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Fall 2016 Catalog and Handbook [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Course Descriptions
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Urban Studies |
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URB 340 - Contemporary Urban Problems (4 Credits) Prerequisite: None
Urban centers like New York City are very complex and diverse, increasingly affected by globalization, and always in a state of flux. While this description conveys the vitality and energy of cities, it also points to a host of challenges faced by city dwellers and communities as well as civic institutions, service providers, and local government. This course explores the major challenges faced by U.S. cities in light of population shifts, widening disparities in income and wealth, restructuring of work, persistent unemployment, and diminishing resources for low-income and working-class populations. Though the majority of this course will focus primarily on urban issues in the US, the course will highlight a comparative selection of urban problems in developing nations.
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URB 341 - Metropolitan Transportation and Urban Development (3 Credits) Prerequisite: None
This course focuses on the ways transportation, especially mass transit, has influenced urban development in the New York metropolitan area from the late 19th century to the present, with comparisons between New York and other world cities. Students will examine the operations of mass transit, its characteristic infrastructure, and its impacts on urban development. Themes recurring throughout the course include: the effects of demographic patterns and land use on both transportation demand and transit system development; the ways improved technology has led to expanded development opportunities; comparisons of low density (automobile-oriented) and high density (transit- oriented) development patterns; intersections between politics, transportation and development; evolution in mass transit from private to public sector; ongoing conflict between pro- and anti-transit forces and its effects on urban and metropolitan development. The course is divided into six modules, each incorporating and historicizing a set of related topics.
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URB 351 - Research Methods for Urban and Community Studies (4 Credits) Prerequisite: URB 310
This course provides students with the tools necessary to conduct research on issues related to urban and community studies. It will introduce students to the fundamental concepts of qualitative and quantitative research methods, inductive and deductive reasoning, causality, and generalizability. Students will learn how to formulate a research question and construct a research design and will learn basic statistics. The course includes an introduction to various research methods, including in-depth case studies, historical research, and surveys. Course materials will provide a research perspective on race, gender, class and sexuality. Students will develop skills necessary to pursue research projects in their major as well as to enter careers that require basic research skills.
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URB 399 - Urban and Community Studies Independent Studies (1 - 4 Credits) Prerequisite: Permission of the Academic Director
The Independent Study will be taken under the supervision of an instructor. The student will develop a proposal and rationale for the Independent Study, which must be approved in advance by the instructor. The Instructor and the student will develop a set of guidelines for the course, including the scope of reading and writing assignments. These guidelines will be submitted to the Academic Director in the form of a course proposal and plan. Students will be limited to one independent study in fulfillment of the elective requirement.
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URB 451 - Urban and Community Studies Special Topics (4 Credits) Prerequisite: None
This course will offer students the opportunity to study special topics within the scope of Urban and Community Studies that are not covered, or are only partially covered, in courses offered. Topics may vary from semester to semester and could include study of particular urban populations or communities, urban worker centers, coalitional campaigns including labor, community, and political groups, or particular urban institutions.
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URB 499 - Urban and Community Studies Capstone (4 Credits) Prerequisite: Permission of the Academic Director
In the Capstone course, students sum up and synthesize the body of knowledge they have acquired in courses leading to completion of the B.A. in Urban and Community Studies. Working with the instructor, students will develop an interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary project that demonstrates an understanding of subjects and literature covered in the major. The project may take various forms, including group or individual research and presentations. Each student in a Capstone project will be required to submit an analytic research paper, including a bibliography. As part of each project, students will present 10-minute summaries of their final papers at an end-of-semester forum open to JSMI students and faculty.
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URB 600 - Classical Approaches to Urban Studies (3 Credits) Prerequisite: None
This course is designed to familiarize students with central ideas and debates in the field of Urban Studies. Students will do close readings of classic critical texts and will write response papers of varying types and lengths. In this process of reading and responding, students will advance their understanding of the literature and will enhance their analytic skills. As they “write across texts”-analyzing differing concepts, theories, and arguments-they will identify and evaluate various research methods used by scholars in the field. In this writing-intensive course, students will also hone their ability to develop reasoned, defensible arguments about critical questions related to a range of urban topics, including the effects of globalization and immigration on the contemporary city and its workforce. Students will make class presentations and critique one-another’s work, including periodic drafts of a final research paper.
