Instructor:
S. Smeltzer
Course Description
In this course, students will interrogate issues and concepts related to community engagement in the context of Media Studies. We will explore theories of ‘community’ and of ‘engagement’; examine the so-called ‘town-gown divide’; and consider the shifting role(s) of the public intellectual. Students will read a range of literature that critiques experiential learning alongside work that advances the potential benefits of this form of ‘hands-on’ pedagogy (which includes internships, co-ops, and community engaged learning). We will focus attention on community engaged learning, including how it can/should differ from ‘service learning’ and volunteerism with non-profit, non-governmental, and community-based organizations. The course is theoretically oriented, supplemented with case studies and guest speakers from the London community.
