Education Commons^™

The Community Of Philosophical Inquiry In Question: Examining The Role Of The Facilitator In Deliberative Discussion, Ashley G. Lucas, Andrea Milligan, Sondra Bacharach

Democracy and Education

This article examines the democratic hopes for the community of philosophical inquiry (CPI), a mode of deliberative discussion, when social justice is both the topic and the goal of discussion. It shares insights from a CPI that was used as an intersubjective research method (Golding, 2015) to enable the authors to interrogate their assumptions about "teaching for social justice." The "bake sale" was a recurrent metaphor employed by the group to reject thin conceptions and pedagogical practices of social justice. However, the inquiry became blocked at a level of externalized analysis and arguably perpetuated injustice. This article uses the productive …

Multicultural And Social Justice Training In Doctoral Counseling Programs: A Phenomenological Study, Alexander Hilert, Natoya Haskins, Shuhui Fan, Charles Smith, Leila Warraich, David Gosling

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Multicultural and social justice are central values of the counseling profession. However, it is unclear how doctoral training advances counselor education students' multicultural and social justice competence and what deficits might exist. The researchers addressed this gap by conducting a phenomenological study of multicultural and social justice training experiences with ten doctoral counselor education students. The researchers identified three themes: limited multicultural integration, methods of compensation, and experiencing growth. The researchers also identified subthemes that explained how doctoral students prepared themselves to be multicultural and social justice competent through self-study, collaborative learning, and role-taking experiences despite often perceiving gaps in …

What Covid-19 Taught Us About Pedagogy And Social Justice—Pandemic Or Not, Brandi Lawless, Yea-Wen Chen

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

The COVID-19 pandemic (in conjunction with the Black Lives Matter Movement) exposed pervasive inequities, challenges, and opportunities to explore and implement “best” pedagogical practices to improve how we address social justice issues. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic intensified intergenerational gaps for the already vulnerable, under-resourced, and marginalized in our society. In response, we propose four “best practices” to embrace in our classrooms. These are: (a) fostering flexibility to bridge equity gaps; (b) rethinking the pedagogical panopticon; (c) emphasizing listening to and affirming students’ struggles; and (d) employing student-centered accountability. The authors detail some specific inequalities that were brought to the surface …

The Trauma-Informed Equity-Minded Asset-Based Model (Team): The Six R’S For Social Justice-Oriented Educators, Srividya Ramasubramanian, Emily Riewestahl, Shelby Landmark

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This paper describes the Trauma-informed Equity-minded Asset-based Model (TEAM) framework for social justice-oriented educators. We draw on trauma-informed approaches to illustrate how systemic racism as systemic trauma and normative whiteness as dominant ideology are embedded in the U.S education and media institutions. From an equity-minded perspective, we critique notions such as egalitarianism, colorblind racism, neoliberal multiculturalism, and abstract liberalism. Using an asset-based model, we urge educators to avoid deficit ideologies to frame marginalized communities. The TEAM approach offers the following “Six R’s” as strategies: (1) Realizing that dominant ideologies are embedded in educational systems, (2) Recognizing the long-term effects of …

Do Media Literacies Approach Equity And Justice?, Paul Mihailidis, Srividya Ramasubramanian, Melissa Tully, Bobbie Foster, Emily Riewestahl, Patrick Johnson, Sydney Angove

Journal of Media Literacy Education

It is often assumed that media literacy serves to protect and uphold democratic practice and that media literate citizens are the best safeguards for democracy. However, little attention is paid to defining this practice and its relationship to ongoing inequities within democratic societies. In this essay, we argue media literacy operates from three core assumptions; media literacy creates knowledgeable individuals, empowers communities, and encourages democratic participation. The first assumption draws out an individual’s skills and critical thinking in media literacy practices. The second assumption focuses on the community aspect of media literacy, specifically which communities are best served by media …

A Qualitative Follow Up Of The Maguire Fellows Program, A. William Place, Kevin Clapano, Robert H. Palestini

Journal of Catholic Education

This qualitative follow up sought the impressions of students after a two year program. The analysis of this data involved grounded theory qualitative methods. The primary means of data collection for the qualitative portion of this study was through digitally-recording and transcribing of participants’ voices in response to individual interview prompts. Seven themes emerged from the first interviews which included 1). Perceptions of leadership, 2). Changing perceptions the Jesuit ideas Magis/cura personalis, 3). Changing perceptions of social justice, 4). Perceptions of Motivation or desire to lead, 5). Catholic identification, 6). Theory to practice, and 7). Suggested changes to the program. …