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URB 601 - Urban Public Management (3 Credits) Prerequisite: None
This course examines the scope and range of urban public management, with the aim of defining and evaluating how services are delivered through local government and nonprofit agencies. The focus will be on government managers, public-sector employees, and public-sector unions. Topics will include the difficulties of providing human services through street level bureaucracies, theories and styles of leadership, strategies for making organizational change, and how to achieve innovation in government and the nonprofit sector. These subjects will be considered in both an historical and contemporary context, with special emphasis on the effect of the political climate on the management of public organizations. Using a case-study approach, students will learn what public managers actually do and will analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of differing practices in leadership and decision-making. Through case simulations, they will develop decision-making skills necessary for working effectively in public agencies, government departments, and nonprofit organizations.
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URB 610 - Research Methods in Urban Studies (3 Credits) Prerequisite: URB 600 . The Prerequisite may be waived by permission of the Academic Director.
This course examines research methods used to produce and analyze accurate data on a range of urban issues. Students will learn how to frame research questions; which methodologies can be employed to answer them and why and when to use them; and what tools of research are available and how to use them. They will learn how to analyze data to produce research reports with conclusions supported by reliable data. Students will discuss the theoretical and operational issues critical to doing urban research and will develop tools and techniques for conducting both quantitative and qualitative research. Students will critique and evaluate specific urban research studies and will make presentations, posing questions for group discussion. Finally, students will become familiar with statistical programs for data analysis. One week of class sessions will be scheduled in a Computer Lab for basic SPSS training. For their final project, students will work in groups to prepare a proposal for an urban research project. The topic must be approved in advance by the instructor. Drawing upon material from the course, groups will outline the research question (or questions); develop hypotheses; explain the methods used to investigate the question and test hypotheses; and justify the use of particular methodologies. In addition to submitting the proposal, each group will make a brief class presentation.
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URB 620 - Urban Public Finance (3 Credits) Prerequisite: None
This course explores theories, principles, practices, and problems of public financing in the context of urban economics. Focusing on the City of New York and its budget process, students identify and analyze sources of public revenue, including taxation, as well as types of public expenditures and how they are administered. In studying the budget process, students examine the factors that determine how public funds are allocated, including the impact of national socio-economic policy, problems of social and economic inequality, the role of state and local governments, the political actors and the influence of various constituencies and interest groups. During the term, each student will make a class presentation, utilizing a case study from recent New York City history that illustrates a controversial or problematical issue in public financing or public budgeting. The student’s case study will be the basis for a final paper, analyzing the issues in debate and arguing for a resolution based on sound principles of public financing.
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URB 621 - Delivery of Urban Public Services (3 Credits) Prerequisite: URB 600
This course examines concepts and theories of social welfare and the development of social welfare policy, focusing on the scope and variety of contemporary human services and the urban institutions that deliver those services. The course combines both theoretical and practical learning, allowing students to draw on their own experiences as service providers in New York City or as recipients of public services. Students analyze the nature and function of public-service bureaucracies and evaluate how they meet the needs of a diverse and multi-faceted client population. In addressing this question, students consider the broad political and socio-economic context and the impact of social inequality, the role of government and regulatory bodies, and the movement toward privatization of public services. A central topic of this course is the role of social-service professionals, the range of legal and ethical questions they confront, and the array of technical and professional skills required to function effectively as a service provider in a complex urban environment. Students will complete final group projects that examine a selected urban public service provision sector and site. They will outline the service’s function regarding social welfare, historical development as a public service, and its place within larger bureaucratic structures. They may conduct interviews with practitioners; engage in observation of the service delivery site; and apply their own experiences as practitioners. Based on this research and course readings, students will produce an analytic paper, and make a presentation, summarizing their conclusions, including an assessment of management practices and ethical dilemmas for practitioners.
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URB 630 - Urban Social Identity (3 Credits) Prerequisite: None
This course will identify and examine multiple and often overlapping forms of social identity, including race, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. Through readings, films, and other forms of cultural expression, students will explore the ways in which social identities are shaped and informed by the urban environment and - conversely - how the design and function of cities have been influenced by factors of social identity. In considering both cultural and economic aspects of urban social identity, students will address a number of key questions: How do the various factors of social identity intersect and how do they relate to class and class relations in the urban environment? How is social identity reflected in the nature, function and design of cities? How are public and private space defined and organized by factors of race, gender, sexual identity and class? How is social identity expressed or encountered in the workplace? How do social and government services address the needs of differing social groups and constituencies? In answering these questions, students will consider the relationship of urban social identity to issues of equality and discrimination, poverty and affluence, and power relations in the political, social, and work lives of urban inhabitants.
