The Sociology Block program was designed to integrate 16 hours of Sociology course work with an intensive community placement in a regional human service agency or grassroots community organization. The goal is to provide an educational experience in which the academic study is integrated around, and driven by, a community based service internship. Service placements are designed around student interest and according to the ability of the community based program to provide a quality service/ educational experience for the students. Students are expected to serve as responsible participants in the programs they are assigned. While the schedule of time students work in their placements varies according to the needs of the particular placement, students are expected to work approximately 30 hours per week. In addition, students are responsible for completing all of the assigned course work- most, if not all of which, will be integrated into a single final paper. The academic/ course work for the Block Program is arranged around the following themes and courses:

WAYS OF SEEING: Contemporary Social Analysis. This aspect of the Block Program emphasizes the social context within which we live our lives, particularly with respect to the problematic issues which shape our personal experiences. Course material will focus on historical and policy research, project data collection/ analysis and interviews with community members and agency personnel.

WAYS OF DOING: Community Service Practicum. This aspect of the Block Program emphasizes responsible engagement in communities through service and social activism and critical, thoughtful reflection on the consequences of our actions on individuals and communities. Course material will focus upon the nature of healthy communities and the ideological and systemic nature of systems of intervention.

WAYS OF DESCRIBING, RECORDING & CONCLUDING; ResearchMethods. This aspect of the Block Program emphasizes the methods utilized in describing and understanding field based experiences. Course material will focus upon quantitative and qualitative methods, interviewing correlation, experimental designs and multi variant analysis.

** For students who have already taken one of the above courses, it is possible to arrange an Independent Study as a replacement. Students should not plan on taking any other courses while involved in the Block.

-Grading will be based upon responsible involvement in the community placement, final paper and active class participation. While each of the courses will emphasize various aspects of the Block material, the program is structured to fully integrate all course material into a unified field experience and a final paper.

SOCIOLOGY BLOCK: FINAL PAPER OUTLINE: The following is suggested as a thematic outline for your paper. It does not need to be organized in this exact order, but should be written such that all of the following themes / questions are integrated into it: Relevant journal entries and interviews should be incorporated throughout the paper.

A. Statement/description of your topic, ie, the problem or issue you have been engaged with during your internship.

B. History of the problem/issues; what are the material/social conditions which create and perpetuate the issue; how long have we recognized it as a problem, etc. Include a socially toxic environment map which identifies and illustrates the relationship among the various social realities and your issue. Please include an explanatory text.

C . History and description of the agency/group you have been working with. Include goals, structure, funding, staffing, facilities, etc. Much of this information should come from interviews with program directors, clients, community members etc. (4-10 separate interviews). Include a description of your role in the organization and journal entries highlighting your work.

D. History of the strategies of intervention/solutions. Discuss the role of ideology in the nature of the methods and systems of intervention. This should include a thoughtful and thorough discussion of the reading material, particularly relative to the impact of systems of intervention on the informal/ vernacular world of communities.

E. Critique of the organizations role in solving the problem, ie, consequences of their intervention in the problem at the local level. What works? What doesn't? What changes would improve the effectiveness of the organizations work? Finally develop some policy guidelines and suggestions that would more effectively address the roots of the problem.

F. Describe the relationship of your group research project to your particular placement. How has the experience/ knowledge gained from your placement informed the research project? What insights have you gained about the agency/ issue through the research. You do not have to include the complete research results in your paper but you do need to describe the intersection between the research and the work with your particular agency.

G. Final reflection on how the internship has influenced your life. What will you do with the experience? What would you do if you were to continue working with the organization you are currently placed ?

Community Service Practicum: Block Program

What would you do if you saw a baby floating helpless in a river? You'd rescueit. And if other babies came floating down? You'd get help, and you'd rescuethose babies, too. If more and more babies kept coming, down the river, youwould organize rescue squads and foster homes. But at what point would yourgaze turn up stream, and when would rage choke you with the question, "Who isthrowing babies in the river?" And what would you do then? (James Carroll, "A Tip to Kip," Boston Globe op. ed. 1). 17 6/18/96; attributed to book called Must We Choose Sides?")

As stated in the final paper outline, much of the reading and writing for the Practicurn portion of the paper focuses on the issue of "intervention". This should involve thoughtful, informed reflection on intervention both in terms of the agency you are working with and your own role as an intern/service provider. Your written work should include the following:

- A Toxic Environment Map and narrative. We will cover this in a later class as well.

- Thoughtful reflection on your service experience. I want you to include in this some record of your own moments of "methodological breakthrough" and any "stories" that emerge as important in the course of your internship.

- Thoughtful, informed integration of the material from Who Cares into your analysis. I am particularly interested in your application of the author's analysis of the impact of formal, professional ized systems of intervention on the informal, vernacular relationships of communities. I would also like some personal reflection, perhaps in the last section of your paper, on the chapter entitled "What Can One Person Do"?

