Instructor: Christopher T. Gates, MPA
Course Description
Current economic uncertainty continues to limit the public funds available to deal with critical public health issues. Challenges and problems, and the solutions to them, are increasingly becoming the responsibility of local and regional communities. And as community populations become increasingly more diverse in race, religion, and socio-economic status, new strategies and tools are needed to get people and organizations to agree on a plan and work together to achieve it. This course will discuss the new era in politics brought on by recent social and technological changes and the role of communities and individuals in reinventing how we govern.
Learning Objectives
Describe the major political changes that occurred in the United States in the last century.
Discuss the current political climate in the United States.
Discuss the impact of social media on politics.
Define social capital and its relation to democracy.
Describe the Healthy Communities Movement.
List the characteristics of healthy communities.
Discuss the role of reinvention in civic engagement.
Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals
*Council on Linkages between Academia and Public Health Practice
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8B3: Participates with stakeholders in identifying key values and a shared vision as guiding principles for community action
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8A8: Describes the impact of changes in the public health system, and larger social, political, economic environment on organizational practices