Urban Social Problems and Community Development

“Community development” refers to strategies in which neighborhood residents come together to generate and implement solutions to shared problems, and this course will explore the theory and practice of community development. The main emphasis of the course is a broad examination of the issues that have confronted communities since the mid-20th century. First, it studies the historical development of urban communities and the structural roots of urban social problems. Second, it traces the community development movement from its historic connections to the civil rights movement and the War on Poverty to its present-day manifestations. Third, it introduces students to various community development approaches and the complex constraints residents, activists, and organizations face as they confront common challenges. Finally, this course will use New York City as its main “case,” relying on New York-focused studies to illuminate the theoretical and practical issues outlined above. This course of study will provide students with basis for a final research paper.