Examples of unauthorized help
include the use of notes, texts, or “crib sheets” during an examination (unless specifically
approved by the faculty member), or sharing information with another student during an
examination (unless specifically approved by the faculty member). Other examples
include intentionally allowing another student to view one’s own examination and
collaboration before or after an examination if such collaboration is specifically
forbidden by the faculty member.
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Unauthorized Collaboration. Submission for academic credit of a work product, or a part
thereof, represented as its being one’s own effort, which has been developed in
substantial collaboration with or with assistance from another person or source, is a
violation of academic honesty. It is also a violation of academic honesty knowingly to
provide such assistance. Collaborative work specifically authorized by a faculty member
is allowed.
Falsification. It is a violation of academic honesty to misrepresent material or fabricate
information in an academic exercise, assignment or proceeding (e.g., false or misleading
citation of sources, the falsification of the results of experiments or of computer data,
false or misleading information in an academic context in order to gain an unfair
advantage).
Multiple Submissions. It is a violation of academic honesty to submit substantial portions
of the same work for credit more than once without the explicit consent of the faculty
member(s) to whom the material is submitted for additional credit. In cases in which
there is a natural development of research or knowledge in a sequence of courses, use of
prior work may be desirable, even required; however, the student is responsible for
indicating in writing, as a part of such use, that the current work submitted for credit is
cumulative in nature.
Students should refer to the GSU Policy on Academic Honesty for additional
information. [http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwdos/wordFilesEtc/2010-2011
_On_Campus_Handbook_Student_Code_of_Conduct_ January_27_2011.pdf]
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities (this paragraph must be on the syllabus)
Students who wish to request accommodation for a disability may do so by registering
with the Office of Disability Services. Students may only be accommodated upon
issuance by the Office of Disability Services of a signed Accommodation Plan and are
responsible for providing a copy of that plan to instructors of all classes in which an
accommodation is sought. [Office of Disability Services is located in the Student Center,
Suite 230]
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