Course Name: Community Organisation and Development

Course Code (Credit): CUTM 1930 (0-0-2)

Course Objectives:

Students will be able to gain an understanding of the context and theories of community organisation and development

Students will be able to engage in the practice of community organisation and development through a Frierian, Gramscian and feminist lens

Students will explore through projects the challenges and dilemmas in the field

Course Outcomes:

CO1 To gain an understanding of the context of community organisation and development PO1(3), PO8(3)

CO2 Practice of community organisation and development through a Frierian, Gramscian and feminist lens PO2(3), PO3(2), PO6(3), PO8(2)

CO3 Exploring through projects, participatory approaches and the challenges and dilemmas in the field PO6(3), PO9(3)

Course Syllabus

Module 1: Enhance knowledge on the nature of community development, its principles and processes and to understand the context of community development - the altruistic motives, the welfare background, social justice perspective community development and the state.

Module 2: Through projects, exploring and understanding self-esteem/ identity/ autonomy: a sense of who we are in the world; Empowerment; Critical pedagogy and collective action for change. Understanding the community through a Gramscian lens, hegemony, locating and dislocating oppression, discrimination as formalised oppression. Understanding the patriarchal sites of oppression.

Module 3: Undertaking a participatory exercise in the field and delving into issues of local/ global, democratic decision making, the mantra of competition, everyday life, etc.

Session Plan

Session 1 -4 : PROJECT WILL BE ASSIGNED TO THE STUDENTS WITH AN NGO.

Student will be assigned a project with an NGO and will explore the nature of the community and community development that is being practiced. They will further explore the context of community development.

The faculty and the NGO workers will be facilitators of this process.

Session 5-9: 

While continuing to work with the community, the student will explore and understand oneself and their place in the world (group work will be undertaken). Further, critical analysis of what is empowerment, critical pedagogy and collective action for change from the Freirian perspective will be facilitated by the faculty and NGO workers. Also the notions of power and hegemony and identifying and dislocating sites of oppression from the Gramscian and Feminist perspectives will be undertaken.

The faculty and the NGO workers will be facilitators of this process.

Session 10-14: 

Student will undertake a participatory exercise in the field and delve into issues of local/global, democratic decision making and collective action for change, the mantra of competition and the challenges of everyday life to understand the dilemmas they pose in the practice of community organisation and development.

The faculty and the NGO workers will be facilitators of this process.

Books:

Friere, P. 1970, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Seabury Press.

Chambers, R. 1983, Rural Development: Putting the last first, Pearson Education Foundation.

Kenny, S. 2010, Developing Communities for the future, Cengage Learning.

Ife, J. 2002, Community Development, Pearson Education Australia

Ledwith, M, 2020, Community Development: A Radical and Critical Approach, Policy Press