Social Justice, Minor

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Program Overview

Undergraduate students from across the university have the opportunity to pursue a minor in social justice that prepares them to address local, national and global inequities. An interdisciplinary and flexible approach allows students majoring in the humanities or in STEM fields to address a wide range of crucial issues. The curriculum emphasizes the history, theory and practice of social justice work. It examines the distribution of power, resources and opportunities, and appropriate individual and collective remedies for social injustice. 

Social Justice Institute

The Social Justice Institute strives to create a just world. We examine the root causes of social injustice and develop innovative solutions by supporting creative research, scholarship, and pedagogy; social justice leaders on and off campus; and relationships within the university and into the community. We work to eradicate all systems of oppression by redistributing and expanding resources and opportunities while exalting human dignity.

We believe in:

• action
• community involvement
• education
• empathetic relationships
• equity
• human dignity
• inclusiveness
• intergenerational collaboration

The Social Justice Institute believes that university communities should be educators and leaders in advancing an inclusive and just society that raises awareness of social injustice; enhances moral courage; promotes critical thinking about power, privilege and equity; and encourages action and equitable solutions. 

Undergraduate Policies

For undergraduate policies and procedures, please review the Undergraduate Academics section of the General Bulletin.

Director

Lecturer

Leadership Team CWRU Faculty

Leadership Team Community Advisors

Leadership Team CWRU Staff

Leadership Team Student Representative

Program Requirements

The social justice minor is open to all undergraduate students. The minor requires a total of 15 credit hours, including the required core course SJUS 100.  In addition to the required course, students must take one course from each Focus Area below, plus one additional elective from any Focus Area.  

The courses listed below are accepted toward the minor. Approved electives are added every year.

Focus Area 1: Ethics, Politics and Economics

Are existing arrangements just? To what extent are current thought systems amenable to change? What are the preferred alternatives and how can they be realized?

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Focus Area 1 Courses:
HSTY 245	History of Capitalism	3
HSTY 343/443	Racial Capitalism	3
HSTY 393/493/ETHS 393/AFST 393	Advanced Readings in the History of Race	3
PHIL 319/419/LAWS 5746	Philosophy of State Violence: War, Colonization, Punishment, and Immigration	3
PHIL 325/425/WGST 325	Philosophy of Feminism	3
PHIL 334/434/POSC 354/454	Political and Social Philosophy	3
PHIL 384/484/POSC 384/484	Ethics and Public Policy	3

Focus Area 2: Social Inequality, Power and Privilege

What is a fair distribution of resources? How do cultural practices, social relations, social structures and institutions reproduce, reduce or eliminate inequalities? What are the consequences of social inequality for the health, development and well-being of individuals and communities? How are distributions and uses of power connected to social inequalities?

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Focus Area 2 Courses:
HSTY 208	Social History of Crime	3
HSTY 257	Immigrants in America	3
HSTY 259/ETHS 252B	Introduction to Latina/o Studies	3
HSTY/AFST/ETHS 260	U.S. Slavery and Emancipation	3
HSTY/WGST/ETHS/AFST 318	History of Black Women in the U.S.	3
HSTY 363/463/WGST 363	Gender and Sexuality in America	3
MPHP 101	Introduction to Public Health	3
MPHP 306/406	History and Philosophy of Public Health	3
POSC 389/489/AFST 389	Special Topics in American Politics and Policy	3
SOCI/WGST 201/ENGL 270/HSTY/PHIL/RLGN 270	Introduction to Gender Studies	3
SOCI/AFST 202	Race and Ethnic Minorities in The United States	3
SOCI/WGST 326	Gender, Inequality, and Globalization	3
SOCI 349/449	Social Inequality	3
SOCI/AFST 366	Racial Inequality and Mass Imprisonment in the US	3
SOCI 386/486/AFST 386	Race and Racism	3
SPAN 342/442/ETHS 342/WGST 342	Latin American Feminist Voices	3
		3

Focus Area 3: Social Movements and Social Change

What are competing models of social change? What role have social movements played in U.S. and global history? How do social movements form? How have states responded to social movements? What is the relationship between democracy and social movements? How have different technological innovations advanced or impeded social movements? What knowledge and skills are necessary to implement social change?

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Focus Area 3 Courses:
HSTY 268	American Rebellion	3
HSTY/ETHS 280	History of Modern Mexico	3
POSC 322/422	Political Movements and Political Participation	3
POSC 346/446/WGST 346	Women, Power, and Politics	3
POSC 360/460	Revolts and Revolutions in Global Perspective	3
SASS 369	Social Networking and Community Organizing in the 21st Century	3
SOCI 328/428/AFST 328	Capitalism, Cities, and Inequality	3
SOCI 380	Social Movements and Social Change	3
SPAN 315/415	Latin American Cultural Conflicts	3

Social Justice (SJUS)