Social Justice (Level 5)

• Credit value: 30 credits at Level 5
• Convenor: to be confirmed
• Assessment: a policy brief (50%) and essay (50%)

In this module we introduce you to selected dilemmas regarding social justice and to the ethical, political and policy context in which they feature.

First, we will consider a number of the most prominent theories regarding the nature of social justice in political and ethical thought and will discuss the nature of equality.

We then discuss in depth different social and political issues (e.g. fair pay, access to education, welfare, health and punishment) and consider the various options open to policy-makers in the light of the theoretical positions sketched in the first half of the course.

If you work in either community development or public-sector settings, this module will help you to engage in debates regarding fairness, equality and justice in society. You will also be able to explore issues that confront you in your own community against the background of shifting thinking about the nature of justice in the wider world.

By the end of this module, you will have:

• analysed choices in social and public policy by way of reference to considerations of social justice
• developed your ability to make cogent arguments regarding what social justice demands
• applied your understanding of social justice to other topics of study on your programme and to real decision-making in social and public policy.