Community Reading Project
(2007-2008) Resources
Resources for Readers and Faculty
As many staff, faculty, students, and community members choose to participate in the Community Reading Project, the College of Interdisciplinary Studies, the Library, and Integrative Learning have compiled resources on The Glass Castle and issues of poverty and economic justice. Readers and Faculty can utilize these resources by following any of the links noted below:
Campus Programs and Guest Lecturers
Library Resources
The Library has compiled an extensive list of resources on the Community Reading Subject Resources http://www.gvsu.edu/library/search/.
Conversations on Poverty and Economic Justice
Bowles, S., Durlauf, S. N., Hoff, K. (EDs.) (2006). Poverty Traps. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Danziger, S. H., Haveman R. H. (EDs.) (2002). Understanding Poverty. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Day, P. J. (2005). New history of social welfare (5th ed.).Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Elrenreich, B. (2005). Bait and Switch: The (futile) pursuit of the Amercian dream. New York: Metropolitan Books.
Enrenreich, B. (2002). Nickel and Dimed: On (not) getting by in America. New York: Holt Publishing
Fitchen, J.M. (1991). Endangered spaces, enduring places: Changes, identity and survival in rural America. Boulder: Westview Press.
Harrington, M. (1997). The Other America. New York: Touchstone.
Harvey, D. L. (1993). Potter addiction: Povertym family, and kinship in a heartland community. New York: Aldine De Gruyter.
Held, D. & Kaya, A. (2007). Global Inequality: A comprehensive introduction. Malden: Polity Press.
Keller, B. (2005). Class Matters. NewYork: Times Books
Lang, K. (2007). Poverty and discrimination. Princeton: New Jersey
Magnum, G. L., Magnum, S. L., Sum, A. M. (2003). Persistence of poverty in the United States. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
McCourt, F. (1996). Angela’s Ashes. New York: Touchstone.
O’Connor, A. (2002). Poverty knowledge: Social science, social policy, and the poor in the twentieth-century U.S. history (politics and society in twentieth century America). Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Rank, M. R. (2005). One Nation, underprivileged: Why American poverty affects us all. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Rank, M. R. (1994). Living in the edge: the realities of welfare in America. New York: Columbia University Press.
Seccombe, K. (2007). “So you think I drive a Cadillac? Welfare recipients’ perspectives on the system and its reform (2nd ed.). Boston: Pearson.
Sherraden, M. (1991). Assets and the poor: A new American welfare policy. New York: M. E Sharpe.
Shipler, D. K. (2005). The Working Poor: Invisible in America. New York: Knopf Publishing Group
Sidel, R. (1998). Keeping women and children last: America’s war on the poor (Rev. ed.). New York: Penguin Books.
-Provided by the Department of Social Work
Classes which address Poverty and Economic Justice
AAA 315 Field to Factory. African American Migration. Examines the sociocultural, political, economic, psychological, and interpersonal consequences of the migration of over one million African Americans from the rural South to the industrialized North during the decades surrounding World Wars I and II.
Community Working Classics (CWC) (PHI 375 and 376) is a philosophy seminar dedicated to combining traditional classroom discourse with elements of community organizing, urban study, and student teaching. Each semester, students enrolled in the CWC program offer courses of study in the liberal arts to residents in both the downtown Grand Rapids area and the Muskegon Correctional Facility. The program has been recognized by the American Philosophical Association through their “Excellence and Innovation in Philosophy Programs” award, and by the Kellogg Foundation, among others.
LIB/LAS 380: Global Citizenship – An International Service Learning Course Developing Local Solutions to Global Issues will lead Grand Valley students on a journey from the experience of global problems to reflection and understanding of their role in them, to action and impact, by developing local solutions through service learning. LIB / LAS 380 will be a 12 week, 6-credit international service learning course, to be offered each Spring / Summer semester, beginning in 2007.
SOC 280 Social Problems.
Examines a range of social conditions, arrangements, and behaviors typically defined as problems in modern society. Applies sociological analysis to understand how problems arise from the organization of society, and the processes by which conditions become identified as social problems, and how ideology and power shape responses to social problems.
SOC 356 Sociology of Health Care.
An analysis of the social facets of health and disease, the social functions of health organizations, the relationship of health care delivery to other social systems, the social behavior of health care providers and consumers, and international patterns of health services. Race, class, and gender issues are examined.
SOC 381 Class, Race, Gender, and Sexuality.
Studies the meaning of difference in contemporary society. Focus on the interplay of structure and agency in relation to class, race, gender, and sexuality regarding life opportunity, privilege, and inequality.
SOC 385 Social Class Inequality.
Focus on the historical, socioeconomic, and political construction of class inequality in the United States from a critical perspective. Includes attention to cultural and global context.
Domestic Experiences
Americorp
AmeriCorps is a network of local, state, and national service programs that connects more than 70,000 Americans each year in intensive service to meet our country’s critical needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment.
City Year
An "action tank" for national service, City Year seeks to demonstrate, improve and promote the concept of national service as a means for building a stronger democracy. An action tank is both a program and a think tank - constantly combining theory and practice to advance new policy ideas, make programmatic breakthroughs, and bring about major changes in society. City Year's vision is that one day, the most commonly asked question of a young person will be, "Where are you going to do your service year?"
Peace Corps
Since 1961, the Peace Corps has shared with the world America's most precious resource—its people. Peace Corps Volunteers serve in 73 countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, and the Middle East. Collaborating with local community members, Volunteers work in areas like education, youth outreach and community development, the environment, and information technology.
Teach for America
Teach for America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates of all academic majors who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and become leaders in the effort to expand educational opportunity.
Student Organizations
Alternative Breaks
Alternative Breaks strives to develop growth and understanding through reflective, hands-on service learning projects, focusing on a variety of social issues throughout the academic year. AB offers students the opportunity to spend thier school breaks immersed in service projects in a variety of locations around the country.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit, non-denominational Christian housing orgainization. All people are welcome to join in and help build simple, decent, affordable houses in partnership with those in need of adequate shelter. Since 1976, Habitat has built more than 80 countries, including some 45,000 in the United States.
Hunger and Homelessness
Hunger and Homelessness provides opportunities for service trips to Grand Rapids area shelters and soup kitchens, as well as on-campus events such as Share the Warmth blanket drive, Sculpt-It for the Hungry canned food drive, and the annual Hunger Theatre Banquet: an educational program about the unequal distribution of food worldwide.
Students Against Sweatshops
SAS is a working group comprised of individuals who are goal-oriented to put to light sweatshop conditions around the world, bringing them to the Grand Valley campus, and to work with a Code of Conduct constructed to provide information regarding the conditions under which Grand Valley State University products are produced, specifically with the Worker Rights Consortium.
Volunteering and Service
Community Service Learning Center
The center is responsible for helping students, staff and faculty create or find volunteer opportunities, network with local non-profit agencies, and advertise volunteer opportunities available in the community.
Women’s Issues Volunteer Corps
Making a difference in the lives of women and girls through volunteer opportunities that pair education with activism.
Page last modified August 19, 2009
