SJS A102: Social Justice and Activism
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Curriculum Committee Approval Date | 11/17/2021 |
| Top Code | 220130 - Social Justice: General |
| Units | 3 Total Units |
| Hours | 54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54) |
| Total Outside of Class Hours | 0 |
| Course Credit Status | Credit: Degree Applicable (D) |
| Material Fee | No |
| Basic Skills | Not Basic Skills (N) |
| Repeatable | No |
| Grading Policy | Standard Letter (S) |
| Associate Arts Local General Education (GE) |
|
| Associate Science Local General Education (GE) |
|
| Global and Multicultural Requirement (OGM) | Yes |
| California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) |
|
| Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) |
|
| California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth) |
|
Course Description
Social Justice and Activism is an Social Justice Studies course, which draws on sociology, ethnic studies, gender studies, race and ethnicity, inequality, and social movements research. This class combines a body of research and material for students to explore their intersections and the origins of injustice, development of activism, social justice movements, the dynamics of social discourse and debates about injustices, and creating social change. The course introduces students to theories, research methods, competing ideologies, and current issues in the field of Social Justice Studies. The material will cover local, state, national, and global issues as well as social, cultural, economic, political, and moral issues. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.
Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)
- Distinguish between and articulate various types of inequality, injustices, social justice theories, and research methodologies.
- Articulate, in writing, the significance of race, class, gender, and intersectionality in inequality, injustice, social justice movements as they impact people, communities, and societies.
- Appropriately apply social justice theories related to justice movements on a local, state, regional, societal, and global level to explain how they impact communities, economies, cultures, environments, and politics.
Course Objectives
- 1. Differentiate concepts such as activism, advocacy, collective action, social movements, oppression, and restorative justice
- 2. Analyze theoretical and methodological aspects of social justice movements and activism in a local, state, national and global context.
- 3. Compare and contrast the experiences of groups using concepts of victimology, agency, resistance, empowerment, and social change from a micro-level and macro-level analysis with a focus on historically marginalized groups.
- 4. Analyze intersections of race and ethnicity with gender, class and other locations of identity as a cross-section of social justice in the United States.
- 5. Identify and analyze patterns of immigration, migration, conflict and the dynamics of immigration and undocumented migrant movements.
- 6. Evaluate debates on current social justice movements related to racial and ethnic issues, immigration policies, criminal justice policies, environmental policies, housing and healthcare policies, cybersecurity and privacy policies, and human rights.
- 7. Evaluate the future role of restorative justice and transformative change in the contemporary socio-political ecosystem.
Lecture Content
Introduction to Social Justice and Activism Social Movements, Collective Action, and Social Change Victimology, Agency, Resistance, and Restorative Justice Race, Ethnicity and Social Justice Immigration and Social Justice Sex, Gender, Sexuality, and Social Justice Family, Women, and Children and Social Justice Poverty, Inequality, and Economic Justice Prisons, Juvenile Justice, and Criminal Justice Environmental Justice Health Justice Media, Technology, and Social Justice Global Justice Movements Restorative Justice Movements Looking Ahead: Transformations in Social Justice
Method(s) of Instruction
- Lecture (02)
- DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
- DE Online Lecture (02X)
Instructional Techniques
Lecture and explanation of topic concepts Instructor will provide case studies on current social justice issues for student analysis Instructor will provide short videos and films on current social justice issues to illustrate contemporary events for student analysis Instructor will provide news articles on current social justice issues to illustrate contemporary events for student analysis Instructor will provide online discussion assignments in order to have students engage with their course readings outside of the classroom Instructor will assign film reaction papers and short reflection essays in order to have students engage with their course readings and films Students will work in small group discussions to share students ideas and reactions to course readings, class lectures, and course assignments (i.e. white board, short oral presentations, games, etc.) Students will work together to clarify major concepts from students assignments Instructor will provide verbal feedback to students questions during lecture, and written feedback on their assignments to highlight concepts and ideas. Students will develop a qualitative/ethnographic research writing assignment that focuses on a social justice issue and/or movement Students will present an oral presentation of their qualitative/ethnographic research writing assignment that focuses on a social justice issue and/or movement Exams will be offered (i.e. midterm final exam) as a combination of course readings, films/short videos, and class lectures
Reading Assignments
Examples of what an instructor might assign: Students will read approximately four (3.5) hours weekly from the class textbook, peer-reviewed scholarly articles, and news articles Course readings from which to draw information for written assignments will be found in the required class textbook, scholarly articles, films, and news articles. There may also be suggested readings for this course.
