UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
Environmental Studies 301
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES: STRUCTURE AND SOCIOLOGY 1999

Instructor: Dr. John Curry
Time and Location: Monday and Wednesday 3:30 to 9:50 am
in Room 7-152

Course Summary
Communities are in a constant process of change and evolution shaped by new values, beliefs, and assumptions. This course examines the organization and function of urban neighbourhoods, small towns, and rural communities and discusses the dynamic forces which shape the community development process. The evolutionary cycle of growth, prosperity and decline is explored. A significant portion of the course focuses on how communities are creating new forms of social as well as economic prosperity. Case studies in Prince George, Wells/Barkerville, Vancouver Island, the Evangeline region of Prince Edward Island, and the Mondrigon region of Spain are used to illustrate successful community development processes. Guest speakers and field trips will provide opportunities to observe community development processes and interact with community development specialists.

Course Themes
Section One - Understanding Communities During the introductory segment of the course the book "Ishmael" will be used to focus discussion on the evolution of our current culture and the precarious relationship humans have established with nature. The organization and function of urban neighbourhoods, small towns and rural communities is then discussed and the linkage between the globalizing economy and community development is examined. Theories representing the spatial, social, economic and ecological elements of community are introduced.

Section Two - Working Towards Self-Reliance
Efforts to stabilize declining local economies and diversify economic activity highlight this section of the course. Two major themes are examined. The first focuses on how to make the physical design of medium and small communities more conducive to social interaction and economic efficiency. The second, focuses on now to develop an entrepreneurial culture. A visit to Prince George Community Futures and the Prince George Region Development Corporation will provide practical examples of community-based development initiatives.

Section Three - Harmonizing with Nature
The course returns to a more detailed examination of the concepts of community sustainability at this juncture. Green City and Healthy City movements are examined. Case studies of Bamberton, Vancouver Island and Ecovillage at Ithaca, New York illustrate how sustainable communities are being developed. Current research on farmer's markets across Canada will also illustrate bottom up community action.

Section Four - Attaining Community Control
The concepts of top-down versus bottom-up development, forms of public participation, and inclusive decision-making are studied. A visit to the Wells/Quesnel region illustrates how local government organizations (supported by local business) have undertaken proactive community building initiatives.

Section Five - Meeting Individual Needs
How individual needs can be addressed within a community context is the focus of this section. Methods to develop the individual through mutual aid, the development of self-esteem, and other techniques are presented. How a community responses to the social needs of its residents is illustrated through a visit to one of Prince George's social development agencies.

Section Six - Building a Community Culture
This section will synthesize the previous sections into a discussion of how to create and maintain a community culture which can motivate individuals and facilitate proactive community action. How to create a sense of community or a community culture is illustrated through the use of physical, social and ecological processes espoused by the Cohousing Movement.

Section Seven - Processes of Community Change
Theories of organizational and community change are introduced. Community revitalization theories are reviewed and a case study of the various attempts by residents of Prince George to revitalize their downtown is examined.

Section Eight - Community Sustainability
Recent discourse in community building has centred around concepts of community sustainability. A significant segment of the concepts of sustainability encompass the native worldview. The efforts Aboriginal organizations and the British Columbia Round Table on the Environment and the Economy are reviewed and activities which are attempting to operationalize these concepts into working principles are studied. The practical application of these concepts are also illustrated through the examination of the cooperative movements in the Evangeline area of Prince Edward and the Mondrigon region of Spain.

Course Learning Objectives
By the end of the course, students will have an understanding of: the values, principles and theories shaping current thought in the field of community change and development; the dynamic forces shaping communities; the role government, the private sector and non-governmental organizations play in the community development process; and the future impact concepts of community sustainability may have on shaping our communities. The course will help students prepare to play an active participatory role in community planning and development, either as a citizen in their home community or, as a professional involved in facilitating community development initiatives.

Text
  • Quinn, Daniel. 1993. Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit. New York, New York: Bantam Books.
  • Nozick, Marcia. 1992. No Place Like Home: Building Sustainable Communities. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Council on Social Development.
  • Additional readings will be assigned (please see the detailed course outline).

Office Hours Room 3011 Administration Building
Monday and Wednesday 10:00 to 11:00 am
Other times by appointment. Please phone 960-5837

DETAILED COURSE OUTLINE
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES: Structure and Sociology
ENVS 301- September 1999

WEEK ONE      September 8, 1999

Wednesday Class Course Overview

  • Review course outline.
    Discuss extended field trip time and Ishmael assignment.
  • Philosophy of Teaching.
    Social Learning, Learning triangle, Skills of planners.

Reading for following Monday Class
Nozick, Marcia. 1992. For the Sake of Community. Chapter One in No Place Like Home: Building Sustainable Communities. 3-15. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Council on Social Development. (12 pages).

