91制片厂

91制片厂
Social Justice Studies Distinction

Social Justice Studies Courses

The Basics

To graduate with a Distinction in Social Justice Studies (SJS), students must successfully complete at least 3 SJS course sections in addition to the Social Transformation Capstone (CAP201). The SJS course schedule is carefully designed to allow students to complete the distinction alongside their chosen degree. Aside from CAP201, students are welcome to choose any SJS course sections that fit their interests and goals.

What to Expect

Each semester, a cluster of special Social Justice Studies course sections will be offered. These courses are specially designed to engage students and faculty in an ongoing dialogue about the meaning of social justice and in an exploration of compassionate, equitable, and inclusive practices and strategies for achieving more just societies. The content of these courses provides opportunities for students to explore how their individual identities, social contexts, and chosen disciplines situate them in relation to systems of power and privilege. Enrollment in these courses will also offer students an opportunity to form meaningful relationships with instructors and fellow students who share their desire to co-create a more just and sustainable future.

All 91制片厂 students are encouraged to enroll in Social Justice Studies course sections and to participate in SJS programming at 91制片厂. Social Justice Studies course sections will be designated in the course schedule by an 鈥�SJ鈥� course section notation and a specialized title. Example: 鈥�ENG101-SJ1: Composition I/Social Justice.鈥�

First Year Seminar & Capstone

The Social Transformation Seminar (FYS) is an opportunity for incoming 91制片厂 students to explore the role that college education plays in the process of social transformation and an introduction to faculty, curriculum, and alumni associated with our social transformation distinctions (Social Justice Studies, Global Studies, and Sustainability Studies). Credits earned in this Social Transformation FYS count towards the credit requirements for each of the above-listed distinctions.

The Social Transformation Capstone (CAP201) must be successfully completed in order to earn the SJS Graduate Distinction. You are eligible to enroll in CAP201 once you have completed at least two other Social Justice Studies (SJS) course sections (see below).

Fall 2026 SJS Courses

The following course sections are being offered in Spring 2027. Courses that also fulfill the World Cultures and Diversity requirement and also count towards earning the Global Studies Distinction are listed with a "+".

First Year Seminar & Capstone

  • Instructor: LaVonya Williams (lwilliam@harpercollege.edu) 
  • Banner Title: FYS-006: First Year Seminar/Social Transformation 
  • Modality (PoT): Face-to-Face
  • Meeting Time: Tuesday/Thursday 11am-12:15pm
  • Credits: 3 
  • Theme: explores the role of college education in the process of personal and social transformation and engage with curriculum, faculty, and alumni from our social transformation distinctions (Global Scholars, Social Justice Studies, and Sustainability Studies).
  • Instructor: Eric Bohman (ebohman@harpercollege.edu)
  • Banner Title: CAP201-001: Social Transformation Capstone (2 Credit) or CAP201-002: Social Transformation Capstone (3 credit)
  • Modality (PoT): Blended/Flex (16 weeks)
  • Meeting Time: Wednesday 4:45pm-5:45pm
  • Credits: 2 (no service/experiential learning component) or3 (includes service/experiential learning component)
  • Theme: Focuses on developing project design and management skills for the purposes of analyzing global movements and/or addressing social justice problems and solutions. Special emphasis will be given to interdisciplinary questions, methods, and applications related to information literacy, intercultural communication and collaboration, critical thinking, and civic engagement. Students will have the opportunity to reflect on their personal, professional and academic journeys with the goal of applying acquired knowledge toward fostering justice-oriented social transformation.

    Prerequisites: students must complete at least two SJS course sections to enroll in the capstone course. For special exceptions, contact program coordinator (socialjustice@harpercollege.edu).

    [Students must complete CAP201 to earn the SJS Distinction.]
    [CAP201 will also be offered every Fall and Spring semester.]

