6 ECTS credits
180 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 1012487ANR for all students in the 1st semester at a (A) Bachelor - preliminary level.
Community development is a process aimed at strengthening communities. The aim is to empower communities to identify and address their own needs and challenges. Essential components comprise: building social capital, increasing community resilience, and promoting social justice and equity.
This course provides an interdisciplinary, critical and reflective insight into the principles and practices of community development, including the ability to identify and analyse community needs and assets, collaborate with a diversity of community members, develop and implement effective community change strategies, and critically evaluate the impact of community interventions.
The course consists of three parts. Part 1 examines various theories, models, concepts and strategies of community development. The aim is to critically analyse these community development concepts and strategies, focusing on systemic affirmation and systemic change. Whereas community development aimed at remedying problems can perpetuate inequalities and keep communities divided, community development can also take a form of resistance, claiming rights and power, with the aim of transforming structures and systems.
The second part, "praxis", consists of a speaker series focused on applied practices and cases - designed to help students concretise theories, models, concepts and strategies of community development, and develop skills. Throughout part two, students become familiar with a range of approaches and methods of community development, such as asset-based community development, neighbourhood mapping, deep democracy, commons or public space interventions.
Part three are discussion sessions where students link Part 1 and Part 2, and develop their own views on principles and practices of community development.
More information on the study material will follow during the first lesson.
Study material is the compulsory study material and the students' own lecture notes. Additional texts, exercises and presentations are made available to students via the electronic learning platform Canvas.
Generative AI can be used in this course, further details will be provided during course activities and the Canvas Course Platform. Any use of generative AI should be properly referenced.
Guest lectures are included in the course.
Students are encouraged to actively participate in group discussions during the lectures.
This course contributes to the following programme-specific learning outcomes of the Bachelor's degree in Adult Education (see overview document):
Furthermore, students in this course achieve the following course-specific learning outcomes:
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 70% of the final mark.
PRAC Teamwork determines 30% of the final mark.
Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Within the PRAC Teamwork category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Students have to get 10/20 on every one of the course parts to succeed for the course.
If you get a failing grade for one of the [two] parts, you will receive the lowest partial grade as the final grade.
If you are absent for at least one part, you will be awarded an "Absent" as an overall grade for the Programme Part.
The partial grade for which you succeeded in the first sitting can be transferred to the second sitting and you will not have to take up this course part again.
The student who does wish to re-take the assignment has to send an e-mail to the teacher (by 5th of July latest).
In the second sitting, the assignment is replaced by an alternative assignment.
The partial results of the separate course parts are not transferable to the next academic year.
The student's overall grade for the group work is not necessarily the same for all group members. The individual grade depends on a correction by peer evaluation where individual contribution is evaluated.
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Bachelor of Adult Education: Profile Social Studies (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Adult Education: Abridged Profile Social Studies (only offered in Dutch)
Bridging Programme Master of Science in Adult Education: Profile Sociale Agogiek (only offered in Dutch)
Bridging Programme Master of Teaching in Behavioural Sciences: Adult Education (only offered in Dutch)
Preparatory Programme Master of Science in Adult Education: Profile Social Studies (only offered in Dutch)