410.619.79
Social Justice: Policy, Practice, and Research

Location
Internet
Term
Summer Institute
Department
Health, Behavior and Society
Credit(s)
4
Academic Year
2025 - 2026
Instruction Method
Synchronous Online
Class Time(s)
M, Tu, W, Th, F, 1:30 - 4:50pm
Auditors Allowed
Yes, with instructor consent
Available to Undergraduate
No
Grading Restriction
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Course Instructor(s)
Lauren Parker
Course Instructor(s)
Keilah Jacques
Contact Name
Lauren Parker
Frequency Schedule
Every Year
Prerequisite
Description
Social justice, what’s your function? Come prepared to learn the role of social justice in research, policy, and practice. Through service learning this course provides the opportunity to learn and apply social justice frameworks for public health.
Introduces students to social justice frameworks and operational definitions to apply to research, policy, and practice. Challenges students to address societal and structural forms of oppression across systems in efforts to center cultural values and practices when implementing public health policies or programs.
Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
  1. Identify basic social justice theories, concepts, and models
  2. Describe social justice frameworks and how these frameworks are used in policy, practice, and research
  3. Develop critical reflection for social justice practice in research design
  4. Collaborate with a community- based organization (CBO) as an equal partner in evaluating how social justice influences institutional or organizational policies and practices
Methods of Assessment
This course is evaluated as follows:
  • 10% Participation
  • 10% Twitter On-Line Chat (2)
  • 15% Advocacy Brief
  • 30% Three reflective discussions, in response to writing prompts (3)
  • 35% Final Project: 10%- CBO feedback which will be 10%- The final presentation 15%- The Final paper
Instructor Consent
No consent required
Special Comments

This course is a virtual, service-learning, course. Students will meet with a community-based organization (CBO) virtually to complete a service-learning project, identified by the CBO. Students will use class and outside-of-class time to work virtually with the CBO. For the Twitter Online Chat Assessment, students have the option to complete two Twitter-related article reviews instead.