Werklund Distinguished Lecturer: Observe, learn, advocate, act

Students who enter professional programs — in areas such as education, nursing, psychology, or social work — do so with a range of expectations about what the curriculum will address.

Because of the nature of these careers, and the range of individuals who enter into the systems supported by these professionals, the question of how to deal with cases of social injustice, or any aspect of discrimination against an individual or group, is a frequent one.

Some students come into programs with life experiences that have exposed them to situations where social injustices are taking place, and either through their employment or informal community roles, they are already taking actions. This group of students expect to expand their understanding about social justice and they’re often highly motivated to enhance their skills for addressing inequities.

Other students don’t expect curriculum that addresses the subject and they may feel uncomfortable exploring related topics — things such as oppression and privilege. For these students, it can be challenging to engage in a deep exploration of personal and professional identities as they learn to understand how their actions impact other people.

“The bottom line is that we can educate the best trained professionals,” says Nancy Arthur, professor in the Werklund School of Education, “but those professionals in turn may have to address many organizational and systemic barriers that restrict their efforts in providing a range of services, resources, and service formats.”

Arthur, Werklund’s associate dean of research as well as a former Canada Research Chair in Professional Education, says curriculum approaches that address social justice range from the interests of individual instructors, to single courses, to more integrated approaches across the curriculum.

Arthur will give the annual Werklund Distinguished Research Lecture this year, and her presentation will focus on the challenges of designing content and teaching and learning approaches that match the realities of what students face in relation to social injustices.

“Which topic areas are given priority over others, how to engage learners in deep reflection and view social justice as a key value for their professional roles are areas that need to be explored in research and in teaching and learning contexts,” she says.

“There is a constant tension about priorities and how to fit in all required content areas,” she says. “This means there are competing pressures about which content areas are given priority over others.”

Arthur explains that one of the biggest challenges comes from shifting the dialogue about the importance of social justice to action. “We need to be able to move beyond the abundance of resources written about social injustices/justice to consider how best to design the teaching and learning practices that help students move from conceptual understandings about social justice to deeply considering the implications for their professional identity, roles, and actions.”

Arthur’s presentation, Connecting Social and Professional Education, will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 4 in the Rozsa Centre. The talk and reception is free and open to everyone; registration is requested to ensure adequate seating and refreshments.