Rationale
The programme seeks to meet the need for community development specialists within the discipline of sociology. The programme will also facilitate research and generation of knowledge on community development issues. Such knowledge will be available to government, civil society and communities. There are many community development workers who do not have the necessary training in community development and this programme seeks to give them an opportunity for professional training.
Objectives
(a)To equip students with the necessary knowledge, skills, tools and techniques of community development;
(b)To produce professionals with a capacity for spearheading sustainable community organisation and development efforts;
(c)To build a pool of knowledge on community organisation and development.
Mode of Offering
Full time, and Evening and Weekends
Entry Requirements
- A holder of a bachelors degree in sociology with at least upper second class honours (either as a major or a regular) or its equivalent from Kenyatta University or any other recognized university;
- A holder of a lower second-class bachelors degree in sociology from Kenyatta university or any other recognised university, plus at least three years of relevant experience in community development (including evidence of research ability).
Examinations
i.University examination regulations shall apply.
ii.Coursework will account 40% and final exam shall account for 60%. Pass mark shall be 50%.
Certification
The degree to be awarded will be designated: Master of Arts (Community Development).
Course Description
ASC 800: Advanced Sociological Theory
Analysis of classical sociological theories: Structural functionalism, Social conflict theory, phenomenology, feminism, modernism and post-modernism. Nexus between theory and research. Application of theories to research processes and methodologies. Selective integration of social science theories to sociological practice.
ECD 804: Environment and Sustainable Community Development
Environmental-livelihood nexus, resource use paradigms, community development theories and paradigms, conceptualising sustainable community development, stakeholders in community development, role of civil society, NGOs, government, international community, private sector, partnership[s in community development; poverty and underdevelopment in Africa; aid and debt crisis; redefinng Africa’s development;: NEPAD, Millennium Development Goals
ASC 804: ADVANCED DEMOGRAPHY
Population theories: biological, cultural, economic and social; demographic transition theory. Methods and sources of demographic projections. Politics of population policies; population control programmes and human rights; population parameters: density, age and sex structure. Migration and settlement patterns. Population and sustainable development and livelihoods. Population dynamics: cultural change, geopolitics and technology. Contemporary issues in demography.
AMC 800: RESEARCH METHODS IN SOCIAL SCIENCES
Fundamentals and mechanics of research and research writing. Concept of Research, the Process of Identifying a Research Problem, Formulating Research Objectives, Hypothesis and Questions, Conducting a Literature Review, Developing Theoretical and/or Conceptual Frameworks, Developing Data Collection Tools, Data Management and Analysis, Proposal Writing, Reporting and Disseminating Research Findings.
ASC 822: Gender and Community Development
Social construction of gender; sociological theories on gender; sexual differentiation and sexuality; community gender analysis and gender analysis frameworks; gender concerns in community development; comparative studies on gender issues: production, property relations, class, social values, technology and development; mainstreaming gender in community development.
ASC 823: Methods and Techniques of Community Development
Methods and approaches in community development: directive and community driven approaches; Community-based participatory research (CBPR): Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA), Participatory Learning and Action (PLA), Participatory Action Research (PAR), Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA); Community capacity building; social capital development. Ecological sustainable development; asset-based community development; civil society based community development; community assessment and mobilization; communication of innovation; community dialogue.
ASC 824: Community Leadership and Organization
Concept of leadership; power, influence and authority; rationale and role of community leadership; Community leadership structures; styles and basis of leadership. Concept of organization and organizational skills; leadership and group dynamics; leadership and governance; ethical considerations in leadership; challenges in community leadership; case studies in leadership.
ASC 825: Development and Management of Community Projects
Communities and their projects: Rationale; Identification of community projects; project and program management; project cycle; theories of project development and management: contingency, system, chaos, scientific method, classical theory, human relations and cultural theory. Viability, and risks in community projects; cost-benefit analysis, sustainability, scaling up and replication of community projects; project log frames; deliverables; monitoring and evaluation tools; impact assessment; challenges in project development; social and ethical audits.
ASC 826: Ethical and Legal Dimensions In Community Development
Ethics, morality and law. Basis and functions of law in society; ethics and community culture; mainstreaming ethical considerations in community development; Human rights approaches; accountability and justice; policy and legal instruments of community development; Challenges to legal and ethical
ASC 827: Resource Mobilization and Fund Raising
Concept of resources; types, nature and sources of community resources; resource mobilization and fundraising; leveraging of community resources; networking; development of social capital; utilization of resources; ethical issues and challenges in resource mobilization and fundraising; challenges in resource mobilization and fundraising.
ASC 828: Social Change and Community Development
Concepts, principles and ideals of social change; theories of social change; types, nature and sources of change in communities; community change management: planned and unplanned; Agents of social change; Community response to change; ethical dilemma in social change; Challenges in managing change at community level.
ASC 829: Conflict Management
Concepts of conflict resolution and management, peacemaking and peace building; origins, levels and types of conflict; conflict resolution and management approaches; creative response; conflict analysis and mapping; negotiation; mediation and arbitration; leadership in conflict management; networking and advocacy; peace management and institutional development; challenges in peace building, conflict resolution and management.
ASC 830: Social policy and planning
Conceptual and historical issues in social policy and planning; types and nature of social policy and planning; nexus between policy and planning; social policy and planning approaches and process; factors effecting social policy and planning; elements and dynamics of community planning and policy development; challenges in social policy development.
ASC831: Community Empowerment and Enterprise Development
Concepts in community empowerment and enterprise development; forms of empowerment: Social, economic and political; strategies of community empowerment: utilization of social capital, micro-enterprise development, IGAs, ROSCAS, cooperatives; types of enterprises; enterprise development: business planning, appraisal, execution, monitoring and evaluation; risk management; business development services; enterprise financing: micro-financing models; legal and ethical issues in enterprise development and management.
PUC 801 Qualitative Research Methods
Philosophical Foundations of Qualitative and Quantitative Research; Interpretive, Positivism and Postmodernism; Qualitative Versus Quantitative Research (Single versus Multiple Realities); Need for Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches in Research; Qualitative Research Approaches – Ethnography, Phenomenology; Theoretical foundations; Qualitative Research Methods (Observation (Participant And Non Participant), In-Depth Unstructured Interviews, Focus Group Discussion, Case Studies, Panel Discussion and Community Interviews, Social Mapping, Trend Analysis, Narrative Method; Sampling In Qualitative Research; Skills and Techniques of Qualitative Data Collection and Recording (Interviewing, Note taking, Tape and Video Recording, Transcribing); Validity and Reliability Issues in Qualitative Research; Ethical Guidelines In Qualitative Research; Qualitative Data Analysis (Objectives of data analysis in qualitative research, Interim analysis: Memoing, Content Analysis, Thematic Coding and Analysis, Content/Discourse/Textual Analyses, Auto/Biography and Visual Methods); Quantitative Analysis of Qualitative Data; Qualitative Data Analysis Packages (Nvivo, NUDIST, Answer, QDA Miner, MAXQDA, ATLAS-TI); Qualitative Report Writing and Triangulation; Communicating and Dissemination Of Qualitative Findings.
ASC 832 Research Project (4 units)
APC 900: Research and Statistics in social Sciences
APC 912: PhD (Sociology)