By Rev. Jim Lies, C.S.C.
It's interesting that social justice programs and protests have long been an integral part of a college education in this country - even as the specific concepts and values associated with social justice are often inconsistently articulated. Whether compelled by a creedal imperative that we love our neighbor and value human dignity or by a deeply held conviction of basic rights and freedoms, there are a whole array of ways in which one might imagine a socially just world.
Three UP colleagues and I recently collaborated on an article entitled "Concepts of Justice as a Cultural Consensus: Starting Points for College Students of Different Political Persuasions" in the "Journal of College & Character." Professors Andrew Guest and Jeff Kerssen-Griep, along with Tom Frieberg, the former director of the Moreau Center for Service and Leadership, and I, studied a large group of UP students and found that while it appears that nearly all of them would claim to care about social justice, individuals seem to conceptualize it in disparate ways.
In comparing students who identify as liberal politically with students who identify themselves as conservative politically we found, first, that there were many more similarities than differences. There appears to be general agreement about the foundations of the concept, with most students putting particular emphasis on equal rights, basic needs, education and community service. The exceptions to this general agreement were revealed in the finding that students who identify as liberal politically tended to emphasize environmental issues, whereas students who identified as conservative politically tended to put more emphasis on charity and just policy. Again, on most other issues regarding social justice, there was general agreement, including a shared and perhaps surprising belief that activism was not an essential aspect of social justice for those whom we studied.
The founding mission of the University of Portland compels us to consider foundational questions with regard to justice and to pursue the avenues available to promote it. While by necessity college students focus primarily on intellectual pursuits, it may be important to consider whether some forms of activity and activism flow logically from the very things learned. There are a number of ways, both intellectually and experientially, to engage in this important quest on this campus and beyond:
The Social Justice Program (SJP) minor, in which a multitude of interdisciplinary courses are offered, allows a student to examine social justice from an array of perspectives. The SJP minor is meant to instill in a student a commitment to work for justice and peace and an approach to life that seeks a just society. As the co-director of the Social Justice Program, with professor Lauretta Frederking, please see me in the Garaventa Center (214 BC) if you're interested in pursuing the SJP minor.
The Moreau Center for Service and Learning is another avenue for engaging in the work of building a just society. The Moreau Center provides students with opportunities for direct service and social change in the greater Portland area. The experiential opportunities are vast and can prove life altering. Don't hesitate to visit Laura Goble and the team at the Moreau Center to learn more about their offerings and, by engaging, learn a good deal more about yourself.
Whatever our differences in our understanding of and motivations in the pursuit of justice, it does seem that we, as members of this community, would be well served to take the time to examine our own thinking on an issue of ultimate importance, and to engage together in the ways that we can further promote justice. If we hope to move together towards the shared goal of a just world, then it's worth noting our points of agreement. Further, we can learn to acknowledge and respect our differing conceptions of social justice. Ideally, we share a desire for a better, more just, world, and can find effective means to work together in achieving it.
The Rev. Jim Lies, C.S.C., is a professor of social and behavioral sciences and pastoral resident in Shipstad Hall