Communications

  • Instructor: Ashley Palmer (pa07949@harpercollege.edu)
  • Banner Title: ENG101-5SJ: Composition I/Soc Justice & ENG095-5SJ: Support for ENG 101 (ENG101-SJS: Composition I/Soc Justice) 
  • Modality (PoT): Face-to-Face (16 Weeks)
  • Meeting Time: Monday/Wednesday 11am-12:15pm  (Support: Tuesday 11am-11:50am) 
  • Credits: 3 + 1
  • Theme: In this course we will explore how the rhetoric of "human rights" has been used throughout history . Ultimately, we will think critically about how individual and collective world views about human rights translate to action. This course uses a variety of news, social, political and academic texts as well as fiction and nonfiction narratives. We will also be viewing media such as images, videos, gifs, memes, and documentaries from a diverse intersection of identities. Topics such as family, community, politics, justice, etc. will emerge.  

    [English 101 will be every Fall, with occasional offerings in Spring.]
  • Instructor: Andre Berchiolly (aberchio@harpercollege.edu) 
  • Banner Title: ENG102-SJW: Composition II/Soc Justice 
  • Modality (PoT): Online Asynchronous (16 Weeks)
  • Meeting Time: n/a
  • Credits: 3
  • Theme: In a world increasingly shaped by technology, artificial intelligence, and social change, what does it mean to be human, and who gets to decide? 

     

    This course examines how literature and media explore the intersections of empathy, identity, and justice in both human and non-human worlds. Through close reading, analysis, and research, students will consider how storytelling exposes systems of oppression and imagines possibilities for liberation. 
     

    From the mechanical children of Brian Aldiss鈥檚 Super-Toys Last All Summer Long to the synthetic life and moral decay in Philip K. Dick鈥檚 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, we will explore how narratives about technology reflect real-world issues of race, class, ability, environment, and inequality. Writing will serve as a tool for inquiry and advocacy as students analyze how power operates and how authors and readers can resist dehumanization in all its forms.



     [ENG102 will be offered every Spring.]
  • Instructor: Ranjani Murali (rmurali@harpercollege.edu) 
  • Banner Title: ENG102-SJW: Composition II/Soc Justice 
  • Modality (PoT): Face-to-Face (16 Weeks)
  • Meeting Time: Tuesday/Thursday 11am-12:15pm
  • Credits: 3
  • Theme: In this ENG 102 section, we will explore oral narratives, cultural artifacts, and multimedia that dig deeper into Indigenous history in the U.S., including topics such as boarding schools and land treaties, particularly those related to Illinois. Students will be encouraged to explore how the language used by those with and in power was wielded to uproot and disenfranchise Indigenous communities and perpetrate a system of inequity. For their ENG 102 research project, students will be asked to explore ideas, solutions, and restorative justice practices that are used within, by, and for Indigenous communities for healing. Students will also be asked to discuss how non-Indigenous communities and individuals may engage constructively in dialogue on topics such as land reparations/ land back and restitution.  

    [ENG102 will be offered every Spring.]

Physical & Life Sciences

  • Instructor: Virginia Turner (vturner@harpercollege.edu)
  • Banner Title: BIO103-SJB: Humans/Environment/Soc Justice
  • Modality (PoT): Blended (16 weeks)
  • Meeting Time: Thursday 9:30am-10:45am  
  • Credits: 3
  • Theme: How do social justice and environmental justice intersect? How have past actions shaped our environment and use of natural resources, and how are current actions shaping our future? Can we, as members of this planet, equitably utilize the available resources? In this course, meant for non-science majors, students will learn the fundamentals of environmental science, the history of the environmental movement, and about those instrumental in shaping environmental policies, both globally and in the United States. Bring your perspectives and join us as we explore and discuss these globally critical issues while expanding our worldview as it relates to our environment.
  • Instructor: Virginia Mchugh-Kurtz (vmchughk@harpercollege.edu) 
  • Banner Title: BIO120-SJ1: Plants/Society/Soc Justice
  • Modality (PoT): Face-to-Face (16 weeks)
  • Meeting Time: Tuesday/Thursday 11am-12:15pm (Lecture) and 12:30-1:45pm (Lab)  
  • Credits: 4
  • Theme: This section of Biology 120: Plants & Society - Social Justice Studies focuses on the form and function of plants, their diversity, and the economic and environmental impacts of plants in our everyday lives and in society. The theme of this SJS course will be Cannabis and Society. Students will explore the botanical nature, history, environmental impact, public policy, and social disparities of Cannabis. A main component of the course will be focusing on the 鈥淲ar on Drugs,鈥� decriminalization of Cannabis, policy reform, and racial justice. BIO 120 fulfills the life science lab requirement.
  • Instructor: Joseph Wachter (Jwachter@harpercollege.edu)
  • Banner Title: CHM103-XSJ: Chem Connection/Soc Justice
  • Modality (PoT): Flex (16 weeks)
  • Meeting Time: Monday/Wednesday 2pm-4:45pm (Lab 鈥� Wednesday only)
  • Credits: 4
  • Theme: Did you know that the Ancient Greek root of 鈥減harmacy,鈥� pharmakon (蠁维蟻渭伪魏慰谓), means both medicine and poison? In this lab science course, meant for non-science majors, students will explore the social nature of chemistry by asking questions like:

