Taught By:
Leanne Serbulo
Associate Professor, University Studies (Interdisciplinary GE Program)
Portland State University
Read profile here.
Motivation to Teach Social Action:
I would like to incorporate more community-based learning opportunities into my first year inquiry course. A social action model fits nicely with the curriculum I teach. Students already explore local issues and social problems, but I haven't connected those assignments to real, meaningful actions that students can take.
Course Description:
First Year Inquiry (FRINQ) is a year-long course that explores a particular theme (ours is the city of Portland) from an interdisciplinary (incorporating two or more types of knowledge) perspective. In this course, we will use the city of Portland to uncover how place shapes our lives, and how we, in turn, shape the places we live in. We will examine the city as a context for human development and cultural expression; as an urban area of diverse communities; and as part of the larger natural, material, and social environment of the Pacific Northwest. We will discuss what connects people to their place(s) as well as what makes their place(s) part of their social, cultural, spiritual, economic and political life. We will read broadly, touching on the social sciences (urban studies, sociology, political science) and humanities (history, literature, arts). We will use the city as our laboratory as we explore the communities and spaces of greater Portland.
