Building Bridges

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Beginning in the Spring of 2018, the College of Social Sciences and Professional Studies along with Continued Education - Community Based Learning, brings students and members of the community together to shine light on our understanding of civic engagement.  The effort begins with a course entitled "The Politics of Resentment".

Wisconsin has become a bellwether state for political phenomena across the nation: we see this as we have witnessed the attack on education, union busting, and the rise of conservative ideology.  The backdrop for these policy shifts has revealed that there is a deep rural urban divide in Wisconsin, previously invisible to most of us in Wisconsin.  How did we miss the division, the resentment, the feelings of competition that eventually emerged in the last 10 years? More importantly, how can the University of Wisconsin-Parkside play an active role in confronting this divite, and in creating opportunities for communication and understanding in our communities?

In this community based learning and civic engagement course, students engage in community research on the challenge outlined above, and present the results of this research to a community and campus audience.

READING: The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the rise of Scott Walker by Dr. Katherine Cramer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The event, Building Bridges: Knowing Our Neighbors, held on April 11th at Parkside facilitates a community discussion led by Dr. Katherine Cramer, as well as presentations on the gathered research from our local community.

Listen to Katherine Cramer describe her research and her book here, on WGTD's Morning Show.

Watch the video below for a student explanation of the class' process, research, and final event.