    What is the difference between medicine and poison?
    Can chemicals be good? Bad? Neutral?
    Who gets to decide?
    Who has access to good chemicals? Bad ones?
    Who is punished or rewarded for using certain chemicals?

    Exploring these questions will take students on a tour of the chemical world, from the environmental chemistry of plastic waste, water quality, and climate change to the chemistry of drugs, medicines, poisons, and explosives, while also learning the fundamentals of chemistry in a lab-focused setting.

Humanities & Fine Arts

  • Instructor: Michael Bentley (mbentley@harpercollege.edu)
  • Banner Title: HUM108-WSJ: Introduction to Black and Latin茅 Studies/Social Justice 
  • Modality (PoT): Online Asynchronous (Final 13 weeks)
  • Meeting Time: n/a
  • Credits: 3
  • Theme: in this section of HUM108, we will explore the rich worlds of Black & Latin茅 cultural and political identity as unique expression of human desires for freedom and authenticity. Along the way, we will analyze the personal narratives and creative works of 20th century Black and Latin茅 artists, authors, athletes, actors, musicians and public figures who exemplify the struggle toward self-definition and social transformation. Meanwhile, we will consider the processes through which our own cultural and political identities are co-created through complex relationships between peoples, histories, movements, and migrations.  
  • Instructor: Michael Bentley (mbentley@harpercollege.edu)
  • Banner Title: HUM110-SJW: Women & Creativity/Soc Justice
  • Modality (PoT): Online Asynchronous (16 weeks)
  • Meeting Time: n/a
  • Credits: 3
  • Theme: In this asynchronous section of HUM 110 we will explore how activist art and autobiography have been used as powerful tools for representing and reshaping our world. We will study the life, work, and ideas of intersectional feminist and womanist artist-activists who have actively sought to re-envision the relationship between their womanhood and their world. In the process, you will explore how your own identity and experience influence your assumptions and expectations about the role of art and artists in today's world. Finally, you will have an opportunity to experiment with the creative power of telling your own story. IAI HF 907D.
  • Instructor: Andre Berchiolly (aberchio@harpercollege.edu)
  • Banner Title: LIT112-SJW: Lit & Film/Soc Justice
  • Modality (PoT): Online Asynchronous (16 weeks)
  • Meeting Time: N/A
  • Credits: 3
  • Theme: In this course we will explore the historical and cultural context of film adaptations over time and in relation to social justice. This course will allow the opportunity to engage with original texts and ideas (the spirit of the text) and the context of representation relating to contemporary, modern, and post-modern adaptations. We will also look into social media responses (public discourse) relating to representation in film adaptation. We will explore such questions as: how are different aspects of society and culture represented in literature and film; how do culture and society influence adaptation; how, where, and when do you see yourself represented in media; and how do dominant and non-dominant cultures use.
  • Instructor: Sadie Hochman-Ruiz (hs24908@harpercollege.edu)
  • Banner Title: MUS110-SJW鈥� Amer Music: HipHop/Soc Justice
  • Modality (PoT): Flex Learning (16 weeks)
  • Meeting Time: Wednesday 1pm-3:20pm 
  • Credits: 3
  • Theme: In MUS110, students will examine racial justice and intersectionality through the lens of hip-hop. The course will guide students in placing hip-hop within the history of African American musical expression and unearth its roots in musical practice. Students follow the evolution of hip-hop practice as a guide to examine the history of African American people in the post-Civil Rights Era. This course combines theory with practice. For their final assignments, students will have the opportunity to write a research paper and to create original beats in the music department鈥檚 electronic music studio.
  • Instructor: Rebecca Scott (rscott1@harpercollege.edu) 
  • Banner Title: PHI101-SJ1: Critical Thinking/Soc Justice 
  • Modality (PoT): Face-to-Face (16 weeks)
  • Meeting Time: Monday/Wednesday, 11am-12:15pm 
  • Theme: in this course, we will explore a range of philosophical principles and problems of philosophy as seen in different schools of thought, particularly as they relate to the theme of justice. Inspired by abolitionist calls for a radical reimagining of political possibility, we will explore our own conceptions of justice by engaging in a creative, collaborative world-building project. Throughout the semester, we will work together as a class to reimagine what justice might look like through the creation of a fictional world that represents our own conceptions of justice. Specific topics will be based on student interest but may include things such as religious belief, education and knowledge, the ontology of race and gender, (dis)ability, human choice and accountability, love and marriage practices, the value of art, and more. IAI H4 900.   