Reading for following Wednesday Class
Quinn, Daniel. 1993. Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit. New York, New York: Bantam Books.

WEEK TWO      September 13 & 15, 1999

Monday Class Understanding Communities

  • Organization and function of urban neighbourhoods, small towns and rural communities.

Wednesday Class

  • Class discussion on Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit.

Reading for following Monday Class
Nozick, Marcia. 1992. Chapter Two. 17-40. (23 pages).

Reading for following Wednesday Class
Nozick, Marcia. 1992. Chapter Three. pp. 41-62. (21 pages).

WEEK THREE      September 20 & 22, 1999

Monday Class Confronting the Global Economy

  • Linkage between the globalizing economy and community development. - Theories representing spatial, social, economic and ecological elements of community.

Wednesday Class Working Toward Self Reliance\

  • Methods to stabilize declining local economies and diversify economic activity.

Reading for following Monday Class
Nozick, Marcia. 1992. Chapter Four. 65-95. (30 pages)

*** Assignment One Due ***

WEEK FOUR      September 27 & 29, 1999

Monday Class Harmonizing with Nature

  • Detailed examination of the concepts of community sustainability.
  • Green City and Healthy City movements are examined.
  • Video -- "Seeds of Change."

Wednesday Class

  • No class -- class time replaced with field trip to Wells/Barkerville on October 2, 1999  

Saturday October 2, 1999 Field Trip to Wells/Barkerville to observe the community economic development process presently underway in the Quesnel-Barkerville tourism corridor.

WEEK FIVE      October 4 & 6, 1999

Monday Class Harmonizing with Nature (continued)

  • Ecovillages -- Case Study of Bamberton, Vancouver Island and the Ecovillage at Ithaca, New York.

Wednesday Class Working Toward Self Reliance (continued)

  • Field Trip to Prince George Community Futures (Don Zurowski and Charles Scott) and the Prince George Region Development Corporation (Dale MacMann).

WEEK SIX      October 11 & 13, 1999

Monday Class Remembrance Day -- University Closed

Wednesday Class

  • No class -- class time replaced with field trip to Wells/Barkerville on October 2, 1999

*** Wells/Barkerville Case Study Assignment Due ***.

Reading for following Monday Class
Nozick, Marcia. 1992. Chapter Five. 97-136. (39 pages).

Reading for following Wednesday Class
Nozick, Marcia. 1992. Chapter Six. 141-177. (36 pages).

WEEK SEVEN      October 18 & 20, 1999

Monday Class Attaining Community Control

  • Top-down versus bottom-up development, forms of public participation, inclusive decision-making.

Wednesday Class Meeting Individual Needs

  • Methods to develop the individual through mutual aid, the development of self-esteem, and other techniques.

Reading for following Wednesday Class Nozick, Marcia. 1992. Chapter Seven 179-202. (23 pages).

WEEK EIGHT      October 25 & 27, 1999

Monday Class

  • Mid-term examination.

Wednesday Class Building a Community Culture

  • Creation and maintenance of a community culture/sense of community.
  • Co-housing Movement. Slide presentation.

Readings for following Wednesday Class
Bregha, Francois. 1992. " Institutional Barriers to Environmental Information." Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. v. 20. pp. 191-200.

Kettner, Peter, John Daley, and Ann Weaver Nichols. 1985. The Need for Change and A Model for Organizational and Community Change. Chapters One and Two in Initiating Change in Organizations and Communities. 1-41. Monteray, California: Brooks/Cole Publishing. (40 pages).

Carnall, Colin. 1989. Managing Strategic Change: An Integrated Approach In Making Strategic Planning Work in Practice, Basil Denning ed. 127-137. Oxford, England: Pergamon Press. (10 pages).

WEEK NINE      November 1 & 3, 1999

Monday Class Building a Community Culture (continued)

  • Field trip to social development agencies in Prince George. Community Planning Council (Lynn Foley), United Way (Lori Wolfe), Prince George Information and Crisis Centre (Tracy King).

Wednesday Class Processes of Community Change

  • Theories of organizational and community change.

Readings for following Monday Class
Clarkson, Linda, Vern Morrissette, and Gabriel Regallet. Undated. Towards Understanding an Indigenous Perspective and Indigenous Perspective and Relationship with the Environment. In Our Responsibility to the Seventh Generation: Indigenous Peoples and Sustainable Development. 1-15. Winnipeg, Manitoba: International Institute for Sustainable Development. (15 pages).

British Columbia Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. 1993. The Social Community: Looking After Our Well-being. Chapter Six in Strategic Directions for Community Sustainability. 79-93. Victoria, British Columbia: British Columbia Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. (12 pages).

Reading for following Wednesday Class
British Columbia Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. 1993. The Physical Community: Growing Within Our Environmental Limits. Chapter Three in Strategic Directions for Community Sustainability. 37-66. Victoria, British Columbia: British Columbia Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. (15 pages).

