Hi, Neighbor . . .
Welcome To
Community
Studies
Humphreys College offers both a Bachelors of Science in Community Studies as well as a minor in this area of study. Pursued as a four-year degree, coursework will provide students with a basic understanding not only of the subject matter that comprises social science, management, and law but also of how specialists within these disciplines interact with one another toward the resolution of community problems. Careers for Community Studies majors can be found in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, including public relations, law enforcement, health care and human services.
At present, the curriculum and course requirements for the B.S. in Community Studies is being reviewed and improved to meet the needs of both the student and the community. If you would prefer more personal interaction or would like to arrange for face-to-face dialogue on the program, please contact Professor Chabot, Department Chair Cynthia Becerra, or the College's front office at (209)478-0800.
Community Studies Course Offerings
A selected menu for the Community Studies major. . .
Perhaps the best way to prepare for a degree in Community Studies is to work within the local community, such as owning a small business or directing programs at a local non-profit social service organization. Such background is invaluable. As a student, your best line of preparation is to take as many communications and English courses as possible. The following list of selected courses should give you an idea of the major coursework required of majors in their last year or two of study.
Community Studies 101
The Community Studies Program is a four year adventure that requires the student to critically evaluate self, society, and the concept of community. While the degree program overall provides an excellent background in the social sciences with some additional understanding of law and business, the student must first have a clear conception of what "community" means in a post-modern America. Community Studies 101 is the introductory course that tests potential majors, requiring a great deal of reading, discussion, writing, and conceptual development. Warning: do not take this class thinking this will provide you some easy elective units. While there is no formal pre-requisite to take this class, it is recommended that students see Professor Chabot about class requirements and workload.
Social Research Methods
The Community Studies Program is overseen by a sociologist, so you will naturally have to understand the basics of how to conceptualize, gather, and analyze data on that aspect of community you are most interested in. This course meets all requirements of any college-level methods course and will prepare you to act as a true (social) scientist in your quest for knowledge and truth while working in the heart of the social beast. You will learn all the basics, from how to adequately define your terms to developing questionnaires to questioning all the charts and graphs newspapers throw at us every day. While there is a fair amount of work required of students, the most difficult part of the class is adjusting to the new way you begin looking at and analyzing society and social relationships. This course is an absolute must for all Community Studies majors.
Proposal Writing / Colloquium
This course may actually be broken into two separate courses; one to teach the student how to write a research proposal and the second to provide both time and support to actually implement the proposal by gathering and analyzing data. The writing of a proposal requires both a background in methodology (see above) and an intense interest in some aspect of society. Thus, the student must read previous research and literature about some area of interest, determine a research hypothesis, and write a credible proposal for potential research. Part two requires that the student actually implement the proposal, gathering the data in accordance with the plan developed earlier. The culmination of data gathering and analysis should be a senior paper that illuminates both the surrounding community and the ability of the student to do research as a true social scientist. Texts and computer programs are used as supportive materials and resources to help the student plan, carry-out, and analyze data, whatever the preferred research format.
Internship
It is recognized that however excellent the instructor and text, a student must apply knowledge to and gain experience from real life experiences. Community Studies students are thus provided with the requirement to volunteer service at a non-profit or other social service organization for the period of one quarter. The student will be required to first gain the approval of his or her advisor, develop a written plan of proposed work and study to follow during the internship, and submit a written report back to the advisor before final academic credit can be given. This is usually much more difficult to arrange than it sounds and the student usually works harder in an internship than in some formal classes. The internship may not be a part of the student's paid work and it must require participation of the student at least half a day a week for the entire period of the quarter. Before assuming an internship will be a part of your next quarter's classes, be sure to see your advisor.
Human Service Delivery
Human Services is a vague term, but it is unarguably where the great majority of your tax money goes. We're talking about health services, social security, all welfare programs, and even the school lunch program. This class looks at the history of human services, of government intervention into the well-being of individuals and groups from fifteenth century Europe to present-day America. The emphasis is on what has happened since the Great Depression and what recent changes have been implemented over the past decade. This is very much a political science course, providing grist for the entire class to mill through, and there are invariably debates and about some services being unwarranted government intrusion, necessary societal responsibilities, and/or illegal communist manipulation. The texts used include Phyllis Day's A New History of Social Welfare and Piven & Cloward's Regulating the Poor. Speakers from the agencies that provide such services as refugee resettlement and CALWORKS also enliven the class. Even if you are not a Community Studies major, it is guaranteed that you will learn from and enjoy this upper division class.
Rural Sociology
California has the seventh largest economy in the world, a budget of almost $100 billion, and this wealth is due primarily to its agricultural sector. Our state also enjoys some of the most beautiful mountains, rivers, and forests the world has to offer. Yet there are many problems confronting rural California, as with all of rural America, and without facing these problems and making difficult choices in days soon to come, the bounty our nation takes for granted will be irretrievably changed. This course reviews the changes taking place in what is broadly referred to as rural America with special attention being given to the social patterns and problems of rural California. Through text, lecture, video, and guest speakers we will explore topics concerning water shortages, yuppie gated communities taking over small agricultural communities, prisons becoming the heart of rural economies, and the gentrification of rural towns. The class is both fun and very relevant to anyone interested in life outside of the fast lane and the problems your dream of a house in the country may face.
Deviance
This course will not teach you how to become deviant. Good chance you already are; you just haven't admitted it to yourself yet. This is a good, basic sociology course that takes a hard look at deviance in society, particularly American society, and asks questions about why people do what they do and why society condemns them for it. Taking a more control/conflict orientation in understanding deviance, a wide variety of topics sets the pace for each week of classes. Criminology and street crime is given less attention than you may expect. More attention is paid to the process of socialization, how certain groups are treated as deviants (such as women or ethnic minorities), organizational deviance, victimless crimes, and domestic deviance. Rather than viewing deviance as an issue for lawyers or psychiatrists, students will learn to consider terms such as taboo, immoral, and normal as political concepts with real life consequences. Class discussion will of course be a part of the course, whether the instructor likes it or not. This is an excellent course to provide you with both upper division elective social science credit as well as new ways to understand yourself and others.