-With respect to John. McNight's book, read particularly the chapters entitled, "John Deere and the Bereavement Counselor" and "The Professional Problem". These chapters fit with Who Cares, so read them as part of that book. Include them in your discussion. Read the other sections as is appropriate depending on whether you are working in a human service placement, criminal justice, etc. If you are working in a school, see me as I have reading recommendations since McNight does not deal directly with this issue.

The Research Project

Research can be seen as a way of describing, recording and concluding. How and what we describe and record will impact what we conclude. Facts are not facts. Therefore research is not about gathering facts-it is about analyzing and concluding. In the block you will be required to collectively conduct a research project which means identifying an issue which is of importance to what you see going on around you, collecting data on that issue and then analyzing it.

Step one: Identifying a project-Students should immediately begin discussing with the people in their agency what they think a major theme is in this community that impacts their agencies work. Students should then get together in their groups and begin to conceptualize what they are going to work on

Step two: Write a Research proposal-A research proposal should be seen as a map of how this project will be done. It should clearly identify the thesis or hypothesis of the project. A literature review needs to be included with at least four journal articles that show the need for the research and holes in the research. It should outline what kind of data needs to be gathered, who will gather it, and how the data will be analyzed. It is important to include tasks and names and a time line

Step three: Operationalize concepts-once you know what your study is on you should look for issues that you can count or find out about so that you can use data to address your thesis.

Step four: collect data. Students should plan on including both qualitative and quantitative data in their reports. This data should include at least one interview with an agency person and one interview with a client from each placement. It should also include relevant numbers from the agencies involved and numbers collected either through a survey or through secondary sources.

Step five: analyze your data. Interviews or numbers should not be just presented. They should be analyzed to show how they either support or do not support your original thesis. A simple way to analyze numbers is to do percentages.

Step six: Write up results. In a research project paper you need to write up all the steps outlined above: 1)Introduction outlining the problem and the need for research, 2)literature review justifying the research (can be the same one used in the proposal) 3)how data was collected and what methods were used to analyze it 4)presentation of results 5)discussion of results 6)Conclusion and what else needs to be researched.

Reflective questions to be considered when writing your daily journal

What's the best thing that happened today/this week.?
What's the most difficult /satisfying part of your work? Why?
What do you think is your most valuable/valued contribution?
Did you receive any compliments /criticisms? What did I is
Tell about a person there who you find interesting/ challengin- to be with.
How do people there treat you? How do they see your role? Is this congruent/in conflict with how you see your role?
Tell about something you learned as a result of a disappointment or even a failure. (Remember "failure" is a personal growth opportunity!)
Think back on a moment when you felt especially happy or satisfied in your placement. What does that tell you about yourself?
Is there some situation that you had problems with that you would wa t to talk to your site supervisor about?
How did you feel today? Did you just feel like you were doing your service because you had to? What charged you up?
How is all this relevant to the readings, discussion and speakers in the Reflective Sessions?
How does the experience connect to your long-term goals?
What kind of person does it take to be successful at the kind of work that the agency does? Could you do this?
What are you getting out of your service? What is the community getting out of our service? What do you hope to accomplish by serving?

KEEPING A REFLECTIVE JOURNAL

One useful way of keeping track of what you are learning and the kind of service you are providing to the community is to keep a personal journal or log of your activities. This willforce vou to think about your experiences and can help provide insight into zvhat yoti are experiencing and how you arefeeling about it.

Your journal can take many different forms. However, a few ingredients, are essential.

Probably the most important advice to journal writers is that you do not edit as you write. Instead, you should write your thoughts freely, without regard for syntax, spelling or punctuation. Editing can be done later, if you wish. The point is not to stop the flow of your thoughts.

Remember to observe confidentiality and use pseudonyms when referring to clients.

Other requirements of journal writing are candor and keen use of your senses and observational skills. Not only will your writing be more interesting as you develop your'senses and observational powers, but your learning from your experiences will be enhanced as well.

Write an objective account of the daily events that occur. Try to remember everything that happens but just write the facts. Don't make inferences. Keep this part of your journal to only a few lines.

Next describe your feelings and perceptions, questions and ideas about what happened during the day. This is your subjective account of the day, and should constitute the bulk of your journaling.

You will find the journal less of a chore if you take a few minutes at the end of each day of service, to review your learning objectives and reflect upon your experiences of the day.

Remember, it is important that you NOT think of your joumal onlv as a work log in which you itemize and record events, tasks and statistics. Your journal., as a reflective and analytical activity allows you to grapple with problems and frustrations as well as identify your accomplishments and other positive learning experiences. The journal is your means of regularly charting your growth and development both academically and personally.

SECTION II: STUDENTS SOCIOLOGY BLOCK: READING

The Call of Service; Robert Coles
The Altruistic Imagination; John Ehrenreich
The Careless Society; John McKnight
Who Cares; David Swartz
Community Service and Higher Learning; Robert Rhodes
From Poor Law to Welfare State:
A History of Social Welfare in America; Walter Trattner
Civics for Democracy; Katherine Isaac
Observing Ourselves:
Essay in Social Research; Earl Babbie