Social Justice

Alexa Dare, Ph.D., communication studies, director

The social justice minor is open to all students from any major or school at the University. The social justice minor instills in students an intellectual foundation and practical experience to live in ways that promote social integrity, economic prosperity and defense of human rights for all.

The service dimension of learning at this university is expressed in a unique and effective way within the social justice minor. It challenges students to place their personal development and career choices into an ethical worldview within an interdisciplinary context.

The program includes courses in its curriculum from disciplines such as business, communication, education, English, history, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, social work, and theology

Learning Outcomes for Social Justice Minors

Social justice graduates at the University of Portland should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate a broad understanding of the theories and concepts of social justice and social justice traditions.
    1. Identify and explain central concepts of social justice, including the Catholic social justice tradition.
    2. Identify and explain historical roots of social justice and injustice.
  2. Articulate an understanding of social justice from a variety of perspectives including religious, psychological, sociological, historical, cultural, political, economic, and organizational.
    1. Identify and explain a variety of different disciplines' perspectives on social justice.
    2. Demonstrate an understanding of the social justice implications of issues in various disciplines.
  3. Demonstrate leadership.
    1. Set goals for their contribution in a community learning experience.
    2. Reflect on praxis, integrating theory and their practice in a community learning experience.
    3. Reflect on their contribution in a community learning experience in terms of different attributes of leadership.

Capstone Experience

Students pursuing the social justice minor will participate in SW 460, Local and Global Social Justice Practice. This course requires all participants to engage in a community learning experience. Students are also required to write a final paper in which they engage in academic reflection and analysis on the connection between their community learning experience and various conceptions of social justice, including, but not limited to, the Catholic Church’s social justice tradition. Students are required to publicly present their papers.

Minor Requirements - 18 credit hours

Required Courses - 6 credit hours

POL 302Perspectives on Social Justice

3

SW 460Local and Global Social Justice Practice

3

Upper Division Electives - 12 credit hours

At least 3-credit hours must be from a discipline other than POL or SW.

Select four courses from the following:

BUS 487Social Entrepreneurship

3

CST 327Argumentation and Advocacy

3

CST 370Environmental Organizing and Advocacy

3

CST 411Communication Across Barriers

3

CST 416Communication and Conflict

3

CST 431Intercultural Communication and Identity

3

CST 432Gender and International Development

3

CST 433Critical Perspectives on Work, Labor, and Organizing

3

CST 435Advanced Visual Persuasion

3

ECN 424Income Inequality

3

ED 320Sociocultural Foundations of Education

3

ENG 360Literature and Social Change

3

ENG 371City Life in American Literature

3

ENG 372Multi-Ethnic American Literature

3

ENG 373African-American Literature

3

ENG 404Seminar in Non-Western Literature I

3

ENV 349Environmental Policy

3

HST 316US in Depression and War, 1920-1945

3

HST 321Modern American Women's History

3

HST 322American Protest and Reform

3

HST 323African American History

3

HST 343Europe in the Age of Dictatorship

3

HST 346Modern Germany

3

HST 357Environmental History of the Americas and the World

3

HST 358Disease and Medicine in World History

3

PHL 313Socio-Political Philosophy

3

PHL 314Philosophy and Feminism

3

PHL 324Environmental Ethics

3

PHL 336Metaphysics: Native American Philosophy

3

PHL 371Ancient Philosophy

3

PHL 374Hegel and 19th Century Philosophy

3

PHL 410Education and Politics

3

PHL 412Philosophy of Law

3

POL 319Politics and Identity

3

POL 321Politics of Hip Hop

3

POL 335American Public Policy

3

POL 351International Law in Theory and Practice

3

POL 371Politics of Central Europe

3

POL 376Politics of Africa

3

POL 377Politics of the Middle East

3

POL 378Muslims and Islam in Europe and the U.S.

3

POL 462Globalization and its Discontents

3

POL 470Global Migration and Displacement

3

POL 471Global Advocacy and Activism

3

PSY 351Health Psychology

3

PSY 450Cross Cultural Psychology

3

PSY 463/SOC 463Children, Youth, and Society

3

SOC 333Social Class and Inequality

3

SOC 336Race and Racism in the United States

3

SOC 339Sociology of the Family

3

SPN 450Advanced Latin American Culture and Civilization

3

SW 313Social Welfare Policy

3

SW 325/SOC 325Power, Oppression, and Critical Consciousness

3

SW 456Environmental Social Work

3

SW 468/SOC 468/SPN 468Comparative Health and Social Issues in Ecuador

3

THE 302/THE 402Poets, Prophets, Divas, and Diviners

3

THE 323/THE 423Christian Social Ethics

3

THE 329/THE 429Theological Bioethics

3