Foundations of Social Justice
Edward P. Antonio
Office Location: BEC 208
E-mail:
eantonio@iliff.edu
Tel: 303-765-3163
Consultation is by appointment only.
Time: Tue 1-4:30pm
Room:
TBA
Course Description
Social Justice and Ethics is an interdisciplinary course which draws from theology, ethics, philosophy, the social sciences, and from the humanities. The course introduces students to theories, methods, issues and theologies of Social Justice and Ethics Studies in relation to a) the social and moral teachings of different religions of the world, and b) concrete issues such as peace-building, war, violence, social, political, economic, and criminal justice. Additionally, students will study various forms of oppression, power, ideology, corruption, environmental degradation, racism, sexism, homophobia, as well as aspects of international development, public policy processes, and the role of social change movements.
ADA Statement
If you have concerns about accommodations as stipulated in the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact your assigned adviser to initiate the process of requesting accommodations. You can contact your adviser through The Advising Center at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303.765.1146.
Use of Laptops
Please make sure that your cell or mobile phones are switched off when in class. In the past students have tended to check email, play games and shop online while in class. This is unacceptable.
Course Objectives
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To help students critically engage the substantive proposals of social justice ethics by carefully examining both their content, tasks, and methods and their relationship to Christian thought in the contemporary world
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To explore particular issues in the study and practice of social justice and ethics
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To equip students to become effective professionals in their chosen area of Social Justice and Ethics
Required Texts
Books
- Nicholas Wolterstorff, Justice: Rights and Wrongs. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University, Press, 2008.
- Michael Walsh and Brian Davies, (eds.) Proclaiming Justice and Peace: Papal Documents from Rerum Novarum through Centinmus Annus. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2001.
- Loretta Capeheart and Dragan Milovanovic, Social Justice: Theories, Issues, and Movements. Rutgers University Press, 2007.
- Goran Therborn, The Killing Fields of Inequality. Polity Press, 2013.
- Danny Dorling, Injustice: Why Social Inequality Still Persists. Revised Edition. Policy Press, 2015.
- Donatella Della Porta and Mario Diani, Social Movements: An Introduction (2nd edition). Wiley-Blackwell, 2006.
Articles
- Ronald Paul Hill, Thomas Ainscough, Todd Shank, and Daryl Manullang. ‘Corporate Social Responsibility and Socially Responsible Investing: A Global Perspective .’ Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 70, No. 2 (Jan., 2007), pp. 165-174.
- Ronald S. Burt, Corporate Philanthropy as a Cooptive Relation.’ Social Forces, Vol. 62, No. 2 (Dec., 1983), pp. 419-449 URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2578315
- Joshua D. Margolis and James P. Walsh, ‘ Misery Loves Companies: Rethinking Social Initiatives by Business.’ Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 48, No. 2 (Jun., 2003), pp. 268-305.
- Susan Dicklitch and Heather Rice, ‘The Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and Faith-Based NGO Aid to Africa.’ Development in Practice, Vol. 14, No. 5 (Aug., 2004), pp. 660-672. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4029894
- Kamal Malhotra, ‘NGOs without Aid: Beyond the Global Soup Kitchen.’ Third World Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 4, NGO Futures: Beyond Aid (Aug., 2000), pp.655-668. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3993371
- Ira Silver, ‘Buying an Activist Identity: Reproducing Class through Social Movement Philanthropy.’ Sociological Perspectives, Vol. 41, No. 2 (1998), pp. 303-321. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1389479
- Charles R. Beitz, ‘Cosmopolitanism and Global Justice.’ The Journal of Ethics, Vol. 9, No. 1/2, Current Debates in Global Justice (2005), pp.11-27. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25115813
- Omar Dahbour, ‘Three Models of Global Community.’ The Journal of Ethics, Vol. 9, No. 1/2, Current Debates in Global Justice (2005), pp.201-224. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25115821
- Martin W. Lewis, ‘Global Ignorance.’ Geographical Review, Vol. 90, No. 4 (Oct., 2000), pp. 603-628. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3250786
- Luis Cabrera, ‘The Cosmopolitan Imperative: Global Justice through Accountable Integration.’ The Journal of Ethics, Vol. 9, No. 1/2, Current Debates in Global Justice (2005), pp.171-199. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25115820
- Thomas D. Beamish and Amy J. Luebbers, ‘Alliance Building across Social Movements: Bridging Difference in a Peace and Justice Coalition.’ Social Problems, Vol. 56, No. 4 (November 2009), pp. 647-676. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/sp.2009.56.4.647
- Michele Micheletti and Dietlind Stolle ‘Mobilizing Consumers to Take Responsibility for Global Social Justice.’ Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 611, The Politics of Consumption/The Consumption of Politics (2007), pp. 157-175. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25097915
Internet Resources
The Policy Project
Care Action
Course Requirements
- Attendance at all classes
- Complete three assignments
- Select one public policy issue such as healthcare, capital punishment, the environment, etc and post it to Canvas with a short description of the issue and your reasons for choosing it
- You are required to do all the assigned weekly readings which will serve as the basis for class discussion
- Active participation in class, including participation in group discussion
Class Format
Each member of the class will be required to make a presentation to class on a topic chosen from one of the class readings. I will guide the discussion, answer questions and expound on obscure points or points of concern to students.
