NETWORK DIRECTORY |
Rationale: A healthy global society can only be constructed on the foundation of healthy communities. Contemporary society needs a substantial investment in reconstructing social institutions, starting with their psychological foundations, in order to compensate for the destabilizing effects of the massive investments being made in communications and information processing technology. This curriculum is designed to educate the community-based facilitators who must play a central role in this process of social evolution.
This course of study is grounded in humanistic and democratic values, principles of non-violence, collaboration and inclusiveness, and the interdependence of mind, body, and spirit.
This program is aimed at individuals who are already actively involved in community development, or who would like to become involved. The goal of this program is to address the desire of students to become more effective in their work and more satisfied with their careers. Students will learn how to become constructive activist-scholars, how to link theory to practice, and how to contribute to social change.
Objectives:
--To create educational materials and resources to support community development professionals.
--To develop a network of community develoment professionals who can share information on what is working now, and who can collaborate to create more effective strategies for the future.
--To develop an M.A. Program in Humanistic Interdisciplinary Community Development.
Curriculum:
The design of this curriculum is to bring competencies to bear on social issues in ways that lead to sustainable solutions to critical social problems. We believe that the relevant competencies involve both theory and practical skills, and that this knowledge and skills can be attained in a variety of traditional and nontraditional settings, including the extensive resources of cyberspace. Therefore we would provide for the evaluation and assessment of skills gained anywhere.
|
|
SYSTEMS LITERACIES |
SKILLS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
We are working to develop masters versions of this curriculum at our home institutions. But in the meantime, we see the curriculum itself as a largely self-organizing system that will include reading lists, web sites, self-study course outlines, and recommended courses at Sonoma State University and Saybrook Graduate School. The four curricular areas indicated above are linked to summary descriptions of the topics listed. Those topics with their own links (Learning Community, Humanistic Studies/Theory, Self Systems, Cultural Systems, and Economic/Ecological Systems) now have additional supplementary material.
The above table, which outlines the curriculum and some of the social issues it attempts to address, is linked to second order pages that expand on these definitions. We welcome comments and suggestions for these pages. But beyond that, there is a third order of pages and links where we invite members of the humanistic community to submit position statements, resource summaries, and useful hotlinks to be included in our web site.
All comments and materials should be sent to Arthur Warmoth, Ph.D. at <Artwarmoth@aol.com>