Organizational & Political Communication :: BA in Leadership, Politics & Social Advocacy

BA in Leadership, Politics, and Social Advocacy

This program is designed for the student who wants to pursue a career as a communication advisor to leaders and organizations, working as a press secretary or communication director. It is designed for the student who wants to be a leader in government, business, or the non-profit world, and for the student who wants to help change the world by serving as an advocate on a particular social issue. Students whose career plans include graduate, law or other professional school, will also find this program designed for their needs.

The Department of Organizational and Political Communication offers an undergraduate major, Leadership, Politics and Social Advocacy, which lays the foundation for careers in which communication and leadership issues are paramount.

Leadership, Politics and Social Advocacy offers a core curriculum that is balanced to give the necessary theory and the practical skills for effective, ethical communication in a changing and complex media environment. The core curriculum is taught by professors with national and international experience in conflict resolution and negotiation, leadership, and the classical and contemporary roots of the rhetoric of leaders and worldwide social movements. Students learn how to conduct, interpret, and communicate public opinion research. They learn seminal and cutting-edge communication theory. We couple the theory with the written oral and creative skills necessary to be an excellent, effective, and ethical communicatory in any arena—government, politics, business, or non-profit.

Program Requirements

Students in the Leadership, Politics and Advocacy major must complete the following courses:

Course Code	Course Information
OP200	Communication and the Political World 4.00 Credits An introduction to the study of communication, power, and politics in contemporary life. Consideration of theory and research in communication that help us understand how power relationships are constituted, negotiated, and changed. (Fall semester)
OP263	Argument and Advocacy 4.00 Credits Study of the art of advocacy. Students develop the logical, organizational and research skills that debate and other forms of oral and written advocacy require. Assignments include participation in debates about current political and legal controversies. Critical thinking skills are emphasized as tools both for advocates and audiences.
OP266	Conflict and Negotiation 4.00 Credits Study of conflict theory and principles and practices of dispute resolution. Includes everyday conflict, negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and alternative dispute resolution systems. Emphasis on interpersonal skills development.
OP303	Politics, Advocacy and Public Opinion Research 4.00 Credits Study of the research process, from problem definition to survey design, sampling, data analysis, and interpretation of results. Development of skills in reading and interpreting social scientific research and conducting forms of research pertinent to public and political communication needs. Prerequisite: OP200.
OP320	Communication Theory for Leading Change 4.00 Credits Investigation of classical and contemporary theories of political communication, with an emphasis on the utility of theory in mass- and multi-mediated communication contexts. Discussion of the application of theory to these domains, including an examination of how conceptions of the citizen, democracy, aesthetics, morality and culture are established and maintained vis-à-vis a number of different modes of communication. Prerequisites: OP200 and OP263 or OP266.
OP345	The Public Affairs Matrix: Media, Politics & Advocacy 4.00 Credits An advanced study of the interplay of media, politics, policy, and advocacy. Through historical and contemporary case studies and research, students will examine the variety of constituencies affecting politics and public policy and the role the media play in political, public policy and advocacy debates. Propaganda, its definition and its role in affecting public opinion, is studied. The relationship between the communicator, the media, and other key constituencies is explored with a focus on the ethical, effective use of public affairs. Prerequisites: OP200 and OP263.
OP357	Leadership 4.00 Credits Theory and practice of effective, ethical leadership in contemporary political and organizational settings. Includes theories for organizing and motivating people; cross-cultural applications and issues of diversity; and communication skills for leadership. Prerequisites: OP200 and OP263 or OP266 and Junior standing.
OP475	Capstone in Leadership, Politics and Social Advocacy 4.00 Credits Advanced theory, research, and practice in political communication. As a key feature of the course, students develop and enhance their portfolios of political communication materials, including the development of two communication campaigns. Prerequisites: Senior standing and completion of OP 200 and OP 303.

Three courses are to be selected from the following list below. Departmental advising is available to assist students in developing a specialization with their elective course, such as leadership, electoral politics, or social advocacy.

