SOC 490 and 491: COMMUNITY INTERNSHIP SEMINAR[1] (Spring 2006)

Professor: John R. Mitrano, Ph.D.

Class Meetings: T 5:00-7:30 p.m.

Office Hours: M 12-2 p.m.; T 12-2 p.m.; R 3-4 p.m.

Office Phone: (860) 832-3145

Office Location: DiLoreto Hall 2nd Floor

E-Mail: mitranoj@ccsu.edu

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS

1) Coursepack of materials to be purchased on first day of class

COURSE DESCRIPTION

When you applied for the Sociology Internship Program, I imagine you did so primarily because you wanted to gain work experience in an organization that would allow you to apply some of the skills you have acquired as a sociology major. The internship component of the Program allows you to “get your feet wet” for 10 hours a week in an area you might want to pursue as a career. The purpose of the seminar component of the Program is to help you become familiar with, apply, and discuss basic concepts that guide our understanding of organizations, especially voluntary, non-profit, government, and social service organizations.

Most of you will be pursuing careers in organizational settings. Students who will be pursuing careers in social service organizations will be better equipped to understand how their organizations are embedded in a complex network of organizations with which they must interact to obtain the resources needed to serve clients. All students will benefit from a better understanding of how organizations affect them in their daily lives. By the end of the semester, I want you to have:

1) Gained valuable experience related to future employment

2) Established a track record that prospective employers can use to assess your work habits and attitudes

3) Developed professional skills and competence in areas related to your vocational interest

4) Determined how well-suited you are in terms of skill and personality to particular kinds of work.

5) Developed self-awareness of your professional and vocational strengths and weaknesses

6) Integrated sociological theory and analysis with practical experiences gleaned from a concrete work setting

7) Discussed professional and vocational issues and concerns not covered in other courses

8) Benefited from the support and experiences of others in small seminar group conversations about internship experiences.

9) Built networks of people (professional and non-professional) who can provide you with future information, direction, and connections

10) Benefited the organization/agency with whom you were working through the application of your skills and knowledge

11) Learned to identify the structure and dynamics of an organization and to have developed an understanding of the impacts of organizations on our society and our own lives.

12) Increased your understanding of behaviors and motivations of organizational members.

13) Acquired a greater knowledge and understanding of how your major has prepared you for your life after CCSU.

In attempting to accomplish such feats, you will read articles in the field of service learning, experiential learning, citizenship, and organizational behavior.

What is Service Learning?

Think of service learning as “a structured learning opportunity that utilizes the community-at-large to support the theoretical knowledge being developed in the classroom and through textual readings.” You can also think of it as a way or a method of enhancing learning. Just as videos, movies, PowerPoint presentations, field trips, guest speakers, etc are used to enhance your learning experience, so too can service learning be used this way. How is this done?

Well, one of the key elements of service learning is reflection. Following your time in a setting, you will be required to reflect on the theoretical connections between a) what you did and what you saw while performing the service; and b) what is being taught in the course. This will be accomplished through your journal assignment (to be discussed below).

There are several agents involved in a service learning experience, each with varied expectations and obligations. They include:

1) Students. Through the experience, they “learn about the social processes that certain people face in their day-to-day lives. Students reflect upon their service-learning experiences, and make linkages between the theoretical ‘learning’ of the classroom and the experiential knowledge gained in ‘service’ to the community. In other words, students should explore how the ideas in their readings and discussions relate to and are informed by the communal processes actually being observed. Students should think about how the real world experiences of others or the communal processes they are participating in relate to those described in the readings.”

2) Clients. These are the people who benefit directly from the assistance provided by the student, whether it be school-aged children, single mothers, the elderly, drug-addicted persons, the homeless, etc. While you may certainly be learning from them, when you stop to think about it, they are also learning from you. They learn that there are possibilities for them to perhaps attend college. They learn that there are people in the world who, indeed, care about them and are willing to help.

3) The Organization. It benefits by having free labor from university students who possess certain skills and abilities that allow the organization to achieve its goals and objectives.

4) The University. A university like CCSU benefits by students engaging in service learning because it helps the university fulfill its mission (e.g., CCSU encourages “the development and application of knowledge and ideas through research and outreach activities. We prepare students to be thoughtful, responsible, and successful citizens… The public service expected of all members of our community benefits our society—local and global—and builds our sense of citizenship… We also believe that higher education should promote the personal and social growth of our students, as well as their intellectual achievement and professional competence.”). Service learning also helps the university to bolster its image as a partner in the New Britain community, specifically, and in the Greater Hartford region, in general. Finally, as many interns end up being hired for pay by the organizations for which they intern, it also helps the university in its recruitment of new students. CCSU can claim that their graduates develop skills to attain good jobs that pay a living wage. Thus, there are many benefits to the university.

5) Professors. We benefit by having an alternative pedagogical mechanism to help students understand theoretical concepts as manifested in daily life. Student experiences in the internships also can be used by professors in our teaching of other courses.

What is Experiential Learning?

