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Topics in Learning and Organizational Change (351-0-21)

Topic

Identities, Intersections and Organizations

Instructors

Lilah Devra Shapiro

Meeting Info

Annenberg Hall G02: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM

Overview of class

Fundamental to nearly all life experiences is a) who we are - who we understand ourselves to be and who others think we are, b) the organizations and groups of which we are a part, and c) the co-construction and myriad entanglements and interactions of these things. Using primarily seminar-style discussion and a series of case studies, this course focuses on building and analyzing theoretical frameworks to understand the nature of individual, group, and organizational identity, identity politics, theories of intersectionality (that is, the critical interactions/tensions among social roles, histories, identities, social locations, and so on), and how each of these function and manifest in the life of and life in myriad types of organizations and groups. Developing a robust understanding of how to identify and deconstruct the dynamic and varying role that identities play in organizations and group life is key to understanding the "life course" and experiences of individuals within groups, how/why organizations behave the way they do, whose needs groups/organizations serve/who is left out or marginalized, and the possibility of/conditions for change at both the individual and group levels.