The Social and Historical Aspects of Chicago

In this introductory/Foundational Social Science course students study the history, political economy, and public policy that influence the sociology of urban space in which they will ultimately teach. Using historical, economic, political science, and social science lenses, this course focuses on developing a deeper understanding of the forces that shape communities and schools that impact learning. This course will help candidates better understand their work in Chicago schools and simultaneously illuminate issues that still dominate the national education landscape. The culminating project for this course is a systemic analysis of a Chicago neighborhood that summarizes the impact of historical, geographical and political influences over time. This course also includes a weekly practicum that involves interns working with pre-selected community-based organizations.