Social Justice and Sustainability

This Pathway brings together social justice and sustainability – approaches that have often been distinct. Social justice is necessary to sustain institutions, societies, and our planet over the long term. Likewise, social justice benefits from including the sustainability framework; by which long-lasting solutions to local and global challenges are developed through understanding the connections among social equity, environmental stewardship, and economic well-being and including these in decisionmaking and planning processes. Over three years in this Pathway, students craft new approaches to a more sustainable world for the benefit of all, as they become increasingly aware of how asymmetries of power and privilege operate on a daily basis. Students, staff and faculty become active agents in the transformation of our world through critical and collective citizenship.

Representative animating questions:

  • How can governments and organizations around the world balance the societal, economic and environmental necessities of a community, without overly prioritizing one need over another and without prioritizing one sub-population’s needs over another? 
  • How can we guarantee and sustain equitable access to education for all students in the U.S. and other socially divided societies?
  • How does the production and/or consumption of a plant or animal compromise the sustainability of the natural environmental and social rights of indigenous populations around the world?

Thematic Inquiry

The Thematic Inquiry consists of a single course. Unit I introduces concepts and theories to help students understand critical race theory, social position, sustainability, and community engagement. Unit II asks students to apply this knowledge to museums and historical sites as possible places of community self-representation and empowerment. During this unit, students will also be attending their community placement and exploring other concrete manifestations of what we are studying in class. Unit III asks students to identify a question or research theme to focus their future studies, internships, and study away. The weekly schedule includes lectures, discussions on main questions and themes, library research, guest speakers, community visits, and videos. For any class at the College, students should plan to spend approximately three hours outside of class for every hour of class time (i.e., nine hours per week). For this course, this will include a minimum of two hours at your community placement per week in addition to readings, reviewing for discussions and presentations, researching, writing and revising, and meeting with a writing group, and preparing a group WordPress site.

Required Course

Curricular Intinerary Courses

Global-Local Engagement

Study Away

  • The Mexico Solidarity Network host programs in both Mexico and Cuba that focuses on grassroots social movements for justice
  • The School for International Training various approved programs that are social justice oriented, in Latin America, Africa, India, Australia, and Jordan
  • The Danish Institute for Study Abroad provides a range of programs that focus on sustainable development in Europe and human rights and conflict
  • Study Away and Teach Away programs organized around social justice and sustainability issues
  • The Umbra Institute in Perugia, Italy offers a Food and Sustainability Studies Program
  • ISI Florence, Italy offers a Sustainable Food and Environmental System Program

Internships

  • Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center. Semester and summer internship positions could be developed
  • Museo Jtatik Samuel, dedicated to the work of Samuel Ruíz (García), Bishop of San Cristóbal (1959-1999) and an advocate for indigenous rights and self-determination. Students can intern in the summer or during a semester with a SATA or MSN program in Chiapas 
  • Immigration Advocacy and Support Center. IASC needs interns with at least one-semester of prior experience for the following summer or semester positions: internship supervisor, project coordinator, communications, and legal intern 
  • The New London Food Policy Council (NLCFPC) is working to transform the region’s food system for improved health and economic outcomes through policy advocacy and program innovation, alignment, and support. Six to eight students have served in internships with the NLCFPC each semester for the last four semesters.

Community-Based Learning

  • Immigration Advocacy and Support Center
  • The New London Food Policy Council 
  • Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation documentation project

Other

  • TRIPs organized periodically on social justice and sustainability issues 
  • CRE 393/394 Advanced Studies in Race and Ethnicity offered through the CCSRE 
  • Certain faculty-directed summer research projects such as those through ConnSHARRP
  • Creation of a separate campus group to make sure community-based learning or projects benefit from the best thinking about how to go about community engagement.

Required Course

Senior Reflection

Required Course