Course Code	Course Information
OP203	Intercultural Communication 4.00 Credits Analysis of readings in intercultural communication. The course focuses on verbal and nonverbal customs of various cultures as information from both a cultural and language perspective. Each semester focuses on specific topics or cultures, which will be compared to the different cultures of Europe as well. Background in other cultures helpful, but not essential. Course may be repeated once under a different topic. Fulfills the General Education Global Diversity requirement.
OP310	Campaign Management 4.00 Credits Primary focus will be on electoral campaigns but with attention to persuasive campaigns in general. Includes political advertising. Prerequisites: OP200 and OP266.
OP330	Management and Communication 4.00 Credits An introduction to the fundamental principles of management in profit, non-profit, and government settings. Special emphasis is placed on humanistic and sytems approaches, communication skills and theory, and national and global trends. Sample topics include planning, organizing, staffing, decision making, and leading. The case method is applied. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
OP343	Rhetorical Theory: Audience Analysis 4.00 Credits Study of classical theorists of rhetoric on speaking and writing well. Emphasis on the practical application of classical theory to contemporary rhetorical situations. In-class oral performances and several written assignments required. Fulfills the Social Psychological Perspective of the General Education requirements. Prerequisites: OP200 and OP263 or OP266.
OP344	Rhetoric of Social Movements 4.00 Credits Critical examination of prominent rhetorical texts and events that have shaped political processes and relationships. Application of insights to contemporary contexts and issues. Fulfills the General Education U.S. Diversity requirement. Prerequisites: OP200 and OP263 or OP266.
OP410	Language, Symbols and Political Communication 4.00 Credits An overview of how political discourse and the resources of language influence audiences. Using the theoretical insights of Kenneth Burke, Murray Edelman, Garry Wills, George Lakoff and others, students assess the communication of diverse political figures and texts, from Pericles to Ronald Reagan; from the Gettysburg Address to Mein Kampf. Studejnts also produce political texts of their own, from speech drafts to "blog" designs; from political advertisements to press releases. Prerequisites: OP303 and OP343.
OP422	Politics and Comedy: Subversive Laughter 4.00 Credits This course looks at political comedy through the lens of performance studies. Students will survey the history of political commentary by American platform humorists (such as Artemus Ward and Mark Twain), stand-up comedians (Lenny Bruce, Kate Clinton), comedy monologue artists (Spalding Gray, Margaret Cho) and talk-show hosts (Bill Maher, Jay Leno). The course will examine the role of comedy in shaping social and political discourse. Emphasis on developing performance skills. Prerequisite: Junior standing.
OP423	Crisis Communication 4.00 Credits This course addresses the increasing importance of managing communication in crisis situations. Topics include definitions, types, classifications, phases, planning, publics, contingency events, time estimating, crisis teams, control centers, working with media, training, and follow through. Crisis scenarios will cover profit, non-profit, and government organizations at the local, regional, national, and/or global level. Several case examples are employed. Prerequisite: Junior standing.
OP471	Topic: Consumption, Activism and Social Change 4.00 Credits Recent years have seen important changes in the economic realm, which resonate throughout our social, cultural and political realities. Processes of privatization, globalization, neo-liberalism and the expansion of consumer culture have produced new identities and collectivities which present important opportunities for activists and political communicators of various stripes. More precisely, the activity of consumption stands out as a powerful opening for social organizing. Through consumer boycotts, environmental protests, spontaneous performances in retail spaces, the lampooning of advertising and other strategies, new activist groups on both the left and the right seek to direct these global economic changes toward more socially beneficial ends. This course examines these changing conditions and the new movements they foster from a perspective that combines social theories of consumption and social change, historical studies of consumers and social movements, and direct case studies of current activists, agitators and leaders. Their strategies are assessed and their relevance to other traditions of activism, leadership and community mobilization is considered, always from a politically neutral, sociological standpoint.
OP498	Directed Study in Leadership, Politics and Social Advocacy 0.00 Credits Individual academic projects are planned in collaboration with full-time faculty members to meet students' interests that are not satisfied by existing courses. Students must submit a proposal for study that includes learning objectives, evaluation methods, and a bibliography before a directed study is approved. All proposals must be approved in the semester preceding the semester in which the student wants to complete a directed study. This proposal cannot be a substitute for a course that is in the catalog. Prerequisites: Permission of faculty member and Chair of the Department of Organizational and Political Communication.
OP499	Internship in Leadership, Politics and Social Advocacy 0.00 Credits Students may count up to eight credits of internship toward the major requirements. Only juniors and seniors with a current 2.7 GPA are eligible. A 4-credit internship requires 16 hours a week over a 12 week period and a 8-credit internship requires 32 hours a week over a 12 week period. No more than eight credits of internship and no more than 12 credits of any combination of internship, directed project and directed study may be applied to the total graduation requirements. Students must participate in the Internship Experience Workshop offered through Career Services, the semester before the internship, and should consult the Academic Calendar for registration deadlines. Students who wish to participate in an internship in the Los Angeles, CA Area must be enrolled in the Emerson Los Angeles Program.
PH300	Community, Communication and Public Policy 4.00 Credits Studies in political philosophy, especially debate between liberalism and communitarianism. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
SO300	Community, Identity, and Social Advocacy 4.00 Credits Theory and practice of effective, ethical communication on behalf of constituent groups. Needs assessment, resource identification, development (including grant writing), public advocacy, and program review. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.

