Religion 12: Social Justice

Fall 2014
Ms Trainor

Welcome

It is very exciting to be taking a course that looks at many critical and
complex issues facing our community, our nation, and our world today. A
democratic country, like Canada, values differences in its society and creating a
caring and fair community. The pursuit of social justice is an important
responsibility for all of us and throughout this course you will all be encouraged
to develop a commitment and ability to work toward a more just society. This
course builds on motivating you to think and act ethically and to empower you to
see that you have a role and the ability in effecting positive change in the world.

The activities and coursework will help raise your awareness of social
injustice, encourage you to analyze situations from a social justice perspective,
and provide you with knowledge, skills, and an ethical framework to advocate
for a socially just world. In particular, there will be an emphasis on ACTION,
providing you with opportunities to examine your values, examine models of
social change, and engage in your own initiatives to effect social change.

There are numerous governmental and non-governmental agencies here
in Whitehorse and in the Yukon who work in various areas of social justice. You
will have the opportunity to meet individuals from these various agencies and
learn about programs and strategies used to bring about positive change. With
the help of these individuals, other guest speakers, and supplementary resources
such as the Internet, newspapers, books, magazines, films and music, you will
succeed in meeting the goals for the Social Justice 12 course as listed below:

Students will:
-acquire knowledge in order to recognize and understand the causes of injustice
-apply critical thinking and ethical reasoning skills to a variety of social justice
issues
-develop an understanding of what it means to act in a socially just manner
-learn to become responsible agents of change, making positive contributions to
a socially just world
The course can be broken down into the following three areas (although not
necessarily presented in this order):

1. What is Social Justice? Defining Social Justice

-terminology of social justice (ex: as equity, diversity, human rights, oppression,
peace, prejudice, power...)
-how we learn ethics and values/analysis of values and beliefs
-diverse perspectives and ways of knowing/understanding role of media in SJ
issues
-social justice attributes and values (ex: recognizing injustice, questions and
promoting discussion, diversity, empathy, taking action...)
-research, critical thinking and ethical reasoning skills
-personal definition of social justice

2. Why is there Social Injustice? Recognizing and Analyzing SJ

-examples of marginalized and oppressed groups (ex: age, race, religion.... in
historical, modern, Canadian and global context)
-causes of social injustice (ex: fear, distribution of resources, insecurity, conflict,
power...)
-consequences of social injustice (ex: poverty, war, discrimination, inequity....)
-case studies of social injustice in Canada (current and historical)
-legislation, public policy, government action (ex: Charter of Rights and
Freedoms, Universal Declaration of Human Rights...)
-globalization and globalism (fair trade, IMF....)
-role models of social justice (history, case studies)

3. How can I/we do something about it? Toward a Socially Just World

-envisioning a socially just world
-philosophies, methods, examples of addressing social injustice
-proposing solutions to cases of injustice
-social justice project/action plan (real needs, knowledge and values learned,
application to future situations)
-awareness campaign
-hands-on activities (sandwiches, soup, excursions, Food Bank, conferences,
volunteering)
-opportunities for lifelong participation in social justice (careers, volunteerism...)


** We will also look at SJ current events each day and there is flexibility in the
course for you to bring topics or issues that may interest the class.

COURSE ASSESSMENT

Assessment will be based on observations, discussions, written and oral
responses, quizzes, tests, journal entries, personal reflections, awareness
campaign, action plan, projects and presentations, research, self-assessment and
other assignments.

DEFINING SOCIAL JUSTICE 20%
RECOGNIZING AND ANALYZING SOCIAL JUSTICE 40%
MOVING TOWARD A SOCIALLY JUST WORLD 30%
(group action, awareness campaign, excursion, personal action plan)
PERSONAL SELF-ASSESSMENT 10%


STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

Take your notes, assignments and readings home. Take the time to digest.
Get your news and information from a variety of sources.
Keep your eyes, ears, mind and heart open regarding social injustices
Rent movies that deal with social justice issues
Talk to family members, fellow students, teachers, friends, community
members about social justice issues in our community and throughout the
world; broaden your knowledge and perspectives on complex issues.
Ask questions. Get involved. Take a stand.

REGARDING ASSIGNMENTS
Remember:
Keep on top of your work. If you have a justified absence, you are
expected to complete work missed and must submit your work as soon
as you return. If youre not sure what youve missed, COME AND SEE ME!
Designate a HOMEWORK BUDDY from the class to get work you missed.
Arrangements for make-up tests should be made IMMEDIATELY upon
your return to class. Should you be absent from school for an extended
period of time (vacation, field trip, sport camp, festival) let me know
AHEAD OF TIME (more than 1 day please) so that we may discuss/plan
for this absence.
You will be given opportunities to resubmit, redo, add and develop your
assignments in order to improve your understanding and demonstration
of learning outcomes. DO THIS.
File your assignments, projects, journal entries in a portfolio

This is going to be great.