Assignments
- There are three assignments for this course. The first consists of five page essay in which you provide a brief analysis of two theories of justice derived from class readings: one ‘secular’ and one theological. This assignment is due on October 11, 2016.
- The second assignment is double spaced 5 page essay in which you critically engage a social justice issue covered in the course content but different from the one chosen for your third assignment (see below). The paper is due on Nov 10, 2016.
- The third assignment is a class presentation on a public policy issue of your choice. It is best to select the issue at the start of the course and to reflect on it throughout the quarter. Class presentations on Public Policy will take place on October 25 and November 1, 2016. Further instructions will be given in class and will subsequently be posted onto a Public Policy Issues Forum on Canvas.
Grading and Incompletes
This class cannot be taken on a pass/fail basis.
You are reminded that plagiarism is an offense for which you will be severely penalized. It is your responsibility to consult the Masters Student Handbook for a definition of plagiarism and other instances of academic dishonesty.
The grade is structured as follows:
- Class Participation 15%
- Class Presentation 15%
- First Assignment 30
- Final Assignment 40%
I will not entertain incompletes except in cases of a demonstrated medical or other emergence. Lack of proper planning on your part does not count as an emergence.
Quality Class Participation Defined
Class Participation is not:
- Attending class. Your mere physical presence does not constitute participation. Not coming to class, however, ensures no credit for participation.
- Saying "something". Simple responses to questions, or expressing incorrect, inaccurate, or uninformed opinion does not count for quality participation.
- Quantity of input. Too much participation has two possible negative consequences: the probability of your saying something incorrect, inappropriate, or irrelevant tends to increase sharply the more you hold the floor, and your monopoly of discussion time might prevent a less forthcoming individual from articulating a potentially important perspective. Very simply, you can over participate.
Quality Class Participation is:
- Input that maintains the continuity and coherence of the class discussion. This disallows off-the-wall comments.
- Input that was picked up and responded to by others in the class. Thus, a controversial, yet intelligent question or comment that reflects an understanding of the issue at hand will be well regarded.
- Input that demonstrates an in-depth analysis of the issue at hand, well supported by data or a relevant conceptual framework.
- Input that makes connections between material and ideas in different parts of the class or between this and other classes.
- Input that provides an example from your own observations or experience of the subject at hand.
- Active participation in group or team activities in class.
Finally, civility in the give and take of a heated discussion is a requirement. Discussion questions in class will be designed to provoke disagreement, and there typically exists more than one viable approach to resolving the problems presented in any context.
These comments are intended to give you a general sense of what I am looking for in class discussions. These comments are not intended to be an exhaustive checklist of the precise and only criteria I will use. I will also post on Canvas additional information about how to participate in class discussion effectively.
- Respect your fellow students at all times
- Always wait your turn to speak and do not monopolize the floor
- Allow others who may be less forthcoming to make their contribution before you return to the floor
- Be respectful towards your professor
- Disagree without being disagreeable