Paper Option: Due 12/9
Those students who choose a written format will be required to write a 10-page paper that includes the following components:
Introduction and overview of the community engagement (2 to 3 pages). NOTE: You may choose to focus on a topic related to poverty and community resilience that was not related to your engagement. Please state clearly what your topic is. For instance, this might be a classic research review paper, where you focus on the literature, however, it needs to be related to the course content.
Research Question(s): Choose a component of our course materials that you will use to analyze your community engagement.
Analysis of findings that answers the research question (5 to 8 pages). This section might include:
- Definitions of your main topics,
- Additional background research on the issues that are being addressed at your organization,
- Use literature to discuss how poverty and resilience impact the work in the organizations (or on the topic). Be sure to define and explore these topics fully.
- Respond directly to your research questions
Discuss the overall findings as they relate to your research question. (1 to 2 pages)
Write a conclusion (1 – 2 pages)
References (NOT INCLUDED IN PAGE COUNT)
References (NOT INCLUDED IN PAGE COUNT)
Paper Grading Priorities
| Section | Points |
|---|---|
| Introduction and overview | 20 pts |
| Research Question(s): | 20 pts |
| Analysis of findings | 90 pts |
| Discuss the overall findings | 20 pts |
| Write a conclusion | 10 pts |
| References | 20 pts |
| Overall writing and flow | 20 pts |
COURSE DESCRIPTION
When we discuss people living in poverty, we envision the limits people have and the challenges they face. And we often focus solely on individual choices rather than systematic barriers, and rarely on the ways that people and systems adjust, respond and make strides in response to their conditions. This course explores the concepts of resilience in communities facing poverty. We will consider the psychological factors and community assets that support people toward developing strengths and resilience. The course incorporates differing conceptions of poverty and resiliency and then students will apply these conceptualizations to contemporary, readings, community engagements and community forums. Poverty and resilience will be applied to topics such as health, child-welfare, and the criminal justice system. For the Fall 2022 semester this course will participate in the Bellarmine Forum: Looking Back to Move Forward, and the Statewide Convening of the California Reducing Disparities Project. Further, this is an Engaged Learning course and students are expected to engage with a community organization outside of class sessions. The course learning objectives are as follows: