NEIU
Justice Studies Program
In
Justice Studies we seek to discover the social and historical
roots of justice and injustice and examine how popular understandings
of these realities shape public policies, including those of the
criminal justice system. We study systematic explanations for
the failure (or triumph) of justice in society and explore the
potential for transformative justice. Through critical inquiry,
social science investigation, and experiential learning, students
develop an understanding of social and economic justice issues
and critical criminology. We study the structural roots of crime
and take up the legal and social concerns of socially disenfranchised
communities, whose members are often clients of the criminal justice
system, including the poor, people of color, women, prisoners,
and refugees.
The
program makes a special effort to involve and serve community
groups. Field experience, focusing on advocacy for community justice
and the ethics that inform those practices, complements the academic
program.
The
Justice Studies major prepares students for human and social service
work within local and international contexts. We also prepare
students for research or advocacy positions, law school, and graduate
school. Criminal justice and other practitioners who wish to develop
a comprehensive understanding of social justice and social policy
will find the program well-suited to their needs.
GOALS & OBJECTIVES
The
goals of the program fall into four categories:
(i) Knowledge, (ii) Skills, (iii) Values, and (iv) Advocacy.
(i)
Knowledge
Students
should have a thorough understanding of Justice Studies’
main theoretical concepts, principles, and methods related to:
-
Root causes (structural and systemic) of economic and social
oppression, inequalities, and discrimination
- Basic
praxis (theory and practice) models for social and economic
justice
- Transformative
justice/social change
(ii)
Skills
Students
should acquire the analytical and practical skills to:
-
Evaluate and transform social practices and policies that
produce inequality and injustice
- Conduct
and be critical consumers of research that develops knowledge
and examines questions within the discipline
- Apply
effective communication skills to critically describe relevant
justice studies issues and make compelling arguments
(iii)
Values
Students
should develop attitudes and values to become compassionate practitioners
and advocates in their chosen profession. This includes:
-
Valuing and weighing diverse perspectives to social justice
issues
- Considering
ethical and societal justice implications of their own and
others’ behavior
- Maintaining
an informed skepticism toward dominant structures and practices
(iv)
Advocacy
The
Justice Studies Program aims to involve and serve community groups
by:
-
Supporting/promoting the legal and social concerns of disenfranchised
communities through activism, consulting, volunteer work,
and collaborative student-faculty research
- Designing
field experiences for the mutual benefit of our students and
the community in which these field experiences take place