Social Oppression and Transformation

This course engages the topic of social oppression and transformation from social and psychological perspectives. Using research, scholarship, and creative work from psychology, education, sociology, history, and popular culture, students will explore institutional, ideological, interpersonal, and individual aspects of oppression across four social locations--social class, gender, race, and sexual orientation. For each location, students will start with their own stories of privilege and oppression; move to an empathic engagement with the stories of others; broaden to understand the way that structural dynamics shape those stories; and finally, dive into specific social issues, including family poverty, violence against women, mass incarceration, and LGBTQ homelessness. Throughout the course, students will have the opportunity to study and reflect on change and transformation, including ways in which to incorporate learning from this course into personal and professional lives.