Social Justice Studies
Overview
The Social Justice Studies program will afford students the opportunity to develop a professional and scholarly approach from which to understand and continue to celebrate the professional, academic, and scholarly contributions of historically and contemporary marginalized human groups. Consequently, students will develop and expand their appreciation for the contributions of marginalized populations in the US and globally.
This Social Justice Studies program is designed to indelibly foster a diverse student body that is culturally competent with diverse insight, skills, and training to work effectively and compassionately alongside both diverse and marginalized human groups, increasing inclusion and equity in an increasingly diverse society.
Program Maps
AA-T/AS-T Transfer Degrees
- Social Justice Studies: Race and Ethnicity AA-T Degree - California State University GE Breadth Map
- Social Justice Studies: Race and Ethnicity AA-T Degree - Race & Ethnicity-IGETC GE Breadth Map
- Social Justice Studies: Women, Gender and LGBTQ Studies AA-T Degree - California State University GE Breadth Map
- Social Justice Studies: Women, Gender and LGBTQ Studies AA-T Degree - IGETC GE Breadth Map
- Dean Emilie Mitchell
- Dept Chair Anastasia Panagakos
- Career and Academic Community Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Phone (916) 691-7656
- Email mitchee@crc.losrios.edu
Associate Degrees for Transfer
A.A.-T. in Social Justice Studies: Race and Ethnicity
Social Justice Studies is an interdisciplinary and diverse field that gives voice to historically marginalized peoples and their perspectives by challenging systems of injustice and valuing diversity. Social justice exists when people are not discriminated against, or denied access to opportunities, economic resources, or privileges based on their gender, sexuality, religion, age, race, belief, disability, location, social class, economic circumstances, political affiliation, or other characteristics of background or group membership. Social Justice Studies explores the connections between the ideals of justice and the realities of injustice while finding practical solutions to bridge the two. This program seeks to educate students on progressive social change, reflect on the dynamics of power and knowledge, and promote multiple approaches to social justice issues while encouraging students to be informed and active citizens.
The Associate in Arts in Social Justice Studies: Race and Ethnicity for Transfer (AA-T) degree provides a path for students wishing to transfer into various CSU majors related to race and ethnicity, such as Ethnic Studies, Chicano Studies, or African American Studies. This Transfer Model Curriculum is an “Area of Emphasis” (AOE), which allows students to transfer into more than one CSU major related to Race and Ethnicity. Students interested in transferring to a CSU campus to pursue a bachelor’s degree in an Area of Emphasis should meet with a counselor to confirm the courses required for lower division preparation in the major. This degree exposes students to the core principles and practices of the Social Justice Studies field in order to build a foundation for their future personal, academic, activist, or vocational paths.
The degree may be obtained by the completion of 60 transferable, semester units with a minimum 2.0 GPA, including (a) the major or area of emphasis described in the Required Program outlined below (earning a C or better in these courses) and (b) either the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education Breadth Requirements.
