Courses
ICSE-101. Development Of Inner City Children. 3 Hours.
An examination of traditional theories of child growth and development in light of recent findings of interdisciplinary research on the behavior of disadvantaged children in urban settings. Special emphasis on inner city family structures as well as those informal and formal systems that contribute to personality formation.
ICSE-102. The Paraprofessional In The Inner City School. 3 Hours.
Introduction to educational philosophies and teaching techniques relevant to inner city schools from pre-school through upper elementary grades as they pertain to the paraprofessional (teacher aide). Considerable focus on teacher aide-pupil relationships and teacher aide-parent relationships. Special projects will deal with practical classroom situations and motivational techniques. Students will be exposed to new materials and media and trained to select those especially applicable to inner city youth.
ICSE-103. Introduction To Inner City Studies. 3 Hours.
An overview to of the problems of minority groups in large urban settings. Includes the study of mental and physical health and community services.
ICSE-201. History And Culture Of Ethnic Groups In America. 3 Hours.
An examination of religious, social, economic, and political aspects of ethnic groups in the United States, namely: Spanish descent, African-Americans, American Indians, etc.
ICSE-301. Racism In Theory And Fact. 3 Hours.
Study of race and culture as related to social and racist theories. Focus will be on such issues as prejudice, racial superiority and racial group interaction.
ICSE-302. The Inner City Community. 3 Hours.
The study of the politics, economics, and social structure of the inner city. In addition, the ecological approach will be covered.
ICSE-303. Writing Intensive Program: Research Design And Methodology. 3 Hours.
Research Design and Methodology examines the literature and theories that relate to research of urban communities. The course will focus on the design of research projects and the methods of data collection used in researching urban phenomena.
Prerequisite: ENGL-101 with a minimum grade of C.
ICSE-304. Communication In The Inner City. 3 Hours.
An examination of the cultural barriers and racial myths which impede inter-cultural communication. Development of a theory of inter-cultural communication with emphasis on means of disseminating ideas, news, and propaganda in inner city communities.
ICSE-305. Business, Welfare, And Labor Systems In America. 3 Hours.
A study of political, economic, and social aspects of the labor welfare economy as related to group structure. Problems posed by automation, cybernation, and discrimination will be studied in-depth.
ICSE-327. Seminar In Administrative Practicum. 2 Hours.
Designed to provide orientation, overview and evaluation of practicum experience. Must be taken concurrently with ICSE-328.
Prerequisite: ICSE-305 with a minimum grade of D or ICST-305 with a minimum grade of D.
Corequisite: ICSE-328.
ICSE-328. Administrative Practicum. 4 Hours.
A ten week assignment in an inner city administrative unit, governmental or private. Designed to give the student experience in administration and administrative problems of various agencies and organizations. The student will be supervised by a cooperating administrator working with the faculty practicum supervisor. Must be taken concurrently with ICSE-327.
Prerequisite: ICSE-305 with a minimum grade of D or ICST-305 with a minimum grade of D.
Corequisite: ICSE-327.
ICSE-329C. Inner City Organization And Institution Building. 3 Hours.
This course is primarily a survey of the socio-political dynamics of inner city organization and institution building. An ecological framework will be utilized to guide our examination. The course will encompass three principal areas of concern: 1. an over-view of organizations and institutions within the context of social organization; 2. issues relevant to inner city organization and institution building; 3. methodological tools to develop a proposal to conduct an ethnographic study of the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies at Northeastern Illinois University. Moreover, current social findings concerning inner city organization and institution building will be examined.
ICSE-329E. The Oral Tradition & The Inner City Community. 3 Hours.
This course explores the social, political, and cultural forces that influence hip hop culture and the rap music industry. Ecological conceptual models will be used to determine if multinational media conglomerates function as one massive empire that uses some aspects of the rap music industry as cultural imperialism, or if they are simply involved with hip hop for classic capitalism purposes, or a combination of both.
ICSE-329F. Contemporary Issues In The Inner City. 3 Hours.
This course focuses on the contemporary issues surrounding inner city communities in the United States. It specifically examines the economic, political, educational, and environmental underpinnings of such communities. Throughout this course dilemmas effecting inner city communities, specifically, miseducation and the misuse and abuse of economic and political power are discussed, debated and researched. In addition, the discussion of racism as the underlying cause of the historic and contemporary issues in the inner city is explored.
ICSE-329G. Comparative Inner City Communities. 3 Hours.
Course examines historical and contemporary aspects of inner city life in major urban areas in the United States and abroad. It will include the study of the demographics, politics, economics, and social structure, as well as the systems and institutions which affect these inner city communities. The central focus of the course is the comparative exploration of the nature and function of the historical and contemporary role of inner city communities within major cities internationally. The course is research-oriented. Students are organized into teams to explore two major cities in each of the countries: United States, Africa, Caribbean, and Europe.
ICSE-329H. Inner City Development. 3 Hours.