    [PHI105 will be offered every Fall. PHI101 will be offered in Spring.]

  • Instructor: Kaveh Aenehzodaee
  • Banner Title: PHI120-SJ1: Soc/Political Phi/Soc Justice
  • Modality (PoT): Face-to-Face (16 weeks)
  • Meeting Time: Monday/Wednesday 12:30pm-1:45pm 
  • Credits: 3
  • Theme: Political philosophy investigates a constellation of questions: what does justice demand? How should our social and political institutions be arranged? What, if anything, legitimizes the state? And how should we respond to deep political disagreements? Answering these questions involves generating distant visions of well-ordered societies and ideal public life. But crucially it also involves formulating concrete guidance for shifting the status quo鈥攆or dismantling persistent forms of injustice which have shaped our existing social world, including racial and gender injustice and the continuing legacy of colonialism. In this survey, we will examine a variety of theoretical and practical answers to these major questions. In the process, you will deepen your own political outlook in ways that are responsive to major injustices.

Social & Behavioral Sciences

  • Instructor: Amaziah Finley (fa17019@harpercollege.edu)
  • Banner Title: ANT202-SJ1: Cultural Anthro/Soc Justice
  • Modality (PoT): Face-to-Face (16 weeks)
  • Meeting Time: Tuesday/Thursday 9:30am-10:45am
  • Credits: 3
  • Theme: This cultural anthropology course explores the vulnerability and resistance attached to our intersectional positions in society. We discuss topics of culture, including how resistance is natural to belonging to a culture. Within the topic of culture, we explore language and power, fieldwork and ethnography, race and racism, whiteness and white privilege, gender, class and inequality, the global economy, health and illness disparities, and art as resistance. For the final project, students will be asked to create a portfolio of resistance, conducting their own ethnography of sorts to prove that knowledge is power.鈥� 
     
