SUST 310 - Environmental and Social Justice

Credit Hours: 3
Lecture Hours: 3
Laboratory (or Other) Hours: 0

General Education Code(s): 23DV

Prerequisite(s): ENGL 100
Restriction(s): None

Corequisite(s): None

This course introduces theories of social justice with special attention to environmental justice and issues relevant to the study of sustainability. Students will survey a variety of perspectives and cases pertaining to forms of privilege and oppression, including but not limited to racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, ageism, and economic oppression as well as resistance efforts to those forms. With that foundation, the course will then focus at greater length and in greater depth on the question of environmental justice.

Student Learning Outcomes of the Course: The General Education requirement for Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, & Social Justice is satisfied by SUST 310. To meet this General Education requirement, students will be able to:

describe the historical and contemporary societal factors that shape the development of individual and group identity involving race, class, and gender;
analyze the role that complex networks of social structures and systems play in the creation and perpetuation of the dynamics of power, privilege, oppression, and opportunity; and
apply the principles of rights, access, equity, and autonomous participation to past, current, or future social justice action.

Course-specific SLOs:

Explain common perspectives on aspects of social and environmental justice
Critique public policies and organizational practices for their contributions to social and environmental justice and injustice
Investigate a case of environmental injustice and design a response