Endeavoring A Critical And Thoughtful Response During And Beyond Covid-19: Community-Based Justice Work In A Catholic University, Qianhui Tian, Shanita Bigelow, Thomas Noel Jr., Joseph Gardner, Rebecca Michel

Journal of Catholic Education

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting quarantines around the globe have required social justice educators to respond to the unprecedented challenges and the needs of the communities they serve more than ever before. This article explores how educators in a Catholic University conducted community-based justice work in response to the challenges of the pandemic by integrating educators’ solidarity with faith and social justice commitments. We introduce the Lift as You Climb (Lift) project as one example of our approach with Catholic value of promoting human rights and common good. We offer reflections on challenges and successes of community-based programming, considerations of …

Reflections On A Pedagogical Shift: A Public Speaking For Social Justice Model, Angela L. Putman

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

While the basic content of the public speaking course has changed little, the method and manner in which these skills are taught can, and should, reflect the dynamic socio-political contexts in which we live and teach. This reflection essay addresses a struggle to keep the public speaking course relevant, innovative, and practical while also incorporating necessary learning outcomes. As a potential solution, I introduce a Public Speaking for Social Justice Model for the introductory course. The model requires that students thoroughly examine a timely social justice issue; situate themselves and their classmates within the issue while featuring marginalized voices and …

Introduction To The Special Issue: The Challenges And Opportunities Of Including The Lgbtq Community In Catholic Education, Karen Huchting, Emily Fisher

Journal of Catholic Education

This special issue is dedicated to disseminating recent research about the opportunities and challenges of including the LGBTQ community in Catholic education. The relationship between Catholic educational institutions and people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) can be complicated. As Catholic organizations, Catholic schools are governed by the rules of the church, and as educational institutions, Catholic schools must be responsive to the needs of students, families, and communities, as well as to changes in the larger sociopolitical landscape. LGBTQ people, whether students, parents, teachers, or administrators, exist in Catholic educational institutions, yet there has been a …

Teaching Social Justice: Intergenerational Service-Learning In Digital Media Course, Margaret O. Finucane, Linda M. Seiter, Nathan C. Gehlert

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Digital media play an increasingly dominant role in reinforcing and challenging power inequality in social and institutional relationships. This paper describes how a service-learning component engaged students in community-based interactions that not only deepened their understanding of course content but also increased their commitment to diversity, community issues, and personal development. A close look at three case studies shows that integrating service learning into a first year seminar on digital media and social justice had positive outcomes for students when intentionally paired with community partners offering course-related projects.

English Classrooms And Curricular Justice For The Recognition Of Lgbt Individuals: What Can Teachers Do?, Jane Pearce, Wendy Cumming-Potvin

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Discrimination against LGBT[1] individuals remains widespread across Australia. Since schools continue to promote regimes of heterosexuality and cis-normativity, teachers have a crucial role in creating contexts in which LGBT young people feel accepted and safe. Drawing on North’s (2006) work on social justice and Connell’s (2012) discussion of curricular justice, this article explores opportunities and constraints experienced by a group of English secondary teachers attempting to practise in socially just ways. Results indicate that through the English curriculum, it is possible for teachers to find moments to achieve social justice for LGBT individuals.

[1] In reference to lesbian, gay, …

Brotherhood, Social Justice, And Persistent Deficit Ideologies: Latino Students’ Experiences In An All-Male Catholic High School, Ursula S. Aldana

Journal of Catholic Education

Declining Catholic school enrollment rates coupled with increasing numbers of Latino Catholics (in the US) have prompted Catholic leaders to interrogate how they can best engage and meet the needs of the Latino community (Ospino, 2014; Notre Dame Task Force, 2009). Much of this work focuses on how Catholic schools can attract Latino students and their families, but does not situate the Latino Catholic school student experience within the historical, economic and sociopolitical context. This paper interrogates the history and experiences of Latino students at Divinity High School (pseudonym), an all male Catholic high school that has historically served a …

Pushing The Boundaries: What Youth Organizers At Boston's Hyde Square Task Force Have To Teach Us About Civic Engagement, Meredith L. Mira

Democracy and Education

Across the United States, researchers and youth workers alike have identified an increasing number of civically engaged youth who are organizing to improve their communities and schools. By taking an action-oriented approach, these youth are speaking back to the notion that they are uninvolved in society. This interview-based study explores the meaning-making experiences of youth organizers at Boston’s Hyde Square Task Force (HSTF) to better understand how they engage. Findings suggest that HSTF is engaging two broad groups of youth by focusing on both their personal development and their sense of community awareness. The study introduces an organizing model of …