Experiential education refers to the idea that “teaching and learning are rooted in the concrete, everyday-lived world of the people, institutions, and organizations of knowledge sought. The experiential base, therefore, is the primary base of teaching and learning, which is supplemented by the written word of knowledge… Experiential knowledge is ‘there’, present, and real as experienced by the people living it.” It is unfiltered, as you are there to talk with, observe, question, and experience it yourself along with the others in your organization/setting.

Hence, you will be exposed to different sources of knowledge (i.e., theoretical/written knowledge and experiential knowledge). At times, there may be discrepancies. It is then that you will begin to understand the fragile relationship and interconnection among our different sources of knowledge.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS & METHODS OF EVALUATION

1) “Organizational Case Study” Analysis [30% of your final grade]

In this course, you will prepare several “Organizational Case Study” analysis papers. The purpose of these papers is to give you the opportunity to analyze your organization in depth, making use of the theories and concepts from your readings and our class discussions. We will have reading assignments that introduce a concept and we will discuss these readings in class. Subsequently, each student will examine his or her organization with that concept in mind, writing a short paper (i.e., around 2 pages) about that concept in relation to his or her case (e.g., If the concept is “power”, then the paper is an analysis of power in your organization). When the class meets, we will discuss how people went about investigating that particular aspect of their organization, research difficulties, and what was learned about the utility of the concept in light of your particular organizational setting.

Paper 1: Overview Describe the organization that you will analyze throughout the course. Indicate clearly the ways in which the organization does or does not fit the definition of organizations. Also, describe the outcomes of your organization.

Paper 2: Power Describe the relationships between the use of power and leadership in your organization. How is decision making affected by power and leadership?

Paper 3: Leadership Who is a leader in your organization? How do we know that person is a leader? Characteristics? Qualities? What is the source of that leadership?

Paper 4: Communication How would you describe communication patterns in your organization? Who communicates with whom? What forms does communication take? What factors contribute to the communication patterns you identify?

Paper 5: Feelings and Emotions in Organizations Are there feeling norms/rules in your organization? What are some of the factors that influence the expression of such feelings/emotions? What are the characteristics of co-workers who do or do not express emotions or feelings?

Paper 6: Effectiveness How effective is your organization and its members? What criteria did you use to assess its effectiveness? Explain.

These 6 papers will be graded on a 5-point scale. What does this mean?

5: Similar to a paper in the 4 range, but done in an outstanding manner, with particularly keen insights into seminar themes and readings. Demonstrates excellent synthesis of internship experiences and course materials. Descriptive material or reiteration of concepts in readings is used only to illustrate something. Very well written.

4: A paper which refers to the seminar’s key concepts and uses the readings intelligently; incorporates placement experiences thoughtfully, and synthesizes, showing creativity and insight into the seminar topics.

3: A paper that connects one or two examples of class materials or concepts. Uses these material adequately, but not particularly with great insight. The paper may also depend too heavily on descriptive narrative.

2: There is little to no reference to course materials in the paper. Brief, inadequate, or incorrect reference to readings or key class concepts. The paper is completely dependent on descriptive narrative.

1: An inadequate answer to the question showing little or no understanding of the seminar materials, concepts, readings. Poorly written.

0: Failure to complete the paper

Your points will be tallied and your grade for this component of your final grade will be based on the following:

28-30 A 21-22 B 14-15 C 8 and below D

25-27 A- 18-20 B- 11-13 C-

23-24 B+ 16-17 C+ 9-10 D+

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2) Weekly Journal/Fieldnotes of Experiences in the Setting [30% of your final grade]

Each week, you are expected to keep a type-written journal of your experiences while in the setting. These journal entries will be written at three levels (and in three difference computer fonts).

In the first level, describe what you have actually seen and done at your site that week.

The second level requires that you reflect upon your reactions to what you did and saw. Think about and describe your mental and emotional reactions to your internship experiences (e.g., did you experience Anger? Happiness? Sadness? Frustration? Compassion? Confusion? Other emotions? Why? ). Tell me what experiences have been meaningful. Explain what you think about the organization, your supervisor, and your clients/customers. The third level requires you to apply what you have learned in class or through readings to better understand what is going on at your site, and to apply your experiences to better understand seminar material.

Things you may describe may include (but not be limited to) the following: ideas, activities, events, people, interactions/conversational exchanges, settings/places, etc. Once you identify and describe something noteworthy, reflect upon your reactions to it. Finally, apply concepts introduced in class to those identified experiences you describe and your reactions.

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3) Final Reflection Paper [20% of your final grade]

In this paper, I want you to address these questions:

What have I learned about myself through this experience? Do I have more/less empathy than I did before? Did this experience challenge stereotypes or prejudices I may have held? If so, how so? If not, how did it reinforce my stereotypes or prejudices? Explain. What limits my ability to serve and be effective? What resources/skills do I draw upon to do my work?

What additional resources/skills do I need to be more effective?

If you were in charge of this organization, what changes would you make? Why? How does this experience compliment or contrast with what you are learning/have learned in your classes? What did you learn as a result of this experience? What questions were you left with? What do you see in the future for this organization/ agency? In general, what are the most important things you learned through your experiences at this organization? How did your experiences as a volunteer affect the way you think about providing unpaid/voluntary services?

