Getting Started: Core Concepts for Social Justice Education

QUADRANT 4 CYCLE OF LIBERATION—DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1 Empowerment of Self

• What actions can I take to empower myself to work for social justice?

Introspect, educate yourself, and raise your consciousness of an issue

• How can I become more self-aware and educate myself?

Get inspiration and authenticity

• How can I feel more inspired to take action?

Dismantle your own privilege and internalized isms to realize a problem

• What kind of information do I need to develop a more complete understanding of the causes of social
injustice?

Asking questions to others on how they see issues and dismantling how we see the world

Building Community

• What actions can I take to work more closely with people “like” me (i.e., people with similar social
identities) in order to bring about social justice?

Maybe finding people in my college to see if they have similar views on the issue

• What actions can I take to work more closely with people “different” from me (i.e., people with
different social identities) in order to bring about social justice?

Maybe ask different majors or people I know who are in the work force as well as people with
distinct difference of my social diversities

• How can I build coalitions?

Setting up fundraisers and deciding on how to use funds ie. Lobbying

Transforming Institutional Policies and Practices

• What actions can I take, individually and with others, to (1) challenge and transform institutions, and
(2) influence policy, in order to bring about social justice?

Personally I could email and call my senators or simply volunteer to help others

• What can I do individually?

Deconstruct my own internalized isms and break down assumptions

• What can I do with my peers?

• What can I do with my co-workers?

• What can I do on campus and in student life?

• What can I do in the local community?

Notes 1 Zúñiga, X., & Cytron-Walker, A. (2003). EDUC 395Z: Exploring differences and common ground
intergroup dialogue curriculum. Social Justice Education, University of Massachusetts Amherst.