HAHR 615 Women and Children in Crisis

God’s Word calls His people to care for the weak and vulnerable, with an emphasis on widows, orphans, sojourners, and the poor. At home and around the world, women and children in crisis settings face the dark reality of abandonment, exploitation, and abuse. This course explores interventions made to support women and children in crisis and the unique opportunity for the church and faith-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to respond.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt. The thread must be at least 400 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to two other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 200 words. For each thread, the student must support his/her assertions with at least two scholarly citations. Each reply must incorporate at least one scholarly citation.

(CLO: A, B, C, D)

Portfolio Project Assignments (3)

In this course, the student will submit three experiential learning Portfolio Projects, which will guide the student to reflect on the topics of this course. The Portfolio Project assignments will provide an opportunity for the student to see firsthand a current issue for vulnerable women and children as the student meets with a local leader and hears the story of a woman or child helped by their services. It is our prayer that the student will see God at work in their community while honing listening skills.

Portfolio Project: Part 1 – Interview Assignment

For the first project, the student will meet in-person or online with a leader or staff member from a local or regional organization focused on women’s issues to learn of their history, present work and hear the story of a woman helped by the organization. Prompts will tie to course material for the creation of a paper that introduces the organization, telling the story of a care recipient with compassion while reflecting on the learning experience. This assignment should be approximately 1500 words and include 4 citations in Turabian format.

Portfolio Project: Part 2 – The Problem Tree Assignment 

From the agency interaction where the student heard the story of a vulnerable woman served and the ongoing study of the vulnerabilities faced, the student will create a second project, The Problem Tree. This exercise will illustrate the local issue as the main problem, noting its effects and root causes. From this analysis, the student will list interventions that could mitigate the crisis by sustainably affecting root causes. These suggestions will include potential collaboration with other partners. Key to the investigation is responding to the question of how the church can and does enter vulnerable women and children’s brokenness and move with grace toward wholeness.

For this assignment, the student will identify the Main Problem, 5-8 related effects, and 5-8 root causes. The student will then list three to four possible actions that address the problem. This part of the assignment should be 750-1500 words and include 4 citations.

Portfolio Project: Part 3 – Awareness and Advocacy Presentation Video Assignment

The assignment provides a cumulative opportunity to meld the knowledge from the course topics and God’s Word with the experiential learning and Problem Tree analysis. Through the creation of an advocacy presentation recorded before a live audience, the student will grow in confidence to speak with clarity and understanding on behalf of vulnerable local women and children, mobilizing others to personal involvement. The student will focus on communicating creatively and well, with sound presentation skills (precision in speech, varied intonation, and enhancing gestures) that add impact to their advocacy. This video assignment should be 5-10 minutes in length.

(CLO: A, B, D)

Research Paper Assignment

Building from the course materials and the foundation of personal engagement in the local community, the research paper will summarize the span of vulnerable situations that women and children face. The student will highlight which situations are unique to the western context, which are unique to the Majority World, and which are universal. The assignment will also identify current interventions from domestic and global actors, as well as key roles played by the church and faith-based organizations. The solutions proposed must demonstrate their efficacy at dealing with root causes and flawed world views towards women and children. The research paper should be 2000-3000 words and include 8 citations.

(CLO: A, B, C, D)

Summative Reflection Essay Assignment

The student will conduct both personal and professional reflections, selecting several of the prompts among three elements. The student will meditate on Paul’s prayer (Philippians 1: 9-11) for his friends to gain a love rich in knowledge, with discernment to choose well, producing lasting and God-glorifying fruit—lives and ministries of eternal impact. The student will consider their course learning and how the Lord is directing to move forward with grace in word and truth. This assignment should be 600-900 words.

(CLO: A, D)