Syllabus

Critical Reflection and Adaptive Leadership in Complex Systems

PPS 137, Fall 2006
Wednesday, 6:00-8:30 p.m.
150 Sanford Institute Building
Duke University

Alma G. Blount
blt@duke.edu
613-7323
Room 104 Sanford Institute

Seema Parkash, SOL Coordinator
sgp5@duke.edu

Blackboard web site:
http://courses.duke.edu

This is the capstone course for students completing community-based research (CBR) projects through Service Opportunities in Leadership. The course examines a leadership framework for working productively with value conflicts in groups and institutions, and the ethics of public problem-solving work.

Students will have the opportunity to reflect critically on their summer work with community organizations, and integrate what they have learned with concepts of leadership, ethics, politics, and policy design. Requirements include weekly point-of-view essays, and group discussions about current political topics.

A central requirement of the course is a comprehensive research portfolio about a policy issue related to the summer CBR project. The portfolio includes policy recommendations and strategies for implementation. The process of framing the research topic and planning the investigation will take place in consultation with the instructor and peers. During the second part of the course students will present their research to the class for critical analysis and feedback.

Drawing upon case studies, narrative writing, and news coverage, we will explore the challenges of framing and addressing complex policy problems. At the end of the course students will be asked to submit a concise, well-crafted essay about value conflicts and leadership for public life.

Course codes: EI, R, W

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Part One: Adaptive Leadership

Week 1, August 30—Course outline and requirements; updates from the summer
This course is designed to give you the opportunity to:
1. Reflect critically on your summer community-based research project;
2. Integrate your summer research with a capstone research project about a policy issue;
3. Examine a leadership framework for working productively with value conflicts in complex social and political systems to create policy change.

Week 2, September 6—Leadership and adaptive change: the art of helping groups do difficult work
o Ronald A. Heifetz. Leadership Without Easy Answers. Boston: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1994.

(Please note: a required workshop on advanced electronic database research skills will take place on Monday, September 4 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. in room 023 of Bostock Library.)

Week 3, September 13—Leadership and adaptive change, continued
o Leadership Without Easy Answers

Week 4, September 20— Grassroots policy and politics
o Michael Gecan. Going Public. Boston: Beacon Press, 2002.

(Handout)
o Makani N. Themba. “Plotting a Course: Lessons from the Front Lines,” from Making Policy Making Change: How Communities are Taking the Law into Their Own Hands. Berkeley: Chardon Press, 1999, pp. 81-116.

Week 5, September 27— Adaptive leadership analysis: case study of illegal immigration from Latin America and the politics of U.S. immigration policy
o Sonia Nazario. Enrique’s Journey: The Story of a Boy’s Dangerous Odyssey to Reunite with His Mother. New York: Random House, 2006.

Week 6, October 4—Adaptive leadership analysis/immigration case study, continued
o Jim Gilchrist, Jerome R. Corsi. Minutemen: The Battle to Secure America's Borders. Los Angeles: World Ahead Publishing, 2006.

Week 7, October 11—Presentations of Community-Based Research Projects

Week 8, October 18—Adaptive leadership analysis/immigration case study, conclusion
o "Illegal Immigrant Population in U.S. Rises to 11 Million." Source: Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, August 18, 2006.
o "Immigration Deadlock." Sources: New York Times, National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, News and Observer, August 20, 2006.
o Cardinal Roger Mahoney. "Called by God To Help." New York Times, March 22, 2006.
o John Cassidy. "Alien Nation." The New Yorker, April 10, 2006.
o Jonathan Fox and Xochitl Bada. Immigrant Rights Marches in North Carolina, Spring 2006. Workshop presentation: Explanations and Patterns in U.S.-Mexico Relationships.
o North Carolina IAF Senate: Briefing on Immigration; Policies toward Immigrants
o "Learn the Issues." Justice for Immigrants: A Journey of Hope. U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Migration and Refugee Services, Washington, D.C.
o Fox, Bada. Legal Status of Mexicans.
o Rob Long. "The Long View." National Review, May 22, 2006.
o William Schneider. "Political Pulse: The Politics of Illegal Immigration." National Journal.
o Linda Chavez. "The Realities of Immigration." Commentary, July-August, 2006.
o James Jay Carafano. "Workplace Enforcement to Combat Illegal Migration: Sensible Strategy and Practical Options." Heritage Lectures, Heritage Foundation, August 7, 2006.
o Sarah Lueck. "Cracks in a Republican Base." The Wall Street Journal, August 24, 2006.
o Robert McNatt, Frank Benassi. "Econ 101 on Illegal Immigrants." Business Week Online, April 7, 2006.
o Newt Gingrich. "Ending the Dishonesty: The Way Forward on Border Control and Patriotic Immigration." Working Paper, The American Enterprise Institute, April 26, 2006.
o "Children of Immigrants: Facts and Figures--May 2006." The Urban Institute.
o Jimmy Gomez and Walter A. Ewing. "Learning from IRCA: Lessons for Comprehensive Immigration Reform." Immigration Policy in Focus. Volume 4, Issue 4, May 2006.
o Roberto Suro and Gabriel Escobar. "2006 National Survey of Latinos: The Immigration Debate." Survey by Pew Hispanic Center, July 13, 2006.
o Jonathan Fox. "Mapping Mexican Migrant Civil Society." Democracy and Society. Center for Democracy and the Third Sector, Georgetown University. Volume 3, Issue 2, Spring 2006.
o "North Carolina's Hispanic Immigrants Contribute More Than $9 billion to the Economy, Cost State Budget a Net $102 per Hispanic Resident, A New Study Shows." Press Release, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, January 3, 2006.
o Karin Rives. "Part 1: Jobs Lure Illegal Immigrants to State." News and Observer, February 26, 2006.
o Karin Rives. "Part 5: Businesses Meet Immigrants Needs." News and Observer, March 5, 2006.

