School of Public Policy 394EI - Social Justice in Practice

This discussion-based community-engaged course provides theoretical content and professional training on the impact of cultural differences - due to the intersectionality of age, gender, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, class, nationality, religion, occupation, and other factors - on access to legal services and resources, public policy protection, and, by extension, social justice. The course familiarizes students with strategies for cross-cultural communication, conflict resolution and organizational capacity building that center on cultural humility - essential knowledge and skills for future legal practitioners, policy makers, public service leaders, and community actors. Cultural humility is the "ability to maintain an interpersonal stance that is other-oriented (or open to the other) in relation to aspects of cultural identity that are most important to" the individual or group (Hook et al., 2013). Through a combination of readings, class activities, group discussions, and continuous reflection, students examine ways of applying cultural humility to law, policy, and practice with a view to securing the inclusion of and justice for people of all identities in an increasingly diversifying and globalizing society. This course has two major learning components: classroom learning and community service learning. Students will therefore reflect, throughout the semester, on the connections between course content and their internship sites. Satisfies the Integrative Experience requirement for Public Policy majors.

Instructor Consent Required. This course is part of the Law and Policy Justice Program on the UMass Amherst Mount Ida Campus in Newton. Please visit our website for additional information: https://www.umass.edu/mountidacampus/internships/internship-programs