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URB 635 - Community Organization (3 Credits) Prerequisite: None
This course will examine the historical development and contemporary practice of community organizing. Students will examine why and how people in urban communities and neighborhoods have organized to protect their rights and their entitlements to public services, to acquire resources for development, and to improve their quality of life. Students will develop a historical and theoretical perspective on community organizing and will explore the range of issues around which communities organize. They will acquire practical knowledge and skills for effective grassroots organizing, including coalition-building and alliances between community organizations and labor. Through readings and presentations by guest speakers, they will gain familiarity with various models and strategies of community organizations in New York City. Following each presentation by a guest speaker, students will submit a 1-2 page paper, reflecting on a key theoretical or practical concept in the presentation.
The course is divided into three parts: I. History and Theory of Organizing, II. Organizing Tools and Techniques, and III. Issues and Case Studies. As a final project, students will work in groups to design a grass-roots campaign to address a particular issue or problem. Each group will make a presentation and submit a written report, summarizing the project and its desired outcomes. In doing so, students should utilize class readings and discussions and refer to historical, theoretical, and political models and examples.
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URB 639 - Fieldwork (3 Credits) Prerequisite: Permission of the Academic Director
- Class meets for a total of 16 instructional hours.
- A minimum of 6 hours per week of faculty approved internship is required.
Students in this course will combine a 15-week internship with readings and analysis appropriate to the mission and practices of the host organization. Host organizations could include municipal administrative agencies, government offices, unions, community organizations, and other urban-based institutions. In eight two-hour class meetings, students will reflect on their internships, comparing their experiences with those of other students and discussing them in relation to course readings on selected urban issues. Through a combination of field work and scholarly analysis, students will explore the relationship between urban theory and practice, and will acquire multiple perspectives on administrative structures and urban policy, including the policy-making process and the role of interest groups and various urban constituencies and communities.
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URB 649 - Independent Study (3 Credits) Prerequisite: Permission of the Academic Director
The Independent Study will be taken under the supervision of an instructor. The student will develop a proposal and rationale for the Independent Study, which must be approved in advance by the instructor. The Instructor and the student will develop a set of guidelines for the course, including the scope of reading and writing assignments. These guidelines will be submitted to the Academic Director in the form of a course proposal and plan. Students will be limited to one independent study in fulfillment of the elective requirement.
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URB 651 - Special Topics (3 Credits) Prerequisite: Permission of the Academic Director
This course will offer qualified students the opportunity to study special topics within the scope of Urban Studies that are not covered, or are only partially covered, in courses offered. Topics may vary from semester to semester and could include in-depth study of particular urban issues or problems; comparative studies of urban regions; examinations of urban working-class experience; demographic research; neighborhood environmental problems; urban coalitions with labor and other advocacy groups; case studies of particular community or political mobilizations for urban justice.
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URB 699 - Capstone Course (3 Credits) Prerequisite: To be completed in the student’s last semester
This course is an opportunity for students to integrate and synthesize the body of knowledge acquired in courses leading to completion of the M.A. in Urban Studies. Students will work with the instructor to develop an interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary capstone project that demonstrates the student’s command of subject matter and literature covered in the courses. The project may take various forms, including independent or group research; an annotated literature review; or a media presentation. All projects must include an extensive bibliography and an analytic essay. Classroom sessions will alternate with independent supervised research and project development, including periodic submission of drafts.
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Youth Studies |
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YS 600 - Historical Perspectives on Adolescence (3 Credits) Prerequisite: None
This course traces the cultural history of youth and the development of the modern concept of adolescence at the turn of the twentieth century. It uses a multidisciplinary approach to highlight aspects of adolescence in contemporary society. The course begins with the portrayal of youth in Greek literature and philosophy and in “ages of man” iconography. The modern concept of adolescence is introduced through: a review of images of youth in the popular literature, painting and poetry of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century; the influences of John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau on the concept of adolescent development in the fields of medicine and education; the work of G. Stanley Hall and the new psychology of adolescence as a distinct “stage of life”; the creation of the juvenile justice system and the social construction of a legal concept of adolescence; the proliferation of delinquency theories and gang research in the social sciences; and the emergence of a cultural concept of adolescence in anthropology. The course covers the evolution of cultures of youth during the decades of the twentieth century. Social, economic and public policy issues related to youth are discussed.