Writing Assignments
Examples of what an instructor might assign: Students will spend about (1.5) hours each writing short film reaction papers, online discussion assignments, and a term paper analyzing an issue contained in the class Course readings from which to draw information for written papers will be found in the course textbook, scholarly articles, and news articles. Student papers will include: What does the author say about this issue. What are the current arguments described that support this position. How does your personal experience compare with the information provided by the authors. What are the possible explanations for any differences. What questions does this information lead to. Are there social or cultural implications you think need to be addressed by further research: If so, please describe. How does this information help you to understand your own life experiences and the world around you. Qualitative/ethnographic research writing assignment that focuses on a social justice issue and/or movement Students will select a social justice issue and/or movement to study in-depth (i.e. race, gender, immigration, environmental, criminal justice, etc.) Students will conduct interviews with members involved in a social justice issue and/or movement They will conduct participation observations of members, communities, and events surrounding the social justice issue and movement Students will read peer-reviewed scholarly articles and news articles on the social justice issue and movement Students will write a 10-page research paper on the social justice issue and/or movement which includes an introduction, literature review, methodology, findings, and conclusion Students will then share the summary points from their own papers in a brief 10-minute oral presentation to the entire class.
Out-of-class Assignments
Examples of what an instructor might assign: Students will spend approximately (1.5) hours weekly working on online discussion assignments on course readings, film reaction papers, short reflection essays, and preparation for their writing assignments Student papers will include: What does the author say about this issue. What are the current arguments described that support this position. How does your personal experience compare with the information provided by the authors. What are the possible explanations for any differences. What questions does this information lead to. Are there social or cultural implications you think need to be addressed by further research: If so, please describe. How does this information help you to understand your own life experiences and the world around you. Online Class Discussions, film reaction papers, short reflection essays, and other writing assignments will completed outside of the class meeting
Demonstration of Critical Thinking
Example of an Instructors possible Demonstration of Critical Thinking Students will write in the online discussion assignments, film reaction papers, short reflection essays, and in their qualitative/ethnographic research papers Students will engage in the reading of the course textbook, peer-reviewed scholarly articles, and news articles Students will watch and write about films and short videos that illustrate the course material Students will participate in small group, in-class discussions Students will write and verbally share their responses with their classmates during in-class discussions The research paper will explore current social justice issues and movements as they relate to social justice studies Exams will cover course readings, films, and lecture material
Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration
Example of an Instructors possible Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration I. Students will write several papers analyzing an issue contained in the course topics Course readings including the course textbook, peer-reviewed scholarly articles, and news articles will be used to draw information from them to write their film reaction papers, short reflection essays, online discussion assignments, and their research papers Student papers will include: What does the author say about this issue. What are the current arguments described that support this position. How does your personal experience compare with the information provided by the authors. What are the possible explanations for any differences. What questions does this information lead to. Are there social or cultural implications you think need to be addressed by further research: If so, please describe. How does this information help you to understand your own life experiences and the world around you. II. Online discussions assignments, small group discussions, and oral presentations Student will present and discuss topics covered in class Student will present and discuss course readings and videos assigned in class Students will share ideas for their qualitative/ethnographic research project in class Students will share summary points from their qualitative/ethnographic research project in brief oral presentations to the entire class
Eligible Disciplines
Sociology: Masters degree in sociology OR bachelors degree in sociology AND masters degree in anthropology, any ethnic studies, social work, or psychology OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.
Textbooks Resources
1. Required Loretta Capeheart and Dragan Milovanovic (Author). Social Justice: Theories, Issues, and Movements , Revised edition ed. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2016 2. Required Noah Rothman. Unjust: Social Justice and the Unmaking of America, 1st ed. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing, 2019 3. Required Iris Marion Young . Responsibility for Justice , Reprint ed. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2018 4. Required by Warren J. Blumenfeld (Author), D. Chase J. Catalano (Author), Keri Dejong (Author), Maurianne Adams . Readings for Diversity and Social Justice, 4th ed. New York, NY: Routledge Press, 2018
Other Resources
1. Social Justice Studies relies heavily on classic writings of activists, scholars, and social movement leaders that were published many years prior to 2015. Our department reserves the right to have as required reading important classics such as the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Mahatma Ghandhi, Cesar Chavez, Susan B. Anthony, Jane Adams, Ida B. Wells, Thurgood Marshall, and many more. This is an important foundation for students, and will ensure that they have a historical foundation for Social Justice Studies as well as a contemporary understanding. In addition, Social Justice Studies is interdiscplinary and may draw on texts that focus on race, class, sex, gender, sexuality, poverty, health, social problems, immigration, and numerous other injustices that the instructor determines to include in the course.