2022-2023 Academic Catalog

Nov 23, 2024

2022-2023 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

MPA 3312 - Social Change and Transformation

This module integrates the previous two modules to explore and identify our personal theory of social change. How does our critical understanding of the world, and understanding of DEI combined with our social identity and our personal passions help us to understand how we can affect change? Through the exploration of different organizational and social change theories, students will develop their own theory of change. Questions we consider: In what ways does positive social change occur? Who defines what counts as “positive?” What are the complexities and tensions associated with social change? How do I understand the role of power and decision-making in social change efforts? How am I best situated to promote and enact social change? By the end of the course, students will be able to know/do the following:

Articulate their theory of change and ways to understand and enact change in the context of DEI.
Evaluate models of organization and social change efforts that have centered equity and social justice, analyzing them for their strategies/practices as well as philosophical orientations.
Reflect on, and review insights from Module 1, and articulate how identity and positionality can enable or hinder us in making our contexts more equitable.
Identify interests and issues for the Capstone Module.

Anticipated Terms Offered: Varied