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YS 601 - Adolescent Psychology and Community Programs (3 Credits) Prerequisite: YS 600 and YS 610
This course is an introduction to the field of adolescent psychology with a particular emphasis on theories and research that support the development of community programs that promote youth development. The course begins with the founding of the field of adolescent psychology in the work G. Stanley Hall. The influence of his concept of “storm and stress” is discussed. The importance of Erik Erikson’s concept of “identity formation” in the history of adolescent psychology is also covered. The course encompasses major aspects of adolescent psychology including: cognitive development, moral reasoning, the impact of schools, adolescent health and sexuality, risk and resilience, relationships with peers, parents and other adults, issues related to violence, the impact of globalization and the concept of “emerging adulthood.” These topics are discussed in the context of the development of best practices in community-based youth serving agencies.
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YS 602 - Youth Action and Agency (3 Credits) Prerequisite/Co-Requiste: YS 600 and YS 610
Consistent with a youth development philosophy that posits that young people are assets to any endeavor, this course will help youth-workers explore the conditions that support productive partnerships between adults and young people. Course readings will include literature in the following content areas: youth development, critical youth development, community-youth development, youth participatory action research, youth participatory evaluation, youth advocacy, youth civic engagement, adult-youth partnerships, and youth activism. Students will also explore how to measure outcomes on the individual, programmatic and community level. An integral component of this course is conducting a mini-participatory project with young people. This combination of theory and practice is designed to deepen knowledge acquisition in the course by engaging students in experiential learning and reflection in addition to reading and class discussion. The in-class work is designed to model promising practices in youth development such as an attention to social group work, an awareness of learning styles, and student-centered engagement strategies
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YS 603 - Group Work with Youth (3 Credits) Prerequisite/Co-Requiste: YS 600 and YS 610
This course introduces students to social group work (a core methodology of the social work profession) as a practice model for promoting youth development. Students gain an understanding of the stages of group development as an overarching framework and learn basic group theory and skills needed for group work with children and adolescents in a variety of social, educational, and recreational settings. They explore key concepts such as planning, purposeful use of activity, norms, mutual aid, shared decision-making, group roles, problem-solving, and managing group conflict. Students apply the central theories and practice principles of social group work as they develop basic skills in ethical and effective intervention and evaluation of their group work practice with youth.
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YS 604 - Adolescent Sexual Health (3 Credits) Prerequisite: YS 600 and YS 610
This course aims to understand individual, cultural, and social factors that influence young people’s healthy sexual development.
The course is organized around a number of factors that both support and impede the sexual health and development of young people and permits study of a wide range of issues that affect young people and their sexuality. The course covers biological and hormonal development, how peers and partners can affect adolescent sexual health, how the media and popular culture influence sexual development, the role of families and schools, and explores social policies and laws that create the political infrastructure in which adolescents develop. Particular attention is paid to specific characteristics that affect sexual health, including gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status and how these affect what adolescents learn about themselves, their bodies, and the potential for being a healthy sexual adult. The structure of this course encourages students to develop a set of critical skills that will allow them to understand how young people are affected by both public and private issues and decisions. The ability to understand how sexual health is both an individual and a social phenomenon is an important skill for students to learn.
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YS 605 - Transition Experience with Youth with Disabilities (3 Credits) Prerequisite/Co-Requisite: YS 600 and YS 610
This course provides an overview of the transition experience of youth with disabilities. It reviews the current state of transition services for youth with disabilities in New York City and nationally. It focuses on “self-determination” as a basic principle in transition planning and in accessing and integrating community resources within a fragmented service delivery system. Special attention is given to the role and experience of the family in the transition process and to the importance of “inclusion,” especially in school settings. The experiences of youth with disabilities in the foster care and juvenile justice systems, and strategies that support employment and postsecondary education opportunities are covered. Applications of transition planning to youth with intellectual disabilities, traumatic brain injury, autism spectrum disorders, emotional and behavioral disorders, learning disabilities and physical disabilities are discussed and practiced.
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YS 606 - Youth Identity: Virtual Environments (3 Credits) Prerequisite: YS 600 and YS 610
This course is designed to prepare youth practitioners to respond to the needs and interests of young people as expressed through virtual environments. It provides opportunities to explore how young people use virtual environments to construct their identities and navigate social space. Students will explore current social networking technologies, understand how young people navigate these systems for relational purposes, and critically examine the risks as well as developmental benefits of virtual environments.