Students are also required to take PL 225, American Government and Politics as the Historical Perspective of the General Education Requirements.

Recommended Outside Electives

Course Code	Course Information
HI203	Social Movements in the Age of Liberalism 4.00 Credits An examination of the political movements of industrial and agricultural workers, the unemployed, and the poor to gain power and economic rights since the Great Depression. The course chronicles movements that shaped the policies of the New Deal and the Great Society, and analyzes the ways in which these movements fostered a conservative response late in the century. The history is presented in the context of the ideals of democratic liberalism, the emerging power of corporate capitalism, and the modern conservative political coalition. Historical texts and a variety of cultural sources (literature, films, photographs, songs and museum exhibitions) are examined. Fulfills the Historical Perspective of and the General Education U.S. Diversity requirements.
PH110	Ethics and Justice 4.00 Credits This course will consider ethical theories and theories of justice, expecially those related to questions of economic, criminal, political, and social justice. Fulfills the Ethics and Values Perspective of the General Education requirement.
PL220	International Politics 4.00 Credits The course surveys the nature, techniques, and problems of interaction among states. Emphasis is given to the development of the modern state system, the evolution of alliances and collective security, and the role of law, morality, and international organizations. The course will analyze, in depth, the history of America's involvement in the international relations of the twentieth century.
PL231	Personality, Power and Politics 4.00 Credits A study of eight historical personalities (Napoleon, Bismarck, Lenin, Hitler, Gandhi, Mao Zedong, Mandela, and Gorbachev) whose political ideas have contributed to the contemporary debate concerning the origins of the modern world. Special emphasis will be placed on leadership concepts, models and techniques, as they apply to the formation of mass political movements. The course will make use of films, journalistic accounts and historical commentary to foster an interdisciplinary approach to the study of political issues and events. Fulfills the Social and Psychological Perspective of the General Education requirements.
PL328	Political Thought 4.00 Credits An analysis of the evolution of political theory from early Greece to the present. Emphasis is placed on the formation of the Western political tradition and the relationship of political theory to the development of absolutism, constitutional monarchy, liberal democracy and socialism. The course will also address the issues of idealism and realism in political thought, individual rights versus the needs of the collective, and the relation of these considerations to the emergence of totalitarian political ideologies. Fulfills the Ethics and Values Perspective of the General Education requirements.
PL332	Civil Rights 4.00 Credits The course is a review of the United States Constitution, congressional legislation and Supreme Court cases affecting and controlling minority rights from 1776 to the present. Fulfills the Historical Perspective and the General Education U.S. Diversity requirements.
PL333	The First Amendment 4.00 Credits A study of law relating to communication in the United States. Includes the First Amendment, the Federal Communication Commission and political speech. Fulfills the Historical Perspective of the General Education requirements.
PS303	Organizational Behavior 4.00 Credits This course engages students in the methods of psychology as it has been applied to understanding human behavior in organizations. Students explore issues related to working behavior in traditional businesses and are encouraged to apply information to a variety of organizational settings. Topics may include employee selection and training, performance appraisal, leadership, group behavior, organizational culture, motivation, job satisfaction, working conditions, stress, organizational structure, and communication.