SOCIAL JUSTICE
BELIEFS AND VALUES
WHY ARE YOU TAKING
SOCIAL JUSTICE 12?
 Identify/recall the reasons why you
decided to take SJ 12.
WHY ARE YOU TAKING
SOCIAL JUSTICE 12?
 Not to be ignorant, closed or narrow-
minded, prejudice, discriminatory . . .
 To understand the issues, to gain more
knowledge, personal interest, to be more
active, to have a voice, to help with
equality, to be part of a solution not part of
the problem . . .
AWARENESS
A Vital Social Justice Skill
SELF-AWARENESS is . . .
 Self-awareness =
 is the capacity for introspection
(examination of one's own conscious
thoughts, beliefs and feelings) and the
ability to recognize oneself as an
individual separate from the environment
and other individuals.
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS is . . .
 Situational awareness =
 involves being aware of what is happening
in the vicinity (around you), in order to
understand how information, events, and
one's own actions will impact goals and
objectives, both immediately and in the
near future.
BELIEFS are . . .
 Beliefs =
 1. an acceptance that a statement is true or
that something exists = "her belief in the
value of hard work"
 2. trust, faith, or confidence in someone or
something = "a belief in democratic politics"
VALUES are . . .
 Values =
 1. the regard that something is held to deserve;
the importance, worth, or usefulness of
something = "your support is of great value"
 2. a person's principles or standards of
behavior; one's judgment of what is important
in life = "they internalize their parents' rules
and values"
DISCUSSION
1. Why is it valuable to know who we are?
2. Why is it important to know what we
believe, why we believe it, how our beliefs
affect ourselves and others?
3. To what extent can our beliefs change over
time and for what reasons?
IMAGES
The “Story” Behind Them
ACTIVITY #1
 As a group/individually construct what you
believe to be the background information or
“story” behind the image = what is going
on?
 Provide as many details as you can + provide
evidence for your ideas.
 Your stories or scenarios should be
plausible and thoughtful.
IMAGE #1
IMAGE #2
IMAGE #3
IMAGE #4
DISCUSS
 Share your interpretation of the image you
received.
 All students are encouraged to respond in an
attempt to reveal the many differences in
beliefs and perceptions about human beings
and their situations.
 What are the similarities and differences
among the responses? Why would this be?
ACTIVITY #2
 As an individual take a look at the following
images and note down on a piece of paper
who you think the person is.
 You will only have seconds to analyze and
label the picture.
 The following is the list of options to choose
from = match the image to the label.
List of Label Options
 Athlete
 Freedom Fighter
 Child Soldier
 Rapist
 Poet
 Felon
 Teacher
 Disabled Person
Picture #1
Picture #2
Picture #3
Picture #4
Picture #5
Picture #6
Picture #7
Picture #8
Picture #1 = Felon Martha Stewart
Picture #2 = Athlete Oscar Pistorius + murderer?
Picture #3 = Child Soldier Michel Chikwanine
Picture #4 = Freedom Fighter Nelson Mandela
Picture #5 = Poet Shane Koyczan
Picture #6 = UBC Professor Kim Snowden
Picture #7 = Clara Hughes
Raising awareness about Mental Illness (Depression)
Picture #8 = Rapist (Paul Wilson, UK)
Reflection and Analysis
 Why did you match the labels to the
pictures the way you did?
 What do you think is behind such
categorization?
Information to Digest
 These split second assessments are what we
do on an everyday basis.
 Some of your connection play into bias +
stereotypes other not so much.
 Bias, pre-judging and using stereotypes are
how we sort out/categorize/organize our
world; it is “normal”.
Information to Digest
 However, it is when we use our bias,
prejudice, and stereotypes in actively
discriminatory ways that they become a
problem/a social injustice.
 It is our awareness of them that is
important; our ability to recognize them as
(potentially) harmful and erroneous.
IMPACTS OF BELIEFS
 Quick write = write a one-paragraph
response to the question:
 “What impact do my beliefs have on
others, locally and globally?”
 You are encouraged to consider the impact
on other people as well as on animals and
the environment.