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YS 610 - Youth Development (3 Credits) Prerequisite: None
This course focuses on the history of the field of Youth Development, current frameworks, the latest findings in neuroscience related to youth development, as well as promising practices related to: STEAM, media literacy, the tech/maker movement, global competencies, LGBT/racially informed youth development, parent engagement and connected learning. Students will learn the basics of facilitation steeped in youth development principles and practices. Students will become familiar with tools used to measure socio-emotional development as well as various quality assessment tools. Lastly, students will visit high quality youth development programs around New York City to witness youth development practice in action and learn promising practices
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YS 611 - Youth Policy (3 Credits) Prerequisite/Co-Requisite: YS 600 and YS 610
This course critically analyzes various public policies at the local, state, federal and international level. Students will develop a variety of skills that inform the understanding and analysis of social policy, including: critically analyzing data, both what is there and what is not there, making connections between federal policy and children’s lives, assessing coverage of children’s issues in the media and popular press, understanding how to create a policy agenda and increasing knowledge about current social issues and policy debates. Topics covered include: juvenile justice, education, out-of-school time, opportunity youth, child protection, health, and advocacy.
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YS 612 - Effective Supervision of Youth Workers (3 Credits) Prerequisite/Co-Requisite: YS 600 and YS 610
Supervision has been shown to have an impact on quality at the point of service (between a frontline staff and a young person). In this course, students will learn theory and skills related to supervising youth workers. Topics covered include: supervision models/theory, competencies, one-on-one supervision, running effective learning communities, quality assessments, staffing, in-house trainings, self-care and professionalizing the field.
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YS 620 - Practicum: Designing and Running Quality Youth Programs (3 Credits) Prerequisite/Co-Requisite: YS 600 and YS 610
This course is a practicum where students learn theory, skills and knowledge related to designing and running quality youth programs, field test these ideas/competencies and debrief the process with their peers. Students can use their existing work places or receive a placement from CUNY SPS in a high quality youth program in New York City to serve as their learning lab. Topics covered in this course include: leadership styles, program evaluation and assessment, budgeting, grant writing, fundraising, strategic planning, external oversight, ethics, program marketing, program design and implementation. Students are asked to test out new skills in the program context and/or bring in exemplars from their organizations that illuminate the given topic each week. Weekly debriefs about successes and challenges related to implementing the ideas or skills are incorporated into the class structure as are occasional visits to high quality youth programs across New York City.
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YS 639 - Youth Studies Research Methods (3 Credits) Prerequisite/Co-Requisite: YS 600 and YS 610
This course will provide an overview of research methods, including ethnography, in-depth interviewing, the use of personal narratives and other documents, and participatory action research. The course will focus on both the theoretical approaches and practical techniques of qualitative research methodology. Students will be introduced to data analysis in youth research. The application of these research methodologies to the youth field will be illustrated.
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YS 649 - Youth Studies Independent Study (3 Credits) Prerequisite/Co-Requisite: YS 600 and YS 610
The Independent Study will be taken under the supervision of an instructor. The student will develop a proposal and rationale for the Independent Study, which must be approved in advance by the instructor. The instructor and the student will develop a set of guidelines for the course, including the scope of reading and writing assignments. These guidelines will be submitted to the Academic Director in the form of a course proposal and plan. Students will be limited to one independent study in fulfillment of the elective requirement.
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YS 659 - Special Topics in Youth Studies (3 Credits) Prerequisite/Co-Requisite: YS 600 and YS 610 , additional pre-requisites may vary depending on topic
This seminar style course supports students to stay on top of the current trends in the field of youth development. Special topics could include: socio-emotional development, STEM, STEAM, media literacy, the tech/maker movement, global competencies, 21st century skills, opportunity youth, connected learning, trauma informed practice and restorative justice models.
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YS 699 - Youth Studies Capstone Course (3 Credits) Prerequisite/Co-Requisite: YS 600 and YS 610 , and permission of the Academic Director
This course, which should be taken in the student’s final semester, is an opportunity for the student to integrate and synthesize the body of knowledge acquired in courses leading to completion of the M.A. in Youth Studies. Students will work with the instructor to develop a multi-disciplinary capstone project that demonstrates the student’s command of subject matter and literature covered in the courses. The capstone may take various forms, including an independent or group research project; an annotated literature review; e-portfolio or a media presentation. All capstones must include an extensive bibliography and a 20-25 page analytic essay. Classroom sessions will alternate with independent supervised research and project development.
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