UC offers new Social Justice, Latin American Studies degrees

The social justice major concentrates study into three pillars organized into themes: ‘Activism and Social Change,’ ‘Power and Identity’ and core coursework. Classes are offered through a wide variety of academic departments, including Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies; Africana Studies; Anthropology; History; Journalism; and Political Science, among others.

Courses include Community Engagement and Service Learning, Human Rights and U.S. Foreign Relations, Global Protest Movements 1960-2000, and Reporting and Race. The course list is designed to address issues from a local and global standpoint, says Norwood.

“We aspire to a standpoint that’s ‘glocal’,” she says, “which intrinsically takes into account that the local and global are not entirely independent, but rather inter-dependent and complexly linked—socially, economically and environmentally. Social justice work cannot be siloed into one geospatial region of the world.”

As a career path, activism and social justice studies lend themselves to fields such as law, policy, lobbying and social service. But career opportunities extend beyond the expected fields, Norwood says.

“Our students will gain practical and theoretical skills … trained to do all kinds of work that advances social justice—be it in a non-profit, for the government, in business, medicine or health care administration, academics, media. The skills our students will gain will serve any industry.”

Norwood credits Olga Sanmiguel-Valderrama, associate professor in the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, with bringing both the social justice and Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx Studies programs to life.
“She single-handedly created the programs and deserves credit for doing the essential and foundational work that made these new majors possible,” Norwood said.