Catalog Date: August 1, 2024
Degree Requirements
| Course Code | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| SJS 300 | Introduction to Social Justice Studies | 3 |
| SJS 310 | Introduction to LGBTQ Studies | 3 |
| SOC 341 | Sex and Gender in the U.S. | 3 |
| A minimum of 9 units from the following: | 91 | |
| Select three courses from at least two of the following areas | ||
| Area 1: History and Government | ||
| HIST 320 | History of the United States: African-American Emphasis (3) | |
| HIST 321 | History of the United States: African-American Emphasis (3) | |
| HIST 344 | Survey of California History: A Multicultural Perspective (3) | |
| HIST 360 | History of African Civilizations (3) | |
| HIST 364 | Asian Civilization (3) | |
| HIST 365 | Asian Civilization (3) | |
| HIST 373 | History of Mexico (3) | |
| HIST 380 | History of the Middle East (3) | |
| POLS 312 | Politics of the Middle East (3) | |
| POLS 313 | Latin America (3) | |
| POLS 315 | Pacific Rim (3) | |
| POLS 317 | Global Studies: Africa (3) | |
| POLS 318 | Global Studies: Central Asia (3) | |
| POLS 319 | Global Studies: Southeast Asia (3) | |
| Area 2: Arts and Humanities | ||
| ARTH 324 | Art of the Americas (3) | |
| ARTH 325 | Native American Art History (3) | |
| ARTH 328 | Survey of African Art (3) | |
| ARTH 332 | Asian Art (3) | |
| ENGLT 330 | African American Literature (3) | |
| ENGLT 335 | Latino, Mexican-American, and Chicano Literature (3) | |
| ENGLT 336 | Race and Ethnicity in Contemporary American Literature (3) | |
| ENGLT 343 | Contemporary Regional World Literature (3) | |
| HUM 320 | Asian Humanities (3) | |
| HUM 331 | Latin American Humanities (3) | |
| HUM 332 | American Humanities (3) | |
| HUM 339 | African American Humanities (3) | |
| Area 3: Social Science | ||
| ANTH 332 | Native Peoples of California (3) | |
| ANTH 334 | Native Peoples of North America (3) | |
| ETHNS 320 | Introduction to African American Studies (3) | |
| ETHNS 330 | Introduction to Asian American Studies (3) | |
| ETHNS 360 | Introduction to Chicana/o/x Studies (3) | |
| ETHNS 344 | The Latino Experience in America (3) | |
| JOUR 320 | Race and Gender in the Media (3) | |
| Area 4: Quantitative Reasoning and Research Methods | ||
| PSYC 330 | Introductory Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences (3) | |
| or STAT 300 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics (4) | |
| or STAT 480 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics - Honors (4) | |
| or ECON 310 | Statistics for Business and Economics (3) | |
| or SOC 302 | Introduction to Social Research Methods (3) | |
| Area 5: Major Preparation | ||
| HIST 308 | History of World Civilizations, 1500 to Present (3) | |
| PSYC 300 | General Principles (3) | |
| SOC 300 | Introductory Sociology (3) | |
| Total Units: | 18 | |
1:
The Associate in Arts in Social Justice Studies: Race and Ethnicity for Transfer (AA-T) degree may be obtained by completion of 60 transferable, semester units with a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0, including (a) a minimum grade of "C" (or "P") for each course in the major or area of emphasis described in the Required Program, and (b) either the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education-Breadth Requirements.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:
- PSLO #1: Research how theoretical perspectives and critical theories on social justice inform the social, political, economic, historical, and cultural circumstances surrounding justice as they relate to race and ethnicity as well as other intersectional aspects of life in society.
- PSLO #2: Define and analyze power and oppression and their interrelationship to privilege to better understand how they operate at the individual, cultural, and institutional levels.
- PSLO #3: Explain how intersectional formations of social identity reflect social conditions and various levels of power and privilege impact social justice at the individual, cultural, and institutional levels.
- PSLO #4: Recognize the historical origins, similarities, and differences in struggles for social justice among different ethnic and racial groups in the United States and globally.
- PSLO #5: Assess artistic works that examine oppression, power, and justice as they relate to race and ethnicity.
- PSLO #6: Investigate social justice advocacy and activism to learn how to become equitably accountable to one's individual and group sense of positionality and place in the world in pursuit of social justice.
Career Information
The AA-T degree provides students with a solid foundation in Social Justice Studies as well as prerequisites for upper division coursework leading to the baccalaureate degree in a variety of Areas of Emphasis. The degree gives students a pathway to possibilities, options, and baccalaureate degrees focusing on social justice. In addition, a student can use the AA-T in Social Justice Studies to get into a CSU and then complete a graduate degree in a related field. Students with degrees in this field often assume careers as (or in) the following: activists, community organizers, political campaigners, human rights groups, religious organizations, international agencies, lobbyists, and mediators. This program is also an excellent starting point for students interested in a career in law, law enforcement, social work, clinical psychology, or any social science, politics, business, education, or public policy.
