Social Justice, Policy and Praxis module (CO20017)

You will learn how the interplay of policy, practice, and theory can help us become more socially just societies.

Community Educators need to be able to understand how these three strands relate. This includes how to use one to influence the others. This module will help you grapple with this task.

You will learn how theory informs practice. You will also learn how we can develop a more robust theory based on a better understanding of practice.

This module will enable you to unpick the relationships between policy, practice, and theory. You will do so while strengthening your community work skills.

What you will learn

In this module you will:

• deepen your understanding of social justice
• strengthen your ability to analyse politics and the implications of policy
• learn how to analyse Community Education practices. You will learn how they connect to social justice

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• show an understanding of local, national and international policy and practice in relation to social justice
• link social justice theories to professional practice in community education
• debate the strengths and weaknesses of professional approaches. From there, you will be able to attempt to achieve social justice outcomes

Assignments / assessment

2,000-word essay (100%)

• set in Week 1
• due in Week 14 

This module does not have a final exam.

Teaching methods / timetable

• lectures (one 2 hour session per week for one semester)
• seminars (three 1 hour sessions spread through the semester)

Typically, the programme of sessions looks like this:

1. Introduction to social justice, policy and praxis
2. Power, privilege, discrimination and intersectionality
3. Poverty
4. Political processes, democracy and activism
5. Social justice and young people
6. Theoretical perspectives on social justice
7. Gender analysis
8. Community arts
9. Review and assignment planning