HE 4903 - Community Participation and Service in North Brooklyn

(CU-CEL, CU-SBY, CU-UGR)

Fall, spring. 5 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: acceptance to New York City Urban Semester required. Offered in New York City.

S. Beck.

North Brooklyn is an area of New York City that is undergoing dramatic changes impacting different communities that share the area differently. This Urban Semester course is organized to inform students about this part of New York City as an iconic example of how life is lived among people who experienced the socioeconomic developments of the City since the departure of manufacturing, white ethnic abandonment, the repopulation of the area by people of color and their struggle to sustain their communities of color during the current era of gentrification. Students will engage people in the community that is most vulnerable to displacement and come to understand their circumstances by participating with members of community-based organizations. In this course students will debate the difference between “charity” and “participation” and develop their own notions about how to lead a “good life” by serving others. The experiences students have in North Brooklyn serve to inform them about how disparities are lived in as a real-world experience.