SGIA3631: Social Justice and Marginalised Groups

• Any of the following SGIA modules: SGIA1231 Introduction to Political Theory, SGIA2171 Foundations of Western Political Thought, SGIA 2131 International Theory, SGIA2321 Debates in Political Theory OR any SGIA Level 2 module together with one of: PHIL1011: Ethics and Values; PHIL2081: Political Philosophy; PHIL2041: Moral Theory; or PHIL2171: The Philosophy of Economics and Politics.

• None

• None

• The module aims to:
• Further develop students' skills in critical normative theory through critical reflection on key debates in contemporary political theory.
• Build on the theoretical knowledge and skills gained at levels one and two, deepen students' understanding of theories of justice, equality, and liberty, and consider how these might need to be revised to accommodate marginalised groups.
• Develop students' ability to engage in the conceptual analysis of deeply contested concepts, and to consider the significance of epistemic, as well as distributive, forms of injustice.
• Demonstrate how to apply these normative insights to real-world cases and public policy debates.

• Indicative content may include consideration of some of the following questions:
• What constitutes a disability?
• Is race real?
• Are species distinctions morally relevant?
• Should parents be allowed to 'engineer' their children?
• What do we owe to those who 'can't do their fair share'?
• Who should pay the costs of raising children?
• Can the subjects of injustice be trusted to recognise their own oppression?
• How might structural injustice, cultural appropriation, and micro-aggressions lead to the testimony of certain groups being discounted?
• What rights, if any, do parents or society have to influence the nature of the education that children receive?
• These questions animate movements for social justice, and affect the shape of individuals' lives, yet are often neglected by political philosophers. Indeed, egalitarian political philosophy has often been criticised for focussing on implausible hypothetical thought experiments at the expense of engaging with the agendas of actual egalitarian political movements. Although concerns about the obscure and abstract nature of political philosophy persist, there is also, now, a wealth of literature on issues related to marginalised groups and social movements, such as disability, children and parental rights, non-human animals, and race. The goal of this module is to engage with it.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Knowledge of contemporary debates in political and moral philosophy about marginalised groups, such as disability, children, non-human animals, and race and how established theories of justice, equality, and liberty might require revision to accommodate them.
• How to apply these normative insights to real-world cases.
• The normative assumptions and arguments underlying contemporary social justice movements.

Subject-specific Skills:

• Understand, and critically reflect on, key positions and debates in contemporary political theory.
• Make and assess arguments and apply normative arguments to public policy debates.
• Plan and execute normative research projects.

Key Skills:

• Project design and management at both individual and group level, the latter involving teamwork.
• The development of skills in conceptual analysis, critical thinking, and argumentative reasoning.
• Presenting work in a well-structured, clear and coherent manner and effectively communicating knowledge in a variety of formats.

• Teaching and learning are via a combination of lectures and tutorials. Lectures provide for the delivery of subject specific knowledge, outlining the current literature and debates, and highlighting key areas of dispute in the field. Smaller-group seminars enable students to explore the subject in more depth and discuss competing evaluations and assessments of the theories and debates covered in the module. They also offer an opportunity for students to develop their own ideas and arguments, and test these in discussion with their peers.
• There will be two forms of formative assessment. First, a short seminar presentation given in groups of one or two. This offers students an opportunity to practice digesting and explaining complex normative ideas, and to develop their own critiques and arguments. This allows for the development of key argumentative and critical thinking skills, and offers an opportunity for immediate in-person feedback that can allow students to hone their skills and develop their arguments further. It also allows them to practice, and get feedback on, their oral presentation skills and team-working abilities, in advance of their group summative assessment (podcast). Second, a 1,500-word essay allows students to set out their knowledge of the field, and develop and defend, in a suitably structured and rigorous fashion, a response to a set question. This form of formative assessment offers students an opportunity to practice the kind of skills necessary for their summative essay and to receive feedback on the development of their knowledge and understanding, and their subject specific skills. In particular, the formative essay contributes to the students ability to develop new skills in normative research. It enables students to develop their writing, reading, and research skills, and tests their ability to independently identify, assess and organise resources in support of a consistent academic argument, by a deadline and to a word-limit, requiring students to take responsibility for their own learning.
• There are also two forms of summative assessment. First, a 3,500-word essay, which will allow students to engage in a particular topic in depth. This will develop their research skills, allow them to critically engage with a philosophical literature, and to learn how to develop and defend an independent argument. It will test their ability to plan a more substantial piece of work, identifying and retrieving sources and selecting and displaying appropriate subject specific knowledge and understanding. They will demonstrate their ability to analyse key concepts and ideas, and develop key skills in presenting information and sustaining effective written communication to high scholarly standards. Second, a podcast produced in groups of approximately four (no more than 5, and no less than 3), which will focus on the normative ideas raised by a contemporary case study, chosen by the students. Students will be expected to arrange and attend group meetings to work collectively on the podcast in terms 1 and 2. This assessment will allow students to apply normative ideas to a practical context, and to understand the normative grounding of public arguments. Students will be able to focus on different elements of the project depending on their interests and strengths, which will develop their ability to work in a group, to a plan a project, and to allocate tasks. It will also test their independence by allowing them to choose the form the podcast takes, the case study that will be its focus, and the normative approach that is taken to it, this will be subject to final approval by the module convener. Finally, it will broaden their communication skills, developing their abilities both to orally present philosophical ideas and arguments, and to express these complex ideas, with clarity and depth, in a form appropriate to a wider audience.

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