BRAINSTORM
 Brainstorm (as a class) a list of items that
answers the question:
 “Where do our values and beliefs come
from?”
 All responses shared by the class will be
recorded by your groups – have a note
taker.
BRAINSTORM
 Now, in your table groups, categorize the
responses.
 Possible categories might include family,
peers, cultural expectations, society,
institutions, employers, other individuals,
and so on.
GROUP DISCUSSION
 Discuss the differences among the
categories:
 Why are so many beliefs from _________?
 Why are others influenced by _________?
 What does this mean . . .?
 Etc.
GROUP RANKING
1. First, rank the original list of items from
greatest to least influence on your current
beliefs.
2. Now rank the list according to which you
think will be the greatest and least
influence on yourselves ten years in the
future.
CLASS DISCUSSION
INFLUENCE + TIME
 Why are there differences in influence on
you (as individuals)?
 Do you think time impacts or changes these
influences? Why or why not? Explain.
BELIEFS ARE . . .
SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED
 Social Constructionist Theory =
 Social constructionist is a sociological theory
built upon the observation that many of
aspects of our everyday experience are the
consequence of implicit social agreement,
institutional practices or collective social
action rather than objective reality, and only
exist within the context of such agreements,
practices or collective actions.
BELIEFS ARE . . .
SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED
 Thus, many of the things we take for granted
are not actually objective facts about the
world, independent of human subjectivity, but
are instead the products of human intersubjectivity (psychological relations between
people).
BELIEFS ARE . . .
SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED
 What is a Social Construct? =
 A social construct is anything that exists by
virtue of social interactions=created by us
BELIEFS ARE . . .
SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED
 For example, such things as nations,
presidents, money and language are all human
constructs (they are imagined). Regardless,
they are an important part of our function.
BELIEFS ARE . . .
SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED
 What is Social Reality? =
 Social reality is the "universe" of socially
constructed knowledge created by our
interactions over time!
BELIEFS ARE . . .
SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED
 Social reality is grounded in our behavior, our
beliefs and values, our languages, our culture
and our institutional practices and it colors
almost all of our perception.
 Although it is largely the consequence of our
interactions, we nevertheless occupy it
largely without ever becoming explicitly aware
of its importance and constructed nature.
RESPONSE/REFLECTION
 Quick write = create a one-paragraph
response to the question:
 “To what extent (how I do and how I do
not) do I have control over my own beliefs?”
INVESTIGATING PERSONAL
BELIEFS
Raising awareness of how we react to what others believe
THE STATEMENT ACTIVITY
 You will be provided with controversial and
inflammatory statements.
 These are not meant to cause conflict; they
are for you to assess how you feel
about/perceive them.
THE STATEMENT ACTIVITY
 It is not the statements being made that are
important; rather, what is crucial is how you
respond to what is being said.
 Pay special attention to your own feelings,
interpretations, biases, physical and
emotional reactions, and perceptions.
THE STATEMENT ACTIVITY
 I will read aloud each statement.
 I will pause to provide time for you to
respond.
 Note down the statement number (i.e.
Statement #8) before you respond.
THE STATEMENT ACTIVITY
 You will be given time to privately record
your reactions (emotional + intellectual)
after hearing the statements being made.
 Remember, you are not commenting on
whether or not they agree or disagree with the
statement; only on how you respond to
hearing it (or saying it).
THE STATEMENT ACTIVITY:
Assistance via Guiding Statements
 To assist you in your emotional and
intellectual responses use the following
guiding statements (see handout) as
guidelines:
 I felt angry when I heard her/his statement
about …
 When I read that statement, I was
embarrassed/ashamed/etc. . . .
Assistance via Guiding Statements
 I hope she/he doesn’t really believe that …
 When I heard/ read that, I couldn’t help but
feel …
 The statement made me think about how
dangerous bias can be …
 It was hard to hear that because I know it’s
true…
THE STATEMENT ACTIVITY:
Response/Reflection
 Review your responses to each of the
statements (include the number + a
description about what the statement
professed).
 Now select ONE statement that resonated
with you for various reasons.
