Interdisciplinary Arts 0287 - Social Entrepreneurship

"Wicked Problems" are complex, ever changing, and resistant to simple solutions; they require transformative and purposeful innovation. Social entrepreneurs are faced with the challenge of developing ideas that embrace and are shaped by this complexity, ideas that engage communities, cross disciplines and have the potential to disrupt and transform systems. What do social entrepreneurs need to understand about the people who are impacted by their entrepreneurial actions? Where are the spaces in which to experiment with improvisational and flexible forms of intervention that might open new economic and social opportunities? What is the role of the social entrepreneur in communities? And what do we mean by this term "entrepreneurship" anyway? In this course, we will explore these questions by examining examples of entrepreneurial action and methodology. Mid-semester we will partner with a sister course in urban planning and design to both combine our collective learning and work collaboratively on a shared project. This project(s) will bring students together to share, repurpose and utilize the methodologies they have learned about social enterprise development and participatory urban planning/design in order to creatively address an identified need or opportunity on campus.

Multiple Cultural Perspectives In this course, students are expected to spend at least six to eight hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time. This time includes reading, writing, research, and development of group projects. Open to second years and above.