Minor in Social Justice

Mission Statement	Why a Social Justice Minor?
Curriculum	Introductory Course
Approved Courses	Capstone Course
Pre-Approved Sequences	Contacts
Social Justice Curriculum Committee (New Course Submissions)	Participating Departments

The interdisciplinary Social Justice Minor is the product of a collaborative effort initiated by members of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh community during the fall and winter of 2001. (See our Mission Statement.)

The Social Justice Minor gives students an opportunity to develop a secondary field of knowledge and expertise that will enable them to:

Critically examine the values that constitute social justice in theory and practice,
Understand the principles of effective social activism, and
Formulate and evaluate policies that seek to address issues such as racism, violence, literacy, human rights, gender equity, poverty, hunger, and conservation of the environment.

This will benefit students who seek a career in any aspect of public service, including government, law, medicine, social work, non-profit organizations, advocacy work, clergy, medicine, and education as well as those students who wish to engage themselves in the important issues and ideas surrounding social justice. Students in any major who are interested in devoting some of their energy to organizations that further the goals of social justice will find this minor a solid foundation for a lifetime of community activism.

The Social Justice minor offers students the opportunity to choose one of the prepared sequences of courses listed below, or to construct, with the advice and consent of his/her Social Justice advisor, a unique program of study that addresses the specific aspects of social justice that concerns them the most; the theme title may be the same as one of the prepared sequences or it may be new. Elective courses are arranged into four categories: Political Economy. Ethical and Cultural Foundations, Social Problems and Policies, and Capstone (practical Applications). The minor provides a sold foundation for citizen activists in any career, as well as those seeking professional work in any aspect of public service. Independently-created sequences must be approved by the student’s Social Justice advisor, who will list the courses on a “Request for Modification of Undergraduate Curriculum” form, sign it, and pass it on for signature to the Coordinator of the Social Justice Minor. This may be done on a single form if the program is already determined or on a succession of forms if necessary. This process is not necessary if the student follows one of the prepared sequences.

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Curriculum:

The Social Justice Minor consists of 21 credits, which include an entry-level classroom experience, a capstone experience, and 15 credits of elective course work. Within that structure, the Social Justice Minor offers students an opportunity to choose one of the prepared sequences of courses listed below, or, with the advice and consent of a Social Justice faculty advisor, to construct a program of study that addresses the specific aspects of Social Justice that concern them most. They will choose their electives from a variety of courses which have been grouped into three major constituent areas:

The capstone course will be chosen from a fourth group, Practical Applications/Independent Study.

Considerations for Completion of a Social Justice Minor:

Students must earn a grade of C in each course included in the minor. Courses included in the Social Justice Minor may also be used to satisfy general education requirements or individual departments' major and minor requirements. At least 12 credits taken to fulfill the minor's requirements must be upper division (numbered 300 and above). A maximum of 9 credits may count for both this minor and any other major or minor program. There is no limit to the number of social justice courses that may be used by Social Justice Minors to fulfill general education requirements.

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Introductory Course: 3 credits.

The following courses are accepted for introductory courses into the minor:

Introduction to Social Justice SJ 101
Introduction to African American Studies AAS 100
Introduction to Women's Studies WS 201
Ethical Issues in a Diverse Society Philo 205
Social Work Ethics in a Diverse Society SW 105/WS 105
Environmental Ethics RS 162/ES 162

Or the student can discuss with the social justice advisor the possibility of other classes which could be used as an inroductory course.

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Elective Courses: 15 credits

Students can either choose a pre-approved sequence (see on website) or develop an individualized course of study in conjunction with their advisor. All faculty who teach in the minor can serve as an advisor in the minor or the student can work directly with the coordinator of the minor to act as his/her advisor. Prospective Social Justice faculty will submit their syllabi for review and approval for the minor by the Social Justice Curriculum committee. Approved courses will be added to the list of courses serving the minor.

Students will be urged to begin working toward the Social Justice minor as soon as possible during their college careers. If a student creates an individualized course of study, they will write a Social Justice minor proposal which will include a statement explaining the overall theme(s) of his/her minor as well as a list of courses that will comprise it, annotated with a rationale explaining why each course was selected and how it contributes to the minor. Generally, students will select 15 credits of elective courses from lists of approved courses in the three areas: 1. Political Economy, 2. Ethical and Cultural Foundations, and 3. Social Problems and Policies. There are no specific distribution requirements. In addition to the capstone course, 3 credits of Practical Applications/Individual Study courses may be included as an elective. The advisor will encourage students to include courses from each category of the list and from a range of disciplines. Courses from off the list may be selected if a compelling written argument is presented and accepted by the advisor. Alternatively, the student can pick a pre-approved sequence which includes: 1. Prejudice and Discrimination, 2. Poverty, 3. Environment and Social Justice, 4. Human Rights, and 5. Social Activism. The courses that are listed under these sequences are all approved as electives for these sequences.

