SOC 768Community Engagement and Social Development

This course highlights the importance of participation by community members in matters related to their well-being and with methods to encourage their involvement. Community based research (CBR) as a method to engage communities towards social development will be explored. Processes of community entry and community engagement, particularly with disenfranchised and/or marginalized communities, will be examined, whereby methods for enhancing community capacity, inclusion, and empowerment will be given special attention. The role of effective leadership toward creating and sustaining social innovation will be discussed and examples of innovative social development practices in Canada will be assessed as well as examples from international practice. The theoretical and historical background of Social development will be covered, included social capital theory, and political economy perspectives of urban sustainability.