A.A.-T. in Social Justice Studies: Women, Gender and LGBTQ Studies
Social Justice Studies is an interdisciplinary and diverse field that gives voice to historically marginalized peoples and their perspectives by challenging systems of injustice and valuing diversity. Social justice exists when people are not discriminated against, or denied access to opportunities, economic resources, or privileges based on their gender, sexuality, religion, age, race, belief, disability, location, social class, economic circumstances, political affiliation, or other characteristics of background or group membership. Social Justice Studies explores the connections between the ideals of justice and the realities of injustice while finding practical solutions to bridge the two. This program seeks to educate students on progressive social change, reflect on the dynamics of power and knowledge, and promote multiple approaches to social justice issues while encouraging students to be informed and active citizens.
The Associate in Arts in Social Justice Studies: Women, Gender, and LGBTQ Studies for Transfer (AA-T) degree provides a path for students wishing to transfer into various CSU majors related to Women, Gender, and LGBTQ Studies, such as Women’s Studies, Gender Studies, or Queer Studies. This Transfer Model Curriculum is an “Area of Emphasis” (AOE), which allows students to transfer into more than one CSU major related to Women, Gender, and LGBTQ Studies. Students interested in transferring to a CSU campus to pursue a bachelor’s degree in an Area of Emphasis should meet with a counselor to confirm the courses required for lower division preparation in the major. This degree exposes students to the core principles and practices of the Social Justice Studies field in order to build a foundation for their future personal, academic, activist, or vocational paths.
The degree may be obtained by the completion of 60 transferable, semester units with a minimum 2.0 GPA, including (a) the major or area of emphasis described in the Required Program outlined below (earning a C or better in these courses) and (b) either the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education Breadth Requirements.
Catalog Date: August 1, 2024
Degree Requirements
| Course Code | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| SJS 300 | Introduction to Social Justice Studies | 3 |
| SJS 310 | Introduction to LGBTQ Studies | 3 |
| SOC 341 | Sex and Gender in the U.S. | 3 |
| A minimum of 9 units from the following: | 9 | |
| Please select three courses from at least two areas below. | ||
| Area 1: History and Government | ||
| HIST 331 | Women in American History (3) | |
| Area 2: Arts and Humanities | ||
| ARTH 312 | Women in Art (3) | |
| ENGLT 360 | Women in Literature (3) | |
| ENGLT 365 | Introduction to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Literature (3) | |
| HUM 370 | Women and the Creative Imagination (3) | |
| Area 3: Social Science | ||
| ANTH 336 | Anthropology of Sex, Sexuality and Gender (3) | |
| PSYC 356 | Human Sexuality (3) | |
| Area 4: Quantitative Reasoning and Research Methods | ||
| PSYC 330 | Introductory Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences (3) | |
| or STAT 300 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics (4) | |
| or STAT 480 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics - Honors (4) | |
| or ECON 310 | Statistics for Business and Economics (3) | |
| or SOC 302 | Introduction to Social Research Methods (3) | |
| Area 5: Major Preparation | ||
| HIST 308 | History of World Civilizations, 1500 to Present (3) | |
| PSYC 300 | General Principles (3) | |
| SOC 300 | Introductory Sociology (3) | |
| Total Units: | 18 | |
The Associate in Arts in Social Justice Studies: Women, Gender and LGBTQ Studies for Transfer (AA-T) degree may be obtained by completion of 60 transferable, semester units with a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0, including (a) a minimum grade of "C" (or "P") for each course in the major or area of emphasis described in the Required Program, and (b) either the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education-Breadth Requirements.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:
- PSLO #1: Research how theoretical perspectives and critical theories on social justice inform the social, political, economic, historical, and cultural circumstances surrounding justice as they relate to gender and sexuality, as well as other intersectional aspects of life in society.
- PSLO #2: Define and analyze power and oppression and their interrelationship to privilege to better understand how they operate at the individual, cultural, and institutional levels.
- PSLO #3: Explain how intersectional formations of social identity reflect social conditions and various levels of power and privilege impact social justice at the individual, cultural, and institutional levels.
- PSLO #4: Recognize the historical origins, similarities, and differences in struggles for social justice among different groups in the United States and globally.
