ABSTRACT

Social justice as a theme and orienting mechanism in communication education continues to gain momentum and traction without a sustained conversation of what it is (exactly), what it includes, how it manifests in classrooms, or how to define the practice of it. This project provides an introductory look at the practices of self-identified social justice educators in the communication discipline who are actively engaged in the process and practice of teaching for social justice across the core curriculum. An examination of course materials (syllabi, course descriptions, reading assignments and other documents) illuminates how instructors build a foundation for these courses by establishing the socially constructed nature of our reality and the constitutive (changeable) nature of our social world. The end goal of which is to reshape the values and structure of society toward more equitable communicative interactions.