2024-2025 Academic Catalog

Dec 03, 2024

2024-2025 Academic Catalog

MPA 3310 - Self as Agent of Change

In this course, participants will explore how our situated identities are mediated by the social world, and how reflexivity about our social identities enables us to understand our experiences of the world and our ability to interact with and work towards social change and equity. Questions that will be considered: How does social identity shape my/our experience in the world? How does our social identity affect our interactions with others across social differences related to race, class, gender, nation, and more? How does who I am shape what I can do across different contexts? By the end of the course, students will be able to know/do the following:

Understand why and how identity matters in DEI work.
Form and articulate a deep and nuanced understanding of social identity/identities in diverse settings, but also your own autobiographies and cycles of socialization.
Analyze your cycle of socialization using theoretical lenses like intersectionality, and matrix of oppression/privilege.
Understand concepts like positionality, reflexivity, and critical intersectionality, and allyship.

Anticipated Terms Offered: Varied