- PSLO #5: Assess artistic works and political achievements that expose oppression and injustice as they relate to women, gender, or the LGBTQ community.
- PSLO #6: Investigate social justice advocacy and activism to learn how to become equitably accountable to one's individual and group sense of positionality and place in the world in pursuit of social justice.
Career Information
The AA-T degree provides students with a solid foundation in Social Justice Studies as well as prerequisites for upper division coursework leading to the baccalaureate degree in a variety of Areas of Emphasis. The degree gives students a pathway to possibilities, options, and baccalaureate degrees focusing on social justice. In addition, a student can use the AA-T in Social Justice Studies to get into a CSU and then complete a graduate degree in a related field. Students with degrees in this field often assume careers as (or in) the following: activists, community organizers, political campaigners, human rights groups, religious organizations, international agencies, lobbyists, and mediators. This program is also an excellent starting point for students interested in a career in law, law enforcement, social work, clinical psychology, or any social science, politics, business, education, or public policy.
Social Justice Studies (SJS) Courses
SJS 299 Experimental Offering in Social Justice Studies
- Units:0.5 - 4
- Prerequisite:None.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This is the experimental courses description.
SJS 300 Introduction to Social Justice Studies
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b); AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area D; IGETC Area 4
- C-ID:C-ID SJS 110
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This interdisciplinary course introduces students to the theoretical and practical foundations of social justice and the social processes that create and resist oppression. It covers the sociology, history, and psychology of oppressions based upon race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, and other group identities in the United States and abroad and the corresponding social justice movements for liberation. It investigates how creating and undoing asymmetrical power relations are linked to social structures, institutional processes, and culture. Additionally, it provides a basis for a better understanding of socioeconomic, political, and cultural conditions of key social groups in the United States and globally. Topics include theoretical foundations of social justice and oppression, history and politics of group identity, culture and ideologies, forms of oppression, privilege, and forms of resistance. Field trips may be required.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- DEFINE THE FOUNDATIONAL THEORIES WITHIN SOCIAL JUSTICE STUDIES. (SLO 1)
- Critically evaluate the methodologies and ethics of social justice research including the role of bias. (Objective 1a)
- Identify and analyze the foundations of social justice studies in ethical theory.(Objective 1b)
- ASSESS THE STATUS, GROWTH, AND DIVERSITY OF MINORITY GROUPS IN THE UNITED STATES. (SLO 2)
- Explain the histories, experiences, and contributions of groups oppressed because of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality in the United States. (Objective 2a)
- Identify and analyze the role of culture in oppression and in empowerment, including art, film, literature, or music reflecting different groups. (Objective 2b)
- ANALYZE THE COMPLEX INTERSECTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN AND ACROSS RACE, ETHNICITY, SOCIOECONOMIC CLASS, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AND OTHER IDENTITIES. (SLO 3)
- Identify systematic forms of oppression and analyze the role of privilege and intersectionality for minority groups. (Objective 3a)
- Apply the operation of privilege, oppression, and power asymmetry to major institutions such as education, health care, the economy and the criminal justice system. (Objective 3b)
- IDENTIFY AND UNDERSTAND STRUGGLES OF SOCIAL JUSTICE, LIBERATION, AND DECOLONIZATION FOR RESISTING GROUPS GLOBALLY. (SLO 4)
- Compare social justice movements in the United States to those globally. (Objective 4a)
- Assess the importance of human rights efforts in promoting social justice around the world through non-governmental and grass roots organizations.(4b)
SJS 310 Introduction to LGBTQ Studies
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU; UC
- General Education:CSU Area D; IGETC Area 4
- C-ID:C-ID SJS 130
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This interdisciplinary course introduces students to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) studies. It explores how LGBTQ+ communities in the U.S. and abroad are impacted by various social, cultural, historical, and political factors that create and resist oppression. It investigates the politics of sexuality and sexual identities as they intersect with race, ethnicity, class, and gender. It evaluates how sexual and gender prejudices function alongside racism, sexism, and classicism. Additionally, it provides a historical understanding of how queer activism and resistance movements in the U.S. and globally have responded to oppression and violence against LGBTQ communities. This course also includes contemporary LGBTQ+ issues in family, education, religion, and the law.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- ANALYZE THE VARIOUS WAYS PEOPLE IDENTIFY THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND/OR THEIR GENDER IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION. (SLO 1)