THE STATEMENT ACTIVITY:
Response/Reflection
 Using that statement write response/
reflection.
 Do the following in your response/
reflection:
1.
Identify the statement you are referring to
2. Comment on the nature of your response:
THE STATEMENT ACTIVITY:
Response/Reflection
 physical response—quickened pulse, raised
eyebrow, laughter, scowl, etc.
 emotional response—sadness, pity, empathy,
rage, etc.
 intellectual response—connections made to
other situations or experiences, rationalizing
or justifying, etc.
THE STATEMENT ACTIVITY:
Response/Reflection
3. Comment on how your response made you feel
= surprised, aware, bigoted, justified, etc.
4. Indicate the likelihood of the same response
from you in a non-experimental situation
5. Indicate and explain the possible reasons why
your reaction might or might not change over
time given new perspectives and
understandings
HOW PERSONAL CHOICE
AFFECTS OTHERS
UP NEXT
HOW PERSONAL CHOICE
AFFECTS OTHERS
Personal Choices Impact Others Locally + Globally
PERSONAL CHOICES + EMPATHY
 Empathy =
 is the experience of understanding
another person's condition from their
perspective; you place yourself in their
shoes and feel what they are feeling.
PERSONAL CHOICES + EMPATHY
 The Power of Empathy
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwg
u369Jw (2:53)
PERSONAL CHOICES + EMPATHY
 Social Empathy =
 is the ability to understand people by
perceiving or experiencing their life
situations and as a result gain insight into
structural/social inequalities and
disparities.
PERSONAL CHOICES + EMPATHY
 Why do we need social empathy?
 1) Increased understanding of social,
economic, and political inequalities can
lead to social, economic, and political
justice and societal well-being = equality.
PERSONAL CHOICES + EMPATHY
 2) Offers a model for how we can help
people think about and act in ways that are
in the best interest of others.
 3)Helps us to see how we can achieve social
justice.
PERSONAL CHOICES + EMPATHY
 4) Can serve as an educational model to
help policy makers and members of society
make decisions that are grounded in the
experiences of those who will be impacted
by the policy/law.
 5) Can effect change.
PERSONAL CHOICES + EMPATHY
 Why do we need to promote social
empathy or just plain empathy?
 Because people need help to understand
how we are connected across groups and
social policies; since we are all connected
it is our responsibility to actively help one
another.
SOCIAL EMPATHY AS A PATHWAY TO
SOCIAL CHANGE
 We need empathy because:
 Lacking a deep understanding of others can
lead to scapegoating, distrust, and in
extreme cases destruction of other cultures.
SOCIAL EMPATHY AS A PATHWAY TO
SOCIAL CHANGE
 Lacking empathy can lead to racism, sexism,
homophobia, bullying, ableism etc. because
levels of empathy are different for people who
are “different” = in-group vs. out-group or us vs.
them.
 Lacking empathy can led to superficial
responses to personal or world crisis even when
there is a violation of human rights.
SOCIAL EMPATHY AS A PATHWAY TO
SOCIAL CHANGE
 When we use our analytical, critical
thinking skills with an understanding of
context, we can begin to think about ways to
take action that will improve social
conditions locally and globally.
 This is social empathy; this is social justice
PERSONAL CHOICES ACTIVITY
 The many aspects of life include society, the
environment, and the economy.
 In this activity you are required to think
about how one choice or decision to act or
not act impacts other areas of life.
PERSONAL CHOICES ACTIVITY
 You will be divided into small groups.
 In this activity you will be given a two scenarios
and you will have to research/talk about the
impact of each choice on stakeholders
 In this activity, these words represent what are
known as the stakeholders.
PERSONAL CHOICES ACTIVITY
Stakeholders Definition
 Stakeholders =
 a person, group, organization, member or
system who affects or can be affected by
an individual or organization's actions.
