Brudnick Center

Spring 2008

Social Conflict & Community Service: SOC U470
Prof. Catherine Gildae
Tuesdays 1:35-3:15
Key Number: 22161

Course Description:
This is a community service course supported by a grant form a Northeastern alumnus, Irving Brudnick. The primary objective of the course is to assist students in learning about the causes, consequences, and possible solutions for social conflict in the Boston area. Students work in teams on projects for five hours each week dealing in some way with social conflict, broadly defined. Examples of site placements include Project Hope Family Shelter (Dorchester), Fair Housing Center of Boston, Community Change, and Fenway Community Health. In-depth reflection on the team-based experiences, readings, and related social issues will occur through team interactions, journal summaries, and focused discussions in weekly seminars.

Each student will write an analytic paper tying together their site experience and sociological issues. Most groups produce a final project for their site. In the past final projects have included workshops and in-services around predatory lending practices and a community breakfast for neighborhood residents to encourage education and dialogue about homelessness in the South End. Each student will lead the seminar discussion once during the semester and additionally will present their final paper to the class. This course has limited enrollment.

This courses satisfies both the Experiential Learning requirement (NU Core) and the Analysis requirement (Arts & Sciences).

Please contact the Sociology Department to register for this course: 617-373-2686.

Summer 2008

Dialogue of Civilizations: Israel

Dates (tentative): July 1 - July 30, 2008

Group leaders: Prof. Gordana Rabrenovic and Sheila Kohanteb

Course description:
The primary objective of the course is to assist students in learning about the causes, consequences, and possible solutions for social conflict in Israel and Palestine. The academic portion of the class will cover readings from sociology, political science, gender studies, education, and history about the nature of the conflict and conflict resolution in Isreal and Palestine as well as in other places. Attention is also given to helping students see beyond their customary social experiences and academic disciplines. The students will work alone or in teams on projects which deal in some way with social conflict, broadly defined. In-depth reflection on their project work, team-based experiences, readings, and related social issues will occur through team interactions, journal summaries, and focused discussions in class seminars. Each student will write an analytic paper which ties in theoretical issues with their research experiences.

Students will be hosted at Ben Gurion University Be'er Sheva for one week and will travel throughtout the country visting important historical, cultural and religious sites such as Massada, the Dead Sea, Ein Gedi, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and more.

Students accepted to the Isreal Dialogue are encouraged to participate in the Northern Ireland Dialogue during Summer I.

Course credits: IAF U938 Dialogue of Civilizations Globalization and Social Sciences and SOC U471 Social Conflict and Community Services in Israel

Cost of program: Most major costs will be covered by summer tuition. There may be an additional program fee depending on length of stay in-country, airline ticket prices, or other extra expenses. Students will be responsible for meals and spending money.

Application Process: The program is open to students of any major. Download the Dialogue of Civilizations application, enrollment form, and waiver form. Turn in the completed forms to Cynthia Rapp in the International Affairs Office, 270 Holmes Hall. Students will also be interviewed by the faculty leaders as part of the application process.

Application Deadline: December 3, 2007

For information, contact Dr. Rabrenovic at g.rabrenovic@neu.edu.

Click here to learn about other opportunities with the Dialogue of Civilizations program.

News and Events

Executive Director Gordana Rabrenovic served as guest editor of the October 2007 American Behavioral Scientist. Click here to read the table of contents and for more information.