Week 9, October 25—The inner work of leadership
o Arthur Kleinman. What Really Matters: Living a Moral Life Amidst Uncertainty and Danger. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.

(Handouts)
o Sharon Daloz Parks. "Toward a More Adequate Myth: The Art of Leadership." Leadership Can Be Taught: A Bold Approach for a Complex World. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2005.
o Parker J. Palmer. “Leading from Within: Reflections on Spirituality and Leadership.” (Indiana Office for Campus Ministries, March 1990.)
o Brenda Ueland. "On Making Choices," and "Tell Me More," from Strength To Your Sword Arm. Duluth, Minnesota: Holy Cow! Press, 1993.

Part Two: Policy Research

Weeks 10-13, November 1, 8, 15, 29—Presentations of policy research projects

Week 14, December 6—Final research portfolios due; discussion, reflections, celebration dinner

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Course Logistics

Articles and Books

Assigned articles are included in a course pack and a few additional sets of handouts that will be distributed in class. The five required books are available at the Regulator Book Shop, on Ninth Street in Durham.

o Heifetz, Ronald A. Leadership Without Easy Answers. Boston: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1994.
o Gecan, Michael. Going Public. Boston: Beacon Press, 2002.
o Nazario, Sonia. Enrique's Journey: The Story of a Boy's Dangerous Odyssey to Reunite with His Mother. New York: Random House, 2006.
o Gilchrist, Jim, and Corsi, Jerome R. Minutemen: The Battle to Secure America's Borders. Los Angeles: World Ahead Publishing, 2006.
o Kleinman, Arthur. What Really Matters: Living a Moral Life Amidst Uncertainty and Danger. New York: Oxford University Press.

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Research support

Advanced electronic database research training
Please mark your calendars and plan to attend the required workshop on electronic database and web research that will held Monday Sept 4, from 6:00 to 8:30 in the training room at Bostock.

Research presentation groups
Students will be assigned to groups for support in designing their research project presentations. Please arrange to meet with your group in October well before the research presentations begin.

Consultations with instructor
Please make an appointment with me in September to discuss your proposed research topic.

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Assignment Calendar

Weekly point-of-view essays
Due by 8:00 a.m. on blackboard the following Wednesdays: September. 6, 13, 20, 27, October 4, 11, 18, 25. (Total of eight essays. Please note that on October 11, after fall break, the essay will be about your community-based research project from the summer. Guidelines for that particular assignment will be distributed in class.)

Research presentations
Presentations will take place each Wednesday in November except during Thanksgiving week. Assigned groups will be announced.
November 1--Group #1
November 8--Group #2
November 15--Group #3
November 29--Group #4

Drafts of Research Portfolio

Focusing statement and research question               Wednesday, November 1
Annotated bibliography and book review                   Wednesday, November 8
Interview with a Practitioner                                     Wednesday, November 15
Policy Memo                                                          Monday, November 20
Adaptive Leadership Analysis                                   Wednesday, November 29

Final Portfolio Wednesday, December 6

Final Paper: Essay on Value Conflicts and Leadership for Public Life
Due Sunday, December 17, by 5:00 p.m.

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Course Requirements

1. Please attend every class, and arrive on time.

2. Write eight point-of-view essays. Seven of these essays will be based on the readings in the first part of the course. One essay will be about your summer CBR project. Please use your essays to launch spirited discussions in class.

3. Pay attention to the dynamics in our class and find creative ways to help us learn together.

4. Conduct an extensive investigation of a policy issue related to your summer CBR experience. Build a research portfolio, and make a presentation of your work-in-progress in Part Two of the course. Present your work in a focused and engaging way. Participate fully in the work of your research presentation group.

5. Submit drafts of the component parts of the research portfolio on the assigned due dates. (This is a firm requirement. No late drafts will be accepted.)

