Community Service in a Global World

Course Description

DESCRIPTION
The objective of the course is to favor the holistic training of students as individuals, professionals and citizens. It focuses on developing attitudes and values such as opening up to social reality and sensitivity towards global injustice, social exclusion, and the situation of the victims of such reality. The course will be based on the service learning methodology, and includes a solidarity service that aims at meeting actual community needs and favoring students’ learning process through experience.
 

GOALS
1. To contribute to the improvement of the personal and social development of underprivileged individuals in the community through service.
2. To implement service with the study of today’s global context and the need to broaden the perspective of one’s responsibility as a citizen.
3. To reflect on the possibilities of civil and political participation for the construction of more egalitarian social conditions, focusing on respect and promotion of diversity as the way for social transformation.
 

PREREQUISITES
The course is designed for socially engaged students who would like to develop their supportive and intercultural skills. Students must be registered for Spanish 301 or have an equivalent level of Spanish.

If you wish to participate the project with Bakuva this course (see description below), you will need to bring a state police criminal record with you from your home country. You need to contact your local or state police in order to get the document, which will then need to be authenticated by an Apostille. The process is simple, but we recommend that you start with it as soon as possible.

In case you would like to participate in the project with Ulertuz (see description below), the record is not compulsory.
 

METHODOLOGY
Lectures, in-class activities on required readings, oral presentations, social involvement activities: students will participate in NGO projects.
 

PROJECTS
Social Participation Placements, Office Hours with Instructor, and Final Report: 50 % Students will participate in one project in the following areas:

Bakuva Project.  
Participation in leisure educational activities addressed to children or teenagers from underprivileged social backgrounds: craftwork, sports, English language, computers, games, and excursions.

The instructor will assist students in establishing a schedule of participation at the beginning of the semester, supervise students through their service (meetings will be part of the assessment), and keep contact with supervisors at service centers.

Ulertuz Project. 
The Project focuses on the learning of English by children with auditive problems. Students will work together with children and families, so that the legal requirement (see above) is not necessary. Staff from the organization will attend the first visit to the family in order to help the student.

Students will write a final report analyzing their learning experience. Specific guidelines for writing this paper will be provided at the beginning of the semester.

Students will also be invited to participate in:
- Projects organized by Deusto Campus (department in charge of extra-academic activities such as volunteering, development cooperation and ecology at the University of Deusto). Students will be invited to participate particularly in the Garate International Project at the University of Deusto. This Project focuses on the communication among different cultures, and could be an opportunity to address unknown or poorly-understood aspects of the students’ own culture.
- Ecology volunteering projects: 1) Awareness Campaign within the university community that aims to deepen our relationship with nature and the need to promote a sustainable human development; 2) Ecosystem Recovery Project: volunteering actions in nature (mostly scheduled during weekends; activities may vary depending on weather conditions).
Participation in these projects will not be part of the assessment of the course.


CONTENT
Weeks 1-2
1. Introduction: Reality, Ethics and Solidarity
a. Perception of reality. Views and sources.
b. Ideals, values, rules and institutions.

Weeks 3-4
2. Techniques for a Quality Development of Social Participation
a. Our role in social participation and social organizations.
b. Active listening and assertiveness.
c. Conflict resolution.

Weeks 5-7
3. Global Unfairness and Local Responsibility
a. Globalization and its Dimensions.
b. North-South Relations.
c. Migrations.
d. Sustainability.

Weeks 8-10
4. Human Rights as an Ethic, Legal and Political Reference
a. Generations of Human Rights.
b. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
c. Critical Readings.

Weeks 11-12
5. Global Citizenship, Local Engagement
a. Humanitarian Aid and Development Cooperation.
b. Interculturality and the Experience of Diversity.
c. Plurality in our Post-Secular and Post-Modern Societies.

Weeks 13-15
6. Crisis of Citizenship in Today’s World
a. Post-Modern Societies: the Crisis of Utopia and Humanism.
b. Crisis of Democracy.
c. Political Representation and Civil Society.
 

ASSESMENT
Written Assignments: 20%
Oral Presentation: 20%
Participation in Classroom Activities: 10%