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PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS TO VIOLENCE PREVENTION: COA

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Introduction to theories of various intervention strategies to prevent violence and build healthy communities:  through identification of methods to prevent violence and developing the capacity of impacted people in urban centers to take a leadership role in community development. (click on title for full syllabus with class calendar)

VIDEO: Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome


1st  Weeks Reading Below:                        Community Service Hours log! (15 hours total)
Urban Strategies Council Report
Alameda County Blueprint

Review this website for Feb 2 Class                    Feb/March Community Service Options

3rd Weeks Readings                                            Week 3/FEB 9 (IN THE COMMUNITY)
Spectrum of Prevention                       
Intersection of Violence Prevention (read 3 fact sheets on the web page)

TEXTBOOKS – Required
The Little Book of Restorative Justice, Howard Zehr (2002)
Research Methods for Community Change: A Project Based Approach, R. Stoeker (2005)
Violence and Nonviolence: Pathways to Understanding, G, Barak (2003)

OBJECTIVES; by the end of this course, students will be able to:
    1. Describe and explain the various intervention strategies to prevent violence, including restorative justice, case management, conflict resolution and street outreach
    2. Describe and explain the best practices used to develop healthy communities
    3. Evaluate the different approaches to preventing violence
    4. Demonstrate an understanding of the landscape of the field of violence prevention
    5. Analyze how each organization’s mission translates to practical “work on the ground”.
    6. Develop relationships with stakeholders in the field of violence prevention
    7. Illustrate basic understanding of community based research methods
    8. Construct a conscious awareness around what it means to be a social change agent around issues of violence prevention
Assignments
Assignment 1: Conduct community research on the potential causes and conditions of violence (Surveys, Interviews or Photo voice, etc) this will be done individually. 200 pts
Assignment 2: Weekly Journals on the readings: complete a summary (minimum 1 page single spaced) of each required reading and how it applies to your knowledge of violence in urban communities. 25 pts each
Assignment 3: Interview 2 practitioners in the field of violence prevention to learn about their work, the mission of the organization, the scope of the problem their work addresses and the impact they are making in the community. (2) 50 pts each
Assignment 4: Participate in a community based training that you arrange with the instructor. 50 pts
Assignment 5: Complete 15 hours of community violence prevention service hours 100 pts (approx: 6.6 pts/hour)
Assignment 6: Final portfolio and presentation on your vision for a nonviolent urban community or a violence prevention project you’ve learned about or would like to create in the future. 100 pts

Major themes in the course

I        Introduction to Violence Prevention Strategies and Developing Health Communities
Overview of Political and Social Consciousness Issues of Violence in urban centers and how that affects individuals, families, institutions and society as a whole.
Violence Prevention Intervention Strategies – exploration of theories around violence prevention and various intervention strategies, including restorative justice, case management, conflict resolution and street outreach
Community Development and Enhancement – overview of community development versus community enhancement approaches (needs-based approach versus asset based approaches); Who determines what needs developing? What is the civic process? What institutions must be involved? What are the costs? Where do resources come from? How is enhancement determined? What is innovation and what role does it play? What are innovative strategies?

II     Navigating the Landscape of the Violence Prevention Field
Actors and Organizations in the Violence Prevention Field – overview of public and private organizations that are actors and stakeholders in the field of violence prevention; who are the stakeholders? Examination of the different approaches organizations employ in working toward the mission of preventing violence; how to evaluate how an organization’s mission translates to their practical work on the ground

III     Introduction to Community Based Research
Introduction to Community Based Research  – what is community-based research? What methods are employed in community based research? How can community based research be used as a political advocacy tool in urban communities?  
Contextualized Research - engagement with organizations and individuals working in the field of violence prevention, peace building and community development; examination of the relationship between local policy and the effects it has on the most impacted populations.

IV     Career and Leadership Development
Leadership – What is leadership? What is the difference between traditional and non-traditional leadership?
The Context of Leadership Development – What is institutionalized oppression? How does market-force conflict impact community? Identifying the community’s values and voice
Developing Non-Traditional Leadership – What is adaptive leadership? What is followership? What are the innovative tools for developing leadership capacity? How do non-traditional leaders develop self-mastery and multicultural awareness?
General Work Experience
1-3 units (hours to be arranged)
Corequisite: During regular semesters, students must enroll in a minimum of seven units including Cooperative Work Experience Education. During summer sessions, students must enroll in one other class in addition to Cooperative Work Experience Education.

Acceptable for credit: CSU & UC’s
Course study under this section may be repeated three times for a maximum of 16 units for work experience education.

Cheating Policy; students caught violating academic honesty and integrity issues on assignments will receive a grade of zero (0) - for that assignment. Plagiarism is the use of someone else's ideas or words in any way without citing them OR “merely” cutting and pasting whole sections of your paper from other sources without highly significant words of your own connecting and explaining use of those words -- even if you cite such words -- (including words of another student) in part or in total without proper academic attribution.

Withdrawal and incomplete policy: Consult with me and I can take care of certain withdrawals BUT students who wish to withdraw themselves must do so before the last “W” date and must inform the registrar's office in writing. Note: You cannot get a “W” from me just because you are getting less than an “A.” If you want an “A” do what it takes to get one. No incompletes will be awarded without timely consultation with the instructor prior to any due dates and only with a very appropriate reason and where there is only a minimal amount of work to be finished.

Basic Skills and Language issues:
If English is not your first language OR if you have a documented learning disability OR if you have difficulties with Basic Skills of college level performance; you are encouraged to make use of our Basic Skills English/ESL Lab (Room L-234; phone 748-2132). You’ll need to register for lab hours – but that is at no cost to you – so do this early! You can receive one-on-one help from tutors and other professionals with Studying, reading, and writing and general language issues. Other difficulties (e.g. learning disability) can be addressed as well – however, you must see me so special arrangements can be made to improve your performance on the exams and assignments.


Additional Comments

Late Policy: I will not accept late work unless there are extreme circumstances that prevent you from maintaining your schedule and turning in your assignments when they are due.

Extra Credit: You will be able to get a total of 50 points extra credit in this course. You can obtain extra credit by completing a review of an article, relevant report or a documentary about a political or social issue that is pertinent to the course. All extra credit materials need to be approved by the instructor, verbal approval is all that is needed. Your review should be single space, one page, times new roman. In your review answer the following questions: 1) Summarize the film/report/article, 2) Give two or three examples of how the film/report/article relates to a topic we've discussed in the course, 3) What is your opinion of the content in the film/report/article?

Contacting the instructor: You may email the instructor at ccrain@peralta.edu.

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