WEEK TEN      November 8 & 10, 1999

Monday Class Community Sustainability

  • Concepts of community sustainability.
  • Sustainability efforts by Aboriginal organizations, the British Columbia Round Table on the Environment and the Economy and the British Columbia Working Group on Community Economic Development.

Wednesday Class Community Sustainability (Continued)

  • Enhancement of social interaction and economic efficiency through physical design. Reading for following Monday Class Boothroyd, Peter, and Craig Davis. 1991. The Meaning of Community Economic Development. Vancouver British Columbia: University of British Columbia, School of Community and Regional Planning. (18 pages)

WEEK ELEVEN      November 15 & 17, 1999

Monday Class Community Economic Sustainability

  • Sustainable development and community economic development (CED).

Wednesday Class Community Economic Sustainability (continued)

  • Cooperative movement in the Evangeline area of Prince Edward Island. Video "We're the Boss."

Reading for following Monday Class Spitzer, T.M. 1995. Public Markets and Community Revitalization. Washington, D.C.: Urban Land Institute.

WEEK TWELVE      November 22 & 24, 1999

Monday Class Food Security

  • Community markets and regional food systems

Wednesday Class

  • Community Markets -- Guest Lecturer and Slide Presentation, Heather Oland.

Reading for following Wednesday Class Nozick, Marcia. 1992. Conclusions 205-213. (8 pages).

WEEK THIRTEEN      November 29 & December 1, 1999

Monday Class International experiences in Community Economic Sustainability

  • International Ecovillage Network.
  • Video film "The Mondrigon Experience."

Wednesday Class Concluding Overview

  • Synthesis the previous sections.
  • Course Evaluations.

Course Evaluation

Late Policy: Five percent deduction if not submitted by the due date. Thereafter, two percent per day off each assignment to a maximum of ten days after due date. Assignment cannot be submitted ten days after the due date without permission from the instructor.

Ishmael Critique Assignments 15%
Case Study Assignment 20%
Mid-Term Examination 25%
Final Examination 30%
Class Participation 10%
Total 100%

Written Assignments

To develop skills in: Research, Critical Thinking, and Critical Writing.

  1. Format of Assignment -- Question-Answer Question covering:.
  2. Grading -- based on question developed and quality of evaluation using information contained in the chapter/sections and other information on critical thinking and writing.

Question
In this course, the types of questions which appear in Italics are the most effective in forming new questions.

Reading to understand

  • Identify authors purpose
  • Identify the author's intended audience
  • Locate the authors main point
  • Understand the structure of the text
  • Identify as carefully as possible what you don't understand

Asking Questions of the Text

  • What central problem, issue, or subject does the text explore? What are the reasons for this problem? What are the effects of this problem?
  • What is the most important, or the most striking, statement the author makes? Why is this important or striking?
  • Who is the author, and what are the author's credentials for writing on this topic? What is the author's stake in writing this? What does the author have to gain?
  • How can I use this selection? What can I learn from it?

Asking Questions of Yourself, based on the Text

  • What can I learn from this text? Will this knowledge change me?
  • What is my background on this topic? How will this experience affect my reading?
  • What is the origins of my views on this topic?
  • What new interest, or what new question or observation, does this text spark in me?

Questions that help you form and support an opinion

  • Has the author explained things clearly?
  • In what way does the topic confuse me?
  • Has the author convinced me of her main argument?
  • What is my view on this topic?
  • Would I recommend this source to others?

Evaluation
The focus of an evaluation is to judge the effectiveness of the author's presentation, agree and/or disagree with the author, and explain your reasons. This three step process involves 1) identifying the author's views, pointing out particular passages where these views are apparent; 2) identify your own views; and examine the basis on which you and the author agree or disagree. Criteria for evaluation include:

  • Accuracy -- are the author's facts accurate?
  • Definitions -- have important terms been defined, and if not, has lack of definition confused matters?
  • Development -- Is each point adequately illustrated and supported with evidence?
  • Audience -- Is the author writing for a clearly defined audience who will know what to do with the information presented?
  • Clarity -- How clear has the author been in defining and explaining? Is information presented in a way that is useful?
  • Fairness -- If the issue being presented is controversial, has the author presented opposing points of view? Has the author seriously considered and responded to these points?
  • Logic -- Has the author adhered to standards of logic avoiding fallacies such as personal attacks and faulty generalization?
  • Evidence -- Do facts and examples fairly represent the available data on the topic? Are the author's facts and examples current? Has the author included negative examples?
  • Authority -- Are the experts that the author refers to qualified to speak on the topic?

Source : Rosen, L. and L. Behrens. 1994. The Allyn and Bacon Handbook. (edition 1997).

Email comments and corrections to curryj@unbc.ca

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