Www.asu.edu/asu101 Social Embeddedness Engaging with the community Presenter Name, Ph.D. Presenter Title, Arizona State University Last updated 08-21-07

www.asu.edu/asu101

Social Embeddedness

Engaging with the community

Presenter Name, Ph.D.Presenter Title, Arizona State University Last updated 08-21-07

© 2007 Arizona State University

By the end of class today, you will be able to:• Understand that ASU has a history of

partnership with the community

• Define social embeddedness

• List some indicators of social embeddedness

• Identify opportunities for you to be socially embedded


A history of partnership

ASU was initially formed as a teachers college, with the purpose of training public school teachers, and providing instruction in agriculture and the mechanical arts.


The Legislature passed the bill

The Territorial Normal School was established in Tempe in 1885 by an act of the Thirteenth Territorial Legislature

Scanned image of original first page of Act establishing Arizona Territorial Normal School, courtesy of Arizona State Archives


The citizens provided the land

• George and Martha Wilson donated their 20 acre pasture in exchange for $500

• The money for 5 acres was raised by townsfolk and the Wilsons donated the rest of the land

The first building on the campus of the Arizona Territorial Normal School was a red clay (from Tempe Butte) brick building with four rooms. Horses and parking were the same fee: fifty cents per month or five dollars for the year.


The school provided teachers


We became ASU• Expansion of degree

programs sparked new interest from the community, but supporters of the University of Arizona stonewalled many legislative proposals for renaming

• After a "name change" drive, Arizona State University was authorized by a direct vote of Arizona citizens for Proposition 200 in the November 1958 elections

“Vote 200 Yes” pin and an editorial cartoon


Interconnected by growth• Arizona’s population

has rapidly increased from 4.2 million in 1995 to 6.2 million today

• At ASU, there were 46,000 students in 1995 and today there are more than 60,000

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

Fall 1996 Fall 2006

ASU total student enrollment, Fall 1996 – Fall 2006


Facing challenges

• Sustainability• Global engagement• Education• Quality of life

and opportunities


Discussion

• Where does ASU start and where does the community end?

• What do you think about how the university and the community work together?

• What do you see as your place in this partnership?


Definition

Social embeddedness describes dynamic, mutually-beneficial partnerships between the university and communities


Representing children• Every year, hundreds of children

come to Arizona to escape gang recruitment, sexual exploitation, indentured servitude, or domestic violence in their home countries

• However, legal resources are limited, so ASU Law students are developing cases for and representing these children

• Children receive representation and ASU students gain a better perspective of the legal system by talking to clients, writing actual briefs, and knowing all the facts about a case

ASU Law students Sebastian Zavala (left) and Gabriel Gomez-Leyba (right), discuss one of the cases with the help of an enormous file they have built for their client.

Example:


Promoting alternative energy• It is dangerous to let flammable dry

wood grow unchecked, however, it is a strain on the Forest Service to manage this overgrowth.

• Wood chips can be used as biomass, a cheap, effective energy source.

• Roy Miller is working with the Forest Service, faculty from ASU and NAU and Payson officials to install a biomass heating system. He gets to learn about alternative energy systems, the Forest Service gets to protect the forest, and Payson gets a cheap, clean-burning, community-based energy source.

ASU Political Science major Roy Miller has been facilitating communication between the Forest Service and Northern Gila County to install a biomass heating system in a Payson hospital or school.

Example:


Bringing science to life• Many schools are struggling to

enrich their science curriculum

• ASU graduate students looking for community outreach opportunities partnered with the Phoenix Preparatory Academy to teach junior high students how to conduct field experiments at Rio Salado and the Phoenix Zoo

• Phoenix students develop science skills and ASU students get to foster scientific inquiry and communicate the findings of their research to the general public

Life Sciences graduate students and Phoenix Preparatory students study how wild cats at the Phoenix Zoo react to different scents.

Example:


Giving children a voice• Kids don’t feel listened to

• Professor Woodson (Theatre) works with kids to create digital stories, in order to give them a voice and create a stronger connection with the adults who work with them

• Professor Woodson gets to conceptualize these stories, turning language into art, and kids are better understood by the adults in their community

Professor Woodson has worked with foster children to create digital stories for their case files. She has also worked with Gila River teens to create a documentary video, illustrating the teens’ pride in their culture.

Example:


Solving problems at work• Professor Tracy (Communications)

goes into real world organizational settings, like 911 call centers and correctional facilities, and focuses on difficulties these organizations are having

• By being constantly reminded of how her work will have relevance, she becomes a better researcher and organizations such as 911 call centers get specific suggestions about how to improve their work environment, their work and their interaction with callers. Correctional facilities received burnout training. (Did you know that the average life expectancy of a correctional officer is 59 years?)

Professor Tracy is now focusing on workplace bullying. Undergraduate drama students collaborated on performance that helped to educate the general public about problems caused by bullying in the workplace.

Example:


Applying sustainable design• Sustainable design can increase

affordability for homeowners. Energy-saving construction materials can save 80% in home energy costs.

• Cultural awareness in design can make homeownership more comfortable.

• The ASU Stardust Center for Affordable Homes and the Family gets to design homes and work with communities, communities get to be part of the design process and can ensure that they will actually be able to maintain the home over time, and students and community members get collaborative construction experience.

Two ASU students lift a Navajo FlexCrete block into place. This energy-saving concrete will provide the house with more affordable insulation.

Example:


Discussion

• What is the difference between “doing for” or “to the community” versus “doing with the community” or “being of the community?”

• What does it mean for a partnership to be mutually-beneficial?

• Is social embeddedness the same as community service?


Indicators

Something is socially embedded when:• All partners benefit• There is recognition that all partners

bring something to the table• All partners have input in the work• A community need is met• It isn’t just an activity, but there is an

outcome-focus to the work


Discussion

• What are the indicators of social embeddedness in the examples given and/or in the readings?

• What other indicators for social embeddedness can you think of?

• How is social embeddedness different from community service?


• You can help solve problems facing communities

• You can support economic growth

• You can enhance the well-being of Arizona communities

• You can work closely with public and private institutions like schools, cities, businesses, community organizations, etc.

Why work with communities?


• By applying your knowledge

• By learning and discovering new things

• By making contacts and building a network

• By contributing to the well-being of your community

How will you benefit?


• From students’ energy and ideas

• From working with faculty experts on addressing challenges and solving problems

• From applying the newest research to make positive changes in the community

• From taking full advantage of the university’s resources

How do communities benefit?


• Talk with your academic advisor about community engagement opportunities that connect with your interests

• Consider applying for an ASU for Arizona internship to work with communities, http://www.asu.edu/vppa/asuforaz/intern.html

• Consider applying for the Entrepreneur Advantage Project and/or the Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative to get funding for your own social entrepreneurship ideas, http://studentventures.asu.edu/

• Subscribe to the Community Camera and look for opportunities through the feature stories and announcements, http://community.uui.asu.edu/signup.asp

What can you do?


• Take a service learning course where you can get academic credit for connecting your education to community service, http://uc.asu.edu/servicelearning/index.php

• Find out more about ASU community connections, http://www.asu.edu/community

• Volunteer for a community organization through ASU, http://community.uui.asu.edu/volunteer.asp

• Join a club at ASU, http://www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/mu/clubs/

You can also:

Documents

Www.asu.edu/asu101 Social Embeddedness Engaging with the community Presenter Name, Ph.D. Presenter Title, Arizona State University Last updated 08-21-07