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4) Class Participation [20% of your final grade]

Your attendance and participation in class will also be taken into account for your final grade in the course. As there are only a handful of you in the Program, I expect that each of you will attend class on a regular basis and contribute to class discussion and debate. Failure to do so may affect your final grade accordingly, as will exemplary contribution. I strongly encourage students to ask questions, contribute ideas, and participate in the learning experience. Each of you has unique insights that we all can learn from, so please do not be hesitant to speak up in class.

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A NOTE ON DEADLINES AND EXCUSES

As for deadlines to turn in class assignments, I am rather inflexible and take a “hard line” stance regarding when assignments will be turned in to me. What are the penalties for turning in late assignments? For each day an assignment is late, either a point or a half a letter grade will be deducted. So, if you turn in a paper that was an “A” but it was a day late, you would receive an “A-”. If that same “A” paper was two days late, it would become a “B+”. same goes with points. Keep in mind that when I say a “day”, I mean a 24 hour period. As the class meets on Tuesdays, a paper that is turned in to me on a Thursday will be considered two days late. There will be no exceptions and this policy is non-negotiable!

A NOTE TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES/ MEDICAL CONDITIONS

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please see me during my office hours as soon as possible.

A NOTE ABOUT STUDENT CONDUCT IN THE SETTING

While volunteering at your placement, you will be expected to act in a responsible manner. You must keep scheduled work hours and complete assigned duties. You are also expected to maintain good working relationships with supervisors and peers. Conduct that is deemed unacceptable to your supervisor may result in you being dismissed from that placement and the seminar course.

TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE

Week One

Introduction to the Course

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Week Two

Service Learning, Experiential Learning, and the Internship Experience: Overview

a) Liberal Learning vs. Experiential Learning

Green: Chapter 1

b) Internships in Sociology: How Students Benefit

Parilla & Hesser: Chapter 2

c) The Call of Service

Coles: “Doing and Learning”, Chapter 5

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Weeks Three, Four, and Five

The Internship Experience: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

a) Laying the Groundwork

Sweitzer & King: Chapter 1

b) Framing the Experience

Sweitzer & King: Chapter 2

c) Understanding Yourself

Sweitzer & King: Chapter 3

d) Understanding Yourself as an Intern

Sweitzer & King: Chapter 4

e) Getting to Know the Clients

Sweitzer & King: Chapter 6

f) Getting to Know Your Colleagues

Sweitzer & King: Chapter 7

g) Getting to Know the Placement Site

Sweitzer & King: Chapter 8

h) The Disillusionment Stage

Sweitzer & King: Chapter 10

i) The Competence Stage

Sweitzer & King: Chapter 12

k) Professional, Ethical, and Legal Issues

Sweitzer & King: Chapter 13

l) The Culmination Stage

Sweitzer & King: Chapter 14

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Week Six

Studying the Internship Organization: Overview of Methods & Reflection

a) Case Studies in Organzational Research

Hartley: Chapter 12

b) Analysis of Company Documents

Forster: Chapter 9

c) Recording and Reflecting

Langton & Kammerer: Chapter 4

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Weeks Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven

Studying the Internship Organization: Organizational Analysis

a) The Outcomes of Organizations

Hall: Chapter 1

b) Power and Conflict in Organizations

Hall: Chapter 5

c) Leadership in Organizations

Hall, Chapter 6

d) Communication in Organizations

Hall: Chapter 8

e) Feelings and Emotions in Organizations

Rafaeli & Sutton: “The Expression of Emotion in Organizational Life”

f) Organizational Goals and Effectiveness

Hall: Chapter 11

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Week Twelve

Post Internship: Approaching the Job Market with a Sociology Degree

a) Embarking on a Career With An Undergraduate Degree in Sociology

b) Great Jobs for Sociology Majors

c) What Can I Do With a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology?:

A National Survey of Seniors Majoring in Sociology

d) Sample Resumes

e) Sample Cover Letters

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Week Thirteen

Who Are You?: Assessing Your Strengths, Weaknesses, Personality, Values

a) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

b) Career Activities Scale

c) Career Values Scale

d) The Fear of Success Scale

e) The Assertive Job Hunting Survey

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Week Fourteen

Life Beyond the Internship: The Twenty-Something Experience

a) What is the Quarterlife Crisis?

Robbins & Wilner: Introduction

b) How Am I Supposed To Figure Out Who I Really Am?

Robbins & Wilner: Chapter 1

c) Can I Carry Any Part of My College Experience Into the Real World?

Robbins & Wilner: Chapter 7

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Week Fifteen

Relationships in the Setting: Cautionary Tales

a) Documentary Movie: Stevie

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PLEASE NOTE: I will make every attempt to cover all the material in the syllabus on the dates provided. However, there may be a need to change the dates that material is covered, or to eliminate some topics entirely, depending on the pace of the class. I will notify the class of any changes in advance as we progress through the semester.

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[1] Syllabus borrows material culled from ASA Service Learning and Undergraduate Sociology: Syllabi and Instructional Materials (2^nd and 3^rd editions). Special thanks to T. Knapp, M. May, S. Sernau, and H. Lena for great ideas.)