COMHE 400.50

Prof. Gill Gross

Class notes – 11/30/99

• Meeting Analysis
• Reaction Paper (movie, "And The Band Played On", 1993 HBO special)
• Five minute presentation on fieldwork experience (see hand out on what should be covered).
• Class notes on disk (If you have not already handed it in).

-Written presentation on fieldwork experience (see handout)

Theme for today: "In the long run organizers develops and shapes their own models."

It’s what you feel comfortable with and what you don’t, self -awareness. There’s no one model. It’s all about what you think society looks like with these changes.

• A successful organizer gains respect of the community they’re working with.
• A good organizer is culturally sensitive to race, culture, and nationality.
• They gain respect and talks about feminist and male organizing models.
• Your vision of organizing is shaped by your identity.
• A good organizer recognizes the different ethnic and religious backgrounds, what’s an appropriate technique and what’s not.

For organizers to make changes in society, what do they perceive as what’s wrong in the society.

What things need changing in society?

Women - Be more aware of potentials, healthcare, wages and inequality, child care,

Political power, education (getting one), equality (gender base discrimination)

- Racial discrimination

• Job opportunities (equality)
• Segregation
• Stereotypes
• Education (access)

Ethnicity (language barriers)

• Cuban, Dominican etc
• Race, gender, sexual orientation

Consider internal and external strains to organizing.

The movie, And The Band Played On, demonstrated what happens when you fail to analyze power effectively.

e.g.) Conflicts that existed within the organization was asking for billions of dollars when budget didn’t or couldn’t afford it.

(The diving in approach might make you feel good but it can also keep you back and not allow you to get what you want.

An important thing to remember is, just because you have the title doesn’t mean you have the power.

Ultimately, as an organizer, you’re building social network.

Feminist Model – A feminist's perspectives and ideas that are offered to organizers.

• Elements of nurturing
• Incorporating women’s experience in the practice.
• Organizing horizontally and not vertically.
• Building horizontal links (sharing power, v.s. Linsky’s model, vertical links, as you go down in the ladder power becomes less, this is more affective for advocacy).

-Educating

-Empowering

-Building trust

-Sharing connection

-Issues of equality, no inequalities.

-Doesn’t rely to heavily on the ladder.

Each model will have their strengths and weaknesses.

-Diversity of the world in which they live.

-Cities are highly ethnically diverse.

-We live in a time were some aren’t prosperous and that it could be limited due to

Immigrants.

-Barriers that exist.

-Survival strategies in communities.

1980 – 1983 white majority census declined from 83% to 80%.

Minority population grew from17 to 20%.

End of class!