BOOK TO BE USED : Soul of a Citizen (new & revised edition), by Paul Rogat Loeb,

BOOK TO BE USED : Soul of a Citizen (new & revised edition), by Paul Rogat Loeb, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-312-59537-1
INSTRUCTIONS:
1- Read Chapters 5-6 in Soul of a Citizen
2 – Write a thoughtful reflection (250+ words) on this week’s reading that considers the following prompts. Be sure to integrate references to from the reading in your responses.
I – Think about the movements for social justice that have made a difference in your life and in the lives of your family members. Think about specific rights and privileges that you enjoy that were secured by the efforts of engaged citizens. Try to list at least five of these rights, privileges, and gains in human dignity that grew out of specific movements.
II – The Nixon example and the story of Loeb’s friend Lisa Peattie suggest that sometimes we don’t always know the affect we’re having when we act–we may have a critical impact even when we think we’re being ignored. Is that knowledge helpful for keeping on when our heart-felt efforts don’t seem to get traction on the issues we care about?
III – What does the author mean when he states that, “other people’s stories can expand our view of the world”? Discuss the importance of listening to other people’s stories. Why are other people’s stories important to hear, even if we’re not victims of social injustice?
IV – What is the lesson in the story where the Stanford student says he hopes his grandchildren will get to volunteer in the same homeless shelter as he has? What relationship have you seen between one-on-one volunteering and systemic change? When does one become the other? Do you support both? To what extent? Does Loeb’s “politics of witness” offer a way to unite them?