(The Center Square) – Courses in Temple University’s new social justice minor present students with the concepts of Marxism and critical theory amongst others as one professor says he hopes the program will become “an incubator for better public policy.”
Starting in the fall 2024 semester, the university began offering a minor in social justice that is available to all undergraduate students.
According to a news release, students pursuing the social justice minor “will define what social justice is, gain tools for understanding public policy and its outcomes, earn a clearer understanding of how social justice is perpetuated, and explore theories of justice.”
“The social justice minor includes classes from nearly every undergraduate school and college at Temple,” the release said.
The new minor is offered through the university’s honors program
It “takes a holistic approach to [its] students’ academic experience and encourages not only intellectual pursuits, but community, leadership and social activism,” according to Temple’s website.
The program offers courses on gentrification, activism, corporate sustainability, ethical reasoning, AIDS and cultural competency and Marxism and critical race theory.
“Social justice and civic engagement service are things that Temple is known for, and now we have an academic program that’s going to highlight and bring together those areas into one place with one particular goal,” director of Temple Honors Program Amy Neuber said in the release.
“I’m hoping that the social justice minor can become an incubator for better public policy, with students applying what they learn in their classes to the problems and challenges around them,” professor of history and academic chair of the Temple Honors Program Bryant Simon said.
The Center Square reached out to Neuber and Simon for comment by email twice each, as well as to Temple’s director of communications Steve Orbenek and vice provost for undergraduate studies Daniel Berman, asking why Temple decided to offer the social justice minor and what the focus of the minor is. None responded.