When these steps have been completed, the faculty member serving as Coordinator for the minor will start a file for the student and the student can officially declare a Social Justice minor.

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Capstone Course: 3 credits.

The capstone experience will be chosen from a variety of upper division action research, service learning, honors thesis, and seminar courses, such as Interdisciplinary Studies 366, Service Learning Independent Study; Interdisciplinary Studies 399, L&S Career Internship; Interdisciplinary Studies 446, Independent Study; or their disciplinary counterparts. Social Work majors may use 3 credits of their Applied Generalist Practice (field) to meet requirements of the Capstone Course. Social Justice students' projects in this course would focus on a Social Justice issue and would require the approval of their Faculty Mentors. A maximum of six hours of courses from the Practical Applications category are admissible in the minor, INCLUDING the capstone course.

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Pre-Approved Sequences:

OPTION 1: Prejudice and Discrimination

Introduction: Choose one of the following:
- Social Justice 101: Introduction to Social Justice (3)
- African American Studies 100: Introduction to African American Studies (3)
- Women’s Studies 201: Introduction to Women’s Studies (3)
- Philosophy 205: Ethical Issues in a Diverse Society (3)
Capstone: Interdisciplinary Studies 366: Service Learning Independent Study (3)
Electives:Choose five of the following:
- *Anthropology/Women’s Studies 344: Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective (3)
- Anthropology 232: Cultural Anthropology (3)
- Communication 318: Intercultural Communication (3)
- *Communication/Women’s Studies 347: Race, Class, and Gender in American Film (3)
- Criminal Justice 331: Women & Crime (3)
- Criminal Justice 333: Illegal Bias in the Criminal Justice System (3)
- Criminal Justice 353/553: Convict Criminology (3)
- *Elem./Second. Education 353: Hmong Language, Culture, & Learning (3)
- *English/Women’s Studies 391:Gay and Lesbian Literature: Optional Content (3)
- Political Science 304: Race and Ethnicity in U.S. Politics (3)
- Political Science 303: Women and Politics (3)
- Political Science 374: Genocide and Human Rights (3)
- *Political Science/Women’s Studies 330: Discrimination and Legal Remedies (3)
- Philosophy 205: Ethical Issues in a Diverse Society (3)
- Psychology 271: Cross-Cultural Psychology (3)
- *Psychology/Women’s Studies 338: Adult Development and Aging (3)
- History 396: America in the Sixties (3)
- Social Work 331: Social Stratification (3)
- Social Work 371: Child and Family Welfare (3)
- Social Work 375: Treatment and Mistreatment of Offenders (3)
- Sociology 359: Minority Groups (3)
- Sociology 368: Sociology of Gender (3)
- Women's Studies 201: Intro. to Women's Studies (if not used as an intro. course)
- Women’s Studies 350: Women, Race, and Class (3)
- Capstone: Approved Independent Study

OPTION 2: Poverty

Introduction: Choose one of the following:
- Social Justice 101: Introduction to Social Justice (3)
- Anthropology 122: World Ethnography (3)
- African American Studies 100: Introduction to African American Studies (3)
- Women's Studies 201: Introdcution to Women's Studies (3)
- Philosophy 205: Ethical Issues in a Diverse Society (3)
Capstone: Interdisciplinary 366: Service Learning Independent Study (3)
Electives: Choose five of the following:
- Anthropology 348: Economy, Nature, and Culture (3)
- *Anthropology/Environmental Studies 380: Globalization (3)
- Criminal Justice 331: Women & Crime (3)
- Criminal Justice 353/553: Convict Criminology (3)
- Economics 206: Principles of Economics I (Micro) (3)
- Economics 207: Principles of Economics II (Macro) (3)
- Economics 307: Discrimination, Gender, and the Economy (3)
- Political Science 330: Discrimination and Legal Remedies (3)
- Religious Studies 356: Religion and Liberation Ethics (3)
- Social Work 333: Poverty (3)
- Sociology 331: Social Stratification (3)
- Women’s Studies 350: Women, Race, and Class (3)
- Capstone: Approved Independent Study