- Examine sexual orientation and gender identity within Native American, African American, Latinx, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and recent immigrant communities in the United States and abroad. (Objective 1a)
- Assess theories about sexual orientation and gender identity and expression within the context of feminist theory, gender theory, and queer theory. (Objective 1b)
- EXPLORE THE INTERSECTIONS AND INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SYSTEMIC FORMS OF OPPRESSION AGAINST LGBTQ COMMUNITIES AND THEIR INTERSECTING IDENTITIES WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF LGBTQ POLITICAL STRUGGLES IN THE UNITED STATES AND GLOBALLY. (SLO 2)
- Assess the impact of hate crimes on LGBTQ individuals, the LGBTQ individuals, the community at large, and public policy. (Objective 2a)
- Identify key historical movements and describe its contribution to domestic and international LGBTQ struggles for full human rights. (Objective 2b)
- ASSESS THE CONTINUOUS EVOLUTION OF LEGAL POLICIES AND SOCIETAL VIEWS OF LGBTQ PEOPLE ON A GLOBAL LEVEL. (SLO 3)
- Research the history of public health policy in the United States as well as internationally to explore the ways that LGBTQ people have consistently suffered under policies structured by sexual and gendered prejudices. (Objective 3a)
- Explore the impact of our education system on the ability of LGBTQ individuals and communities to achieve social justice and equity. (Objective 3b)
- EXAMINE THE EVOLUTION OF LGBTQ CULTURE IN LITERATURE, THE MEDIA, AND THE ARTS. (SLO 4)
- Identify strategies LGBTQ artists use to draw the relationship between art and political resistance (Objective 4a).
SJS 320 Introduction to Disability Studies
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Advisory:ENGWR 300
- Transferable:CSU
- General Education:AA/AS Area V(b) (effective Fall 2024)
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This course introduces the diverse legal, institutional, ethical, and cultural issues relating to persons with disabilities in historic and modern contexts. Students will be introduced to the definitions and language of disability and the portrayal of disability in current American society, including an appreciation of the concepts of ableism, oppression, privilege, normalcy, disability culture, and accessibility. This course addresses the longstanding social oppression of the disability community and the intersection of disability with social factors including race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexual orientation. Activism and resistance movements, as well as ways to initiate social change, are integral to the course. This course is designed for all students, with or without disabilities, and is of interest to students in health care, law and social justice, design and accessibility, education, and social work.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF DISABILITY STUDIES. (SLO 1)
- Identify and discuss the prevailing models of disability.
- Evaluate current definitions and theories of disability.
- Understand disability as a socially-conferred status, not a fixed attribute of the individual.
- EVALUATE CURRENT SOCIAL VIEWS AND RESULTING TREATMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. (SLO 2)
- Identify how attitudes and beliefs about individuals with disabilities may impact personal and social views of disability.
- Identify and discuss some of the issues that influence individuals with specific disabilities.
- Examine the complex interplay of social, political, and economic forces as they relate to disability.
- Examine the impact of cultural values in conceptualizing individual differences.
- UNDERSTAND AND APPLY THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS OF PROVIDING EQUAL ACCESS TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. (SLO 3)
- Recognize how persons with disabilities may receive equal access to both public and private services.
- Recognize how persons with disabilities may receive equal access to the information, instructions and services of postsecondary educational institutions.
- Understand the longstanding social oppression of the disability community and consider ways to initiate social change.
SJS 499 Experimental Offering in Social Justice Studies
- Units:0.5 - 4
- Prerequisite:None.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2024
This is the experimental courses description.
Faculty
Programs and Majors
Check Out Degree Planner
If you're interested in a transfer degree (AA-T or AS-T), then check out Degree Planner, a tool that helps you complete your degree efficiently by mapping out what courses to take and when to take them.