Overview

Critical Theory and Social Justice (CTSJ) is fundamentally interdisciplinary, drawing on ideas from across traditional academic disciplines. "Critical" refers to various bodies of theory and method: Marxism, psychoanalysis, the Frankfurt School, deconstruction, critical race studies, queer theory, feminist theory, postcolonial theory, and intersectionality that interrogate the essentialist assumptions that underlie social identities. "Social justice" refers to an extra-juridical concept of fairness that is focused on exposing and ending social inequalities. The aim of the CTSJ Department is to promote understanding of how categories such as "race," "sexual orientation," and "nationality" help people recognize and combat some injustices and hinder them from recognizing and combating others.

The department's course offerings are divided into three levels:

• 100-level classes teach students how to think critically about a wide range of topics, including race, gender, sexuality, and nationality.
• 200-level classes teach students how to participate in a seminar, including how to contribute to class discussion and how to research and write a scholarly paper.
• 300-level classes teach students a major body of critical theory or a research methodology.