    [ANT101 will be offered every Fall. ANT202 will be offered in Spring.] 
  • Instructor: Kelly Coronado (kcoronad@harpercollege.edu)  
  • Banner Title: LNG105-TBD: Introduction to Language/Linguistics/Social Justice 
  • Modality (PoT): TBD
  • Meeting Time: TBD
  • Credits: 3
  • Theme: this course explores language and focuses on issues of social justice in English language education in the U.S.鈥擲pecifically, we will study language origins, properties, use, structure, and meaning. Through studying sound, word-formation, and syntactic systems, we will look at language hierarchies in American society and how one鈥檚 language proficiency is attached to one鈥檚 worth in society. Students will learn and research past and current pedagogy used for bilingual education through a critical lens to address equity gaps in the different models and try to determine best practices for equitable English language education. 
  • Instructor: Alina Pajtek (apajtek@harpercollege.edu)  
  • Banner Title: LNG205-SJW: Language and Culture/Soc Justice 
  • Modality (PoT): Online Asynchronous (First 8 Weeks)
  • Meeting Time: n/a
  • Credits: 3
  • Theme: In this course, we will explore the relationship between language, culture, and society through a cultural relativist lens and an interdisciplinary perspective. We will draw on theoretical and empirical work in our in-class analyses and discussions on the relationship between language and thought, intercultural communication, regional and social variations of English, bilingualism and multiculturalism, and language loss. We will also delve into the linguistic construction of ideologies and socioeconomic class, and we will discuss language use to understand how language promotes and reflects gender stereotypes and inequities. This course will give you the opportunity to learn about other languages and cultures in an engaging class format.
  • Instructor: Monica Edwards (medwards@harpercollege.edu)
  • Banner Title: SOC101-SJW: Sociology/Soc Justice
  • Modality (PoT): Online Asynchronous (First 8 Weeks)
  • Meeting Time: n/a
  • Credits: 3
  • Theme: In this class we will focus on learning the sociological perspective and deepening critical thinking through exploring key sociological concepts like social solidarity, social inequality, and social change, with a specific focus on the interplay of technology (artificial intelligence), the environment, capitalism, and the changing contours of democracy. Throughout the course we will explore these ideas through the lens of art as a tool of social change and by using an arts-based pedagogy. Assignments include photo 鈥渆ssays鈥� and sociological zine-making.  IAI S7 900.

    [SOC101 will be offered every Fall, Spring, & Summer semester]
  • Instructor: Monica Edwards (medwards@harpercollege.edu)
  • Banner Title: SOC120-SJ1: Family In Contemporary Society/Social Justic
  • Modality (PoT): Face-to-Face (16 Weeks)
  • Meeting Time: Tuesday/Thursday 11am-12:15pm 
  • Credits: 3
  • Theme: Family across & beyond borders: learn what it means to think sociologically about the family, focusing on life outside the recent historical normative nuclear family: LGBTQ families, transnational families, childfree families, those who opt out of marriage, as just some examples. We will be utilizing an arts-based pedagogy in the course, with assignments such as photo "essays" and zine-making projects. IAI S7 900. 
  • Instructor: Kelly Pinter (pk33410@harpercollege.edu)
  • Banner Title: SOC205-SJ1: Social Problems/Social Justice
  • Modality (PoT): Face-to-Face (16 Weeks)
  • Meeting Time: Tuesday/Thursday, 2:00pm-3:15pm 
  • Credits: 3
  • Theme: This section of Social Problems explores various approaches to determining what lies at the root of societal issues and injustices. Students will be introduced to theoretical points of view that aim to critically examine social problems in relation to class (conflict theory), race (critical race theory), gender (feminist theory), and other social identities. Topics include problems in education, family violence, and environmental issues. Student projects will focus on efforts to improve police-community relations, decrease domestic violence and sexual assault on college campuses, create more sustainable lifestyles at both the micro and macro level, and making educational experiences more equitable for all students.

Electives

  • Instructor: DuBoi McCarty (dmccarty@harpercollege.edu) 
  • Banner Title: DIV101-TBD: Diversity in US/Soc Justice
  • Modality (PoT): TBD
  • Meeting Time: TBD
  • Credits: 3
  • Theme: In this section of DIV 101, students will examine their intersecting identities while discussing dimensions of their own culture. The cultural and historical experiences of socially marginalized groups in the United States are also explored. Students will analyze the dynamics of prejudice and discrimination between groups and the impact of social power differences on peoples鈥� lives. Human rights, social change and social movements will be introduced. The experiential nature of this course will give students the opportunity to dialogue about diversity and social justice topics and to develop skills necessary to interact effectively in a diverse society. Students will complete a final course assignment addressing a diversity or social justice issue of their choosing with instructor approval.  

    [DIV101 will be offered every fall, spring, and summer semester.]

For more information, contact the Social Justice Studies Coordinator:

Michael Bentley

847.925.6271

socialjustice@harpercollege.edu