OPTION 3: Environment and Social Justice

Introduction: Choose one of the following:
- Social Justice 101: Introduction to Social Justice (3)
- TBIS 188: Earth Charter (3)
- Environmental Studies 101: Seminar on Environmental Issues (3)
- Religious Studies/Environmental Studies 162: Environmental Ethics (3)
- Philosophy 205: Ethical Issues in a Diverse Society (3)
Capstone: Choose one of the following:
- Interdisciplinary Studies 366: Service Learning Independent Study (3, graded)
- Environmental Studies 300: Internship in Environmental Studies (3)
- Environmental Studies 375: Ecosocial Activism (3) -pending approval
Electives: Choose five of the following:
- Anthropology 348: Economy, Nature, and Culture (3)
- *Anthropology/Environmental Studies 380: Globalization (3)
- Economics 319: Economics of Less Developed Countries (3)
- Economics 360: Environmental Economics and Policy (3)
- *Environmental Studies/Religious Studies 162: Environmental Ethics (3)
- *Environmental Studies/Political Science/Sociology 261:
  - Environment and Society (3)
- Environmental Studies 282: Environment, Community, and Values (3)
- Health Education 315: Environmental Health (3)
- International Studies 205: Contemporary International Issues (3)
- Political Science 395: Global Environmental Politics (3)
- Religious Studies 362: Religion and Earth Ethics (3)
- *Women’s Studies/Environmental Studies 365: Gender and Nature (3)
- Capstone: Approved Independent Study

OPTION 4: Human Rights

Introduction: Choose one of the following:
- Social Justice 101: Introduction to Social Justice (3)
- African American Studies 100: Introduction to African American Studies (3)
- Women's Studies 201: Introdcution to Women's Studies (3)
- Philosophy 205: Ethical Issues in a Diverse Society (3)
Capstone: Choose one of the following:
- Interdisciplinary 366, Service Learning Independent Study (3), or Independent Study related to human rights and the law, with consent of advisor
Electives: Choose five of the following:
- Anthropology 338: Anthropology of Law and Politics (3)
- Communication 338: Freedom of Speech in the United States (3)
- Criminal Justice 218: Adjudication Process in Criminal Justice (3)
- Criminal Justice 319: Criminal Courts: Proof of Guilt (3)
- Criminal Justice 331: Women & Crime (3)
- Criminal Justice 333: Illegal Bias in the Criminal Justice System (3)
- Criminal Justice 353/553: Convict Criminology (3)
- *Economics/Women’s Studies 307: Discrimination, Gender, and the Economy (3)
- Philosophy 325: Social and Political Philosophy (3)
- Philosophy 345, Philosophy of Law (3)
- Political Science 326: Politics of Development (3)
- Political Science 374: Genocide and Human Rights (3)
- *Political Science/Women’s Studies 302: Civil Liberties in the United States (3)
- *Political Science/Women’s Studies 330: Discrimination and Legal Remedies (3)
- Social Work 375: Treatment and Mistreatment of Offenders (3)
- Sociology 355: Social Control (3)
- Sociology 368: Sociology of Gender (3)
- Sociology 373: Sociology of Law (3)
- Women Studies 316: Gender, Discourse & Power (3)
- *Women’s Studies/Human Services 353: Domestic Violence (3)
- Capstone: Approved Independent Study

OPTION 5: Social Activism

Introduction: Choose one of the following:
- Social Justice 101: Introduction to Social Justice (3)
- African American Studies 100: Introduction to African American Studies (3)
- Women's Studies 201: Introdcution to Women's Studies (3)
- Philosophy 205: Ethical Issues in a Diverse Society (3)
Capstone: Interdisciplinary Studies 366: Service Learning Independent Study (3, graded)
Electives: Choose five of the following:
- Communication 318: Intercultural Communication (3)
- Communication 319: Persuasion (3)
- Environmental Studies 375: Ecosocial Advocacy (3)
- History 350: Modern Eastern Europe (3)
- History 396: America in the Sixties (3)
- International Studies 308: Revolution and Development (3)
- International Studies 315: Perspectives in the Nuclear Age (3)
- Journalism 341: Press and Society (3)
- Philosophy 301: History of Ancient Philosophy (3)
- Philosophy 311: Bioethics (3)
- Philosophy 329: Contemporary Ethical Issues (3)
- Political Science 302: Civil Liberties in the United States (3)
- Political Science 303: Women and Politics (3)
- Political Science 325: US Political Thought (3)
- Political Science 326: Politics of Development
- Political Science 330: Discrimination and Legal Remedies (3)
- Political Science 355: Modern Political Thought (3)
- Political Science 374: Genocide and Human Rights (3)
- Religious Studies 240: Islam (3)
- Religious Studies 362, Religion and Earth Ethics (3)
- Religious Studies 380: Terrorism and Religious Violence (3)
- Social Work 333: Poverty (3)
- Sociology 307: Propaganda and Public Opinion (3)
- Sociology 368: Sociology of Gender (3)
- *Women’s Studies/ Economics 307: Discrimination, Gender, and the Economy
- Women's Studies 316: Gender, Discourse & Power (3)
- Capstone: Approved Independent Study

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For Questions and Comments Contact: Donna Altepeter

Updated November 14, 2008