Analyzing Human Service Organizations

Human service organizations, such as social service agencies, religious organizations, schools, and advocacy, community development and social movement organizations, are central actors in the lives of disadvantaged populations and important tools for solving social problems. This class explores the ways in which an organizational lens can be usefully applied in the context of social welfare related research. The course will provide an overview of the ways in which scholars have approached the study of organizations and highlight theoretical traditions useful for understanding the work of human service organizations. It will also provide insight on how to use organizational theory in research, allowing for a range of methodological approaches.