6. Write a succinct, compelling leadership essay at the end of the semester that integrates what you have learned about “border crossing,” value conflicts, and adaptive leadership throughout your year of participation in SOL.

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Grading Policy

Class participation/discussion leadership: 20%
Weekly point-of-view essays: 20%
Research portfolio: 40%
Research presentation: 10%
Final paper: 10%

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Research Portfolio Guidelines

1. Focusing Statement and Research Question

Focusing statement
Why is this policy issue of concern to you and why should it concern others? What have you learned in the process of experiencing its effects first hand (during your summer CBR project) and from investigating it further in this capstone research project? (Three pages.)

Research question
What is your research question?
Outline the dimensions of the issue you will investigate. State the problem as clearly and succinctly as possible. What do you want to find out and how will you go about doing it? (One page)

2. Annotated Bibliography and Book Review

Annotated bibliography
Provide a descriptive listing, written strictly in your own words, of key resources about your policy issue that interest you.

(Please use standard citation format: MLA Handbook or Perkins Library reference guidelines. http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/index.html)

Include brief, well-written descriptions of relevant books, journal articles, newspaper and magazine articles, films, and web sites. (Several pages of annotated listings, around one to two paragraphs per listing; and then a few pages that describe two key resources in greater detail. Total of 10 brief annotations and 2 extended annotations. (Five pages.)

Book review
List the title, author, and vital information about your chosen text. (Please use standard citation format.) Why did you choose this particular book? What are the author’s main points? Where do you agree or disagree? What is your critique? How does this book deepen your understanding of the policy issue you are investigating? (Three pages.)

3. Interview with a Practitioner:

Find someone who is a practitioner in your field of interest, someone who can clarify and focus the issues you are investigating. Ask great questions. Write a brief description of the practitioner, and explain his or her connection to the policy issue. The interview can be written in verbatim format, “Q and A” format, or article format. (Three pages.)

4. Policy Memo

Draft a policy memo about the issue. What policy options can you identify, and what are the strengths and weaknesses of each one? Which option is the most viable? What are your specific recommendations for action? (Three pages.)

5. Adaptive Leadership Analysis

What is the adaptive challenge? How would you focus attention on it? Who needs to be involved in order to make progress on the problem? How would you maintain disciplined attention on the central adaptive challenge despite the inevitable conflicts and resistances involved in the change process? What are the underlying structures or systems that need to change? What kind of learning process needs to occur in order to create these changes? What is your leadership strategy for holding the group(s) in the learning process? (Three to five pages.)

Point-of-View Essay Guidelines

• Strict word limit: 500 words.

• Due at 8:00 a.m. on blackboard on the following Wednesdays: September 6, 13, 20, 27, October 4, 11, 18, 25. (Guidelines for the Oct. 11 essay about your summer CBR project will be distributed in class.)

• Read each of the assigned articles or books carefully—take note of the themes that emerge.

• Before you begin writing ask yourself, “What is the author saying? What are the most important concepts? Do I agree or disagree with these ideas? What do I find compelling, and why? What meaning do these ideas have for me in light of my own experiences, insights or questions?

• Write a concise essay that brings these two parts together:
o careful analysis of the authors’ ideas;
o your own original response—point of view—about these ideas.

Please craft your essay so that it sparks an excellent discussion in class. Make the effort to develop your own voice and to have something worthwhile to contribute to our group conversations. The key to writing a strong essay is to give yourself time to analyze and reflect before you begin to write.

• With no advance notice I may read your essay to everyone, or I may ask you to read it aloud. Be prepared to lead the discussion in class.

• You will be graded on the quality of your inquiry and the development of your own distinct voice over the course of the semester. You will not be graded on each individual essay. I will give you written feedback on four of the eight essays.

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Policy Memo Guidelines

Think of public policy as “…an agreement (formal or informal) on how an institution, governing body or community will address shared problems or attain shared goals.” Makani Themba, Making Policy, Making Change: How Communities Are Taking Law Into Their Own Hands.

1. A policy memo is not:
o Narrative writing
o Academic writing

2. A policy memo is:
o A carefully written document that begins with the conclusion. The most important information comes first.
o A short piece of writing that uses crisp, clear sentences, and is written in a user-friendly format. Avoid jargon!
o A concise statement that includes five parts:

A. Overview—beginning of the memo. (But you write it at the end of the process. It is the executive summary of what is most important in the memo.)

B. Problem statement.

C. Criteria—measurable things that you will examine to see if the problem is resolved.

D. Options/alternatives for addressing the problem, with a brief analysis of each option.

E. Recommendation: what needs to happen in order to make progress on the problem you have identified?

Be creative in your thinking but not creative in the format. Stick with the format above.
The completed memo should be three to five. Be concise. Suggestion for preparing the memo: brainstorm. Write down your ideas in a notebook. It helps to run your ideas by someone—other students in our class, the instructor, or the writing coach.