Objectives

After completing this class, you will be able to:

• Analyze contemporary issues, problems and needs in communities from the perspective of structural functionalism
• Assess the relevance of structural functionalism as a theoretical approach that can be used to address the issues, needs and problems of contemporary communities
• Use structural functionalism as a lens to examine the growth of non-governmental and non-profit organizations in contemporary society
• Evaluate the potential advantages and disadvantages of the increasing importance of non-profit organizations as service providers, advocacy groups, and civic organizations in the community

Allan

Pp. 167 - 210 1st Ed., pp. 197-222 2nd Ed.

Blackshaw

Blackshaw, pp. 157-176, Community Action, Community Development & Community Regeneration

Other Required Readings

Silverman, R.M. (2005). Caught in the middle: Community Development Corporations (CDCs) and the conflict between grassroots and instrumental forms of citizen participation. Community Development 36(2), 35-51. e-reserve

Salamon, L.M. (2001). The Nonprofit Sector and Democracy: Prerequisite, Impediment, or Irrelevance? Pp. 9-16 in Abramson, A.J. (ed.), Mapping New Worlds, The Aspen Institute, Washington, D.C. e-reserve

Additional Materials

Bryant, J.M. (2004). An evolutionary social science? A skeptic's brief, theoretical and substantive. Philosophy of the Social Sciences, 34(4), 451-492.

Campbell, R., Dworkin, E. & Cabral, G. (2009). An ecological model of the impact of sexual assault on women's mental health. Trauma, Violence & Abuse 10(3), 225-246.

Cerny, P.G. (2009). Multi-nodal politics: Globalisation is what actors make of it. Review of International Studies 35(2), 421-449.

Chaskin, R.J. (2001). Building community capacity: A definitional framework and case studies from a comprehensive community initiative. Urban Affairs Review 36(3), 291-323.

Crittenden, P.M. (2009). All in the family: integrating attachment and family systems theories. Clinical Child Psychology & Psychiatry 14(3), 389-409.

Hipp, J.R. & Perrin, A.J. (2009) The simultaneous effect of social distance and physical distance on the formation of neighborhood ties. City & Community 8(1), 5-25.

Horelli, L. (2009). Network evaluation from the everyday life perspective. Evaluation 15(2), 205-223.

Knowles, K. & Espinosa, A. (2009). Towards a holistic framework for environmental change: The role of normative behaviour and networking to enhance sustainable business practices. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 22(4), 275-291.

Leonard, A. (2009). The viable system model and its application to complex organizations. Systemic Practice & Action Research 22(4), 223-233.

Nechansky, H. (2008). Elements of a cybernetic epistemology: Decisions, control and principles of societal organization. Kybernetes 37(1), 83-93.

Olsen, W. (2009). Exploring practical horizons of beyond sociology: Structure, agency and strategy among tenants in India. Asian Journal of Social Science 37(3), 366-390.

Robins, G. & Kashima, Y. (2008). Social psychology and social networks: Individuals and social systems. Asian Journal of Social Psychology 11, 1-12.

Shapiro, S.P. (2005). Agency theory. Annual Review of Sociology 31, 263-284.

Sharp, J.S. (2001). Locating the community field: A study of interorganizational network structure and capacity for community action. Rural Sociology 66(3), 403-424.

Toporek, R.L., Lewis, J.A. & Crethar, H.C. (2009). Promoting systemic change through the ACA advocacy competencies. Journal of Counseling and Development 87 (3), 260- 268.

Turner, B.S. (2007). Review essay: America an exceptional modernity. Journal of Classical Sociology 9 (1), 169-179.

Turner, B.S. (2006). Classical sociology and cosmoppolitanism: A critical defence of the social. British Journal of Sociology 57(1), 133-151.