Master of Arts Integrated Studies (MAIS) 603

Introduction

Community development is the process of supporting and building communities through purposive action. Its practitioners apply theories and concepts that are related to the structures and participants involved. Building on analytical materials and skills, this course examines the nature of community in its variety of forms; issues and conditions that have an impact on communities; forces at work within communities, as well as those operating from outside; variations in community practice (economic and social development, social planning) and geographical setting; and applications in professional and academic fields as varied as education, literacy, economic development, health, social, and human services. Perspectives on the community that arise from policy setting, cross cultural relations, personal and global involvements, and practice strategies will also be examined as will specific concerns of Indigenous communities.

In this course we explore prospects for a sophisticated understanding of community, and deft interventions in a context of swift, often chaotic realignments. The focus will be local community autonomy, self help, mutual aid, and democratic process. An overriding goal will be the integration of themes, ideas, and practices.

The course introduces concepts and definitions; the historical background and growth of the discipline; case examples that illustrate the use of community development in city neighbourhoods, in rural settings, and in international or global issues; and cases related to fields of work (education, health, human services, etc.) and categories of people (First Nations, women, the poor, the homeless, etc.). Throughout the course we will analyse and critique ideological foundations, theoretical bases in the social sciences, and practices.

Avenues will be open for concentration on uses in professional and adjacent disciplines and among volunteer and private groups.

Course Structure

Master of Arts-Integrated Studies 603 consists of six parts.

• Part I Defining Concepts, Examining Foundational Ideas—Weeks 1 to 2
• Part II The Four Sets of Practices of Community Development—Week 3
• Part III Community Organization (CO), community development (cd), Social Planning (SP), Community Economic Development (CED)—Weeks 4 to 6
• Part IV How Do Community Development Practices Become Useful to People?—Weeks 7 to 8
• Part V Identifying Case Studies in Community Development—Weeks 9 to 12
• Part VI Community Development Practices “On the Ground”—Weeks 13 to 14

Course Objectives

The course objectives for Community Development are fivefold. The course provides students with the opportunity to

1. build knowledge of concepts and definitions of community development in a group setting.
2. study ideological foundations, theoretical bases, and practices.
3. collaboratively compile case studies of city, rural, and global examples.
4. identify categories of people who benefit from application of community development capacities.
5. examine the history of various community development practices.

Evaluation

For the first part of the course, students will be expected to participate in online group discussion each week. Each Monday, your course professor will post the week’s discussion questions and instructions. Online participation consists of one or more postings: responses to discussion questions initiated by the course professor and responses to comments by other students. Student postings should demonstrate knowledge of the assigned readings and focus on the weekly questions.

To receive credit for this course, students must participate in the online discussions and complete the two written assignments. The following table summarzies the evaluation activities and the credit weight associated with each evaluation activity.