This course examines the development in inner city communities in the city of Chicago since 1970 and tracks future plans for development. Students will examine the economic, political, social and cultural development of inner city communities and how this development impacts the residents of these communities. This examination will include a thorough look at the development efforts of the city, state, and federal governments, as well as the efforts of private and non-profit agencies.
ICSE-329L. African Communications. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to examine verbal and non-verbal communication in African and African American culture, including speaking, writing, the visual arts, song, instrumental music, dance, and film. Perspectives on linguistic and artistic expression will be explored. The role of the "Creative World" in communication will also be considered. Approaches to building cultural knowledge, competence, and literacy will be analyzed. Lectures and discussion will inform instruction.
ICSE-329P. History Of Africa. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to discuss and analyze various aspects of African Civilizations. It also focuses on the conflicts and historical development of various pre-colonial African kingdoms to the rise of Eurasian colonialism and the Slave Trade. Emphasis will be placed on analyzing the relationship between ancient Eurasian and African contacts in the past and the impact it has on present day dynamics and circumstances. The materials incorporated will reflect the cultural, anthropological, linguistic and psychological factors impacting the historical development and the current status of African people.
ICSE-329V. Elite Theory & American Democracy. 3 Hours.
The purpose of this course is to examine social organization and theories of power to determine who really rules America. Moreover, we will delve into the process of how the power elite maintain and enhance their power in society. Edward Shils reminds us that society has a center. Our goal will be to examine this "center" to determine how it impinges in various ways on those who live within American society.
ICSE-329W. Inner City Institutions. 3 Hours.
This course examines the various institutions in inner city communities and the roles they play within these communities. The course will specifically evaluate the political economy generated by these institutions which are created, funded, and operate from sources outside of the inner city community. The topic of fiscal budgeting and management of the city government and how it relates to inner city institutions, as well as the institutional generation and allocation of funds will be examined to analyze how the funding process facilitates structural advantages and/or disadvantages in the inner city community.
ICSE-331. Literature Of Ethnic Groups. 3 Hours.
Approach to the study of ethnic cultures through literature written by and about those groups; study of literary works concerned with African descendents, Southern Mountain Whites, American Indians, Cubans, Mexican and Puerto Ricans. Insight into the cultural attributes of these groups through the reading of novels, plays, biographies, essays, poems and short stories.
ICSE-416. History And Culture Of Afro-Americans. 3 Hours.
African derivation and the culture of American slavery; urban and rural existence; development of the emergent African-American middle-class.
ICSE-425A. Comparative Religion & Philosophical Systems. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to discuss and analyze the nature of the conflict between the growth of early African Christianity and its rival in Europe. It will examine the various African and European thinkers whose discourses were instrumental in the earliest development of Christian philosophy, dogma and praxis. It will also explore the various ecumenical councils that were convened to discuss philosophical issues impacting the current worldview in Western theology. In addition the course will assess the content and context of the notion of "heresy" as a tool in Western theological and intellectual warfare against early African thought.
Prerequisite: ICSE-411 with a minimum grade of C or ICST-411 with a minimum grade of C.
ICSE-425B. African Civilization. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to discuss and analyze various aspects of African Civilizations. It reviews the conflicts and historical development of various pre-colonial African kingdoms to the rise of Eurasian colonialism and the Slave Trade. Emphasis will be placed on analyzing the relationships and values of the world African community of the past and the impact it had on circumstances today.
Prerequisite: ICSE-411 with a minimum grade of C or ICST-411 with a minimum grade of C.
ICSE-425C. The African World View. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to discuss and analyze aspects of the African World View. It also focuses on the conflicts and historical developments of various ideas surrounding the question of African Centeredness and Pan-Africanism as it relates to educational, psychological, sociological,and political thoughts which impact the African world community.
Prerequisite: ICSE-411 with a minimum grade of C or ICST-411 with a minimum grade of C.
ICSE-428. The Urban World. 3 Hours.
This course is an examination of the urban communities in which peoples of African descent reside, the evolving urban patterns, and the changing nature of urban life in these areas of the world. It looks at the realities of "slum" existence, factors behind the creation of slums, the policies that govern urban communities, and the limitations of these policies in many developing countries. Many major cities were founded on "squatter-style" neighborhoods. We further explore the growing challenges and issues presented by these urban areas in an increasingly globalized world. Further we will conduct comparative analyses of some of these communities.
Prerequisite: ICSE-411 with a minimum grade of C and ICSE-442 with a minimum grade of C.
ICSE-444. Methods Of Teaching In The Inner City. 3 Hours.
Curriculum development and adjustment to meet the needs of inner city pupils; new approaches to teaching the "hard to reach" pupil; students to develop units in their own major teaching areas, utilizing new materials and techniques.
Prerequisite: ICSE-411 with a minimum grade of D or ICST-411 with a minimum grade of D.
ICSE-454. Masters Project Research. 3 Hours.
Supervision and advisement in evolving a research project and in writing research results.