Dr. Lyle Foster’s SOC 398 class recently visited Lafayette Park in the Woodland Heights neighborhood of Springfield, MO.
As part of this outing, students:
- Learned how communities seek real-world and real-time solutions to community issues.
- Learned the history of Woodland Heights, one of the oldest communities in Springfield.
- Were acquainted with unique volunteer opportunities along with a chance to experience Public Sociology in action.
- Discussed the Moon City Creative District which is an artist community with a unique zoning overlay that helps to bring the arts and economic development to a Zone 1 community.
Theories, research, and discourse are great — and Sociology has plenty to draw from — but nothing beats a bit of practical application and first-hand exploration to connect the conceptual with the real!
From the Course Catalogue: SOC 398, Public Sociology and Community Studies, explores how Public Sociology is practiced and connected to the local community. (It) provides conceptual tools for analyzing communities and creates a foundation for meaningful community engagement. Each section will apply sociological theories and methods to a specific community issue or problem.