SPECIAL TOPICS: Social Justice and Confl

Safety is a deceptively simple concept. On one end of the spectrum, it is a tangible state of being (Are you at risk of physical violence?) and immediate feeling (Are you comfortable walking alone at night?). At the other end, safety is a broader system embedded in a complex network of social relations, formal and informal organizations, and political dynamics: Do you trust your neighbors? Do you trust the police? Do you have access to the resources you need to be and feel safe from harm? In New York City, the problem of public safety presents a complex tapestry of conflicts, deeply rooted in varying attitudes and policies. The city's approach to public safety often stirs up debates around policing strategies, with some advocating for a robust, proactive law enforcement presence to deter crime, and others calling for more community-based, social justice-oriented methods. And this is only about policing. Most people will say that for them, safety is about much more than policing. Such complexity has led to a broad array of tensions and conflicts in New York City, particularly in neighborhoods like the three in this course, where residents often feel both over-policed and under-resourced.

In this course, we will draw on an active research project under the leadership of Dr. Peter Dixon and Dr. Geraldine Downey, which is collecting community-based data around the city to answer two questions: how do residents from communities impacted by violence and policing define safety for themselves? And, what makes these grounded definitions more or less relevant for actual public safety policy? Working in three neighborhoods across Manhattan (Harlem), Brooklyn (Bedford-Stuyvesant), and the Bronx (South Bronx), students in this course will work with this community-based data, engaging with municipal decision makers and community members to apply a conflict resolution lens to the rich—and often contradictory—perspectives that city residents bring to the seemingly simple question of what it means to be safe.

This course is scheduled to take place in person, in accordance with campus COVID-19 policies. Students are expected to spend on average, 10 hours per week including class time, group work, readings and other assignments, plus one intensive weekend. Throughout, we will engage with city officials and NYC community members to co-analyze residents’ public safety priorities and co-create policy solutions and resolution strategies.