SSJ20050 Social Justice Movements: Global and Local

Academic Year 2018/2019

Across the globe, people stand together in struggles to create a better world. Social justice movements refer to forms of collective action that seek to challenge oppression and transform society. The overall objective of this module is to provide students with a theoretically informed understanding of these movements, and historical and contemporary attempts to achieve social change.

Case studies of particular social justice movements are interspersed with an examination of some important cross-cutting issues. Examples of social movements covered may include anti-capitalist, feminist, and civil rights movements, as well as more recent social movements such as the Arab Spring, Black Lives Matter, Occupy and the Climate Justice movement. Examples of cross-cutting issues addressed include the role of the media, the relationship of the movement to the state and mainstream politics, and the explosion of digital activism in recent years. We will explore the forms of oppression, inequality and injustice that motivate each movement, as well as the strategies deployed in order to achieve change. We will consider the often revolutionary ideas developed within each movement, the potential for these ideas to bring about a new social order.

We encourage you to search for other Social Justice (SSJ) modules which include options relating to Equality Studies and Gender Studies. Graduates who have completed at least 15 credits of undergraduate electives by choosing SSJ modules will have this noted on their UCD transcripts as the completion of Structured Electives in Social Justice.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of the module, students should:
1. Have developed a theoretically-informed and conceptually grounded understanding of social justice movements, and be able to demonstrate knowledge of the current academic and political debates in the field
2. Be able to apply their knowledge and understanding to develop arguments and critical perspectives on the dynamics of social justice movements and the challenges they confront locally and globally
3. Be in a position to identify and deploy appropriate frameworks of analysis to particular cases, and to evaluate the outcomes of various movements
4. Be able to communicate their knowledge and understanding of the key issues, in clear and accessible formats suitable for scholarly, professional and citizen audiences
5. Have the learning skills and critical awareness of important issues necessary to undertake further studies in the field

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24

Specified Learning Activities

24

Autonomous Student Learning

52

Total

100

 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

No prior learning is required.



Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
Personal Rights and the Law (LAW37480)

Equivalents:
Social Justice Movements (EQUL20050)

 
Description % of Final Grade Timing
Project: Group and individual components

70

Throughout the Trimester
Multiple Choice Questionnaire: In-term assessment

30

Unspecified

Compensation

This module is not passable by compensation

Resit Opportunities

In-semester assessment

Remediation

If you fail this module, you may avail of a resit opportunity. This will be offered during the following semester and will take the form of the submission of written work. Details of the assessment will normally be provided on Blackboard. The deadline for submission will normally be no earlier than week 8 of the semester and no later than week 10. If you are in any doubt about the details, please contact the School office