Human Rights
1. Conventional hot chocolate/fair trade hot chocolate
2. Giving 10% of your allowance/hanging out at the
mall
Environmental Preservation
1. Hamburger vs. veggie burger
2. Organic food vs. conventional food
3. Biking vs. driving
Animal Protection
1. Buying a dog/adopting a dog from the shelter
2. Leather soes/canvas or hemp shoes
PERSONAL CHOICES ACTIVITY
Our Stakeholders
 The Stakeholders =
 family members
 people in other parts of
 friends
 peer group
 our community
 the environment
(including animals)
 people in other parts of
BC




Canada
people in other
countries
the local economy
the global economy
the global society
PERSONAL CHOICES ACTIVITY
Instructions
 In your groups, think of a topic related to
this course.
 Once the topic has been selected, come up
with a hypothetical or real situation that
demonstrates the ways in which personal
choices impact the stakeholders written on
your cue card.
PERSONAL CHOICES ACTIVITY
Example
 For example, someone might say:
 “Our stakeholders are family members,
friends, the local economy, and the global
economy. I know someone who tied herself
to a giant red cedar on Vancouver Island.
This choice impacted our stakeholders by …”
PERSONAL CHOICES ACTIVITY
Instructions
 Each of your groups is required to record
your ideas using some form of graphic
organizer (e.g. diagram, chart, drawing,
graph).
 Remember that . . .
PERSONAL CHOICES ACTIVITY
Remember
1. All ideas need to be considered and that
2. Making connections between and among
ideas is desirable
PERSONAL CHOICES ACTIVITY
Remember
3. It is important to try to clarify cause and
effect relationships as much as possible
4. Identifying spin-off effects to other
stakeholders not indicated on the cue card
is also encouraged
PERSONAL CHOICES ACTIVITY
Group Share
 Present your groups ideas to the class.
 As an entire class, discuss the impact
personal choices have.
PERSONAL CHOICES ACTIVITY
Response/ Reflection
 Quick write = write (individually) a paragraph
response to each of the following questions:
 1) How do personal choices impact others?
 2) How can empathy make a difference in
our world?
 Make sure you thoroughly explain your
thoughts/ provide details.
SELF-STRUCTURED
ASSESSMENT
UP NEXT
SELF-STRUCTURED
ASSESSMENT
Examining our own attitudes, behaviours, values, and beliefs
YOUR ATTITUDES, BEHAVIOURS,
VALUES, + BELIEFS
 The following (see handout) is a list of
questions to examine your own attitudes,
behaviours, values, and beliefs.
SELF-STRUCTURED ASSESSMENT
The Questions
 What are my biases? How do they affect the way I
see/view the world?
 Where do my beliefs come from? (e.g. family,
peers, school, religious teachings, media,
experiences, etc.). To what degree are they unique
to me?
SELF-STRUCTURED ASSESSMENT
The Questions
 How do my personal experiences and
circumstances (e.g. age, sex, sexual orientation,
sexuality, gender identity, ethnicity, family,
socioeconomic status) affect my perceptions?
 What roles do culture and language play in my
perceptions, understandings, values, and beliefs?
How are my beliefs socially constructed?
SELF-STRUCTURED ASSESSMENT
The Questions
 How do my ancestry and nationality affect my
perceptions?
 Am I privileged and entitled? In what ways? To
what extent does this colour (influence/change)
the way I relate to the world?
SELF-STRUCTURED ASSESSMENT
The Questions
 Am I oppressed or marginalized? In what ways? To
what extent does this colour (influence/change)
the way I relate to the world?
 How do I perpetuate or challenge the status quo?
 What are my assumptions about how our society
functions and should function? (e.g., competitive,
collective . . .)
SELF-STRUCTURED ASSESSMENT
The Questions
 How do I respond when someone disagrees with
me? How do I treat others with beliefs and values
different from my own?
 To what extent do I understand the concept of
social justice? What do I do to promote social
justice ideals?
 How willing am I to take personal risks in sharing
my views about and advocating for social justice
issues?
SELF-STRUCTURED ASSESSMENT
The Assignment
 Create a written assignment (a short report)
that answers ALL the self-assessment
questions.
 Your report must be a proper paragraph
format = write the question out in its
entirety and then answer below in a proper
paragraph(s) on a separate sheet of paper
typed or written.
THE END . . . SORT OF
UP NEXT: THE DAILY CHANGES