Psych 149: Community Psychology Praxis Assignment: Day Of Social Justice
Social-community psychology strives for praxis, or an embodied theory. Partly because of this emphasis, there are many values that are at the forefront of community psychology. As outlined in chapter 3 of your text, these values encompass three broad areas: personal, relational, and collective well-being. One collective value is social justice, or "the fair and equitable allocation of bargaining powers, obligations, and resources in society" (Nelson & Prilleltensky, 2010, p. 63, labeled "distributive justice" here but "social justice" on p. 70). You will attempt to live one full day embodying social justice to the highest degree possible. It is essential to think about how this value relates to how you behave toward others. Use the question from your book: "Does [this behavior/action] promote "the fair and equitable allocation of bargaining powers, obligations, and resources in society" (Nelson & Prilleltensky, 2010, pp. 70)?" Also, social justice is linked to the value of accountability. To minimize social reactivity, please do not tell others about the class assignment until after you have turned in your paper on Jan 31.
Part I: Participate in a Day of Social Justice
Your challenge is to live each minute of a 24 hour period embodying social justice as much as possible. For 24 hours, you should do your best not to use unearned privilege , not participate in oppression, and to enact egalitarian power structures. When participating in this day, examine all your behavior -- from what you wear to getting to class to eating lunch to interacting with other people. As you do this, think carefully about each and every thing you do and ask yourself the following questions: "What are the social justice implications of what I am doing?" Do not limit yourself to "easy" things like giving an elderly person a seat on the bus even though you got there first; think about social injustice in the world, and strive for the greatest impact and deepest level of social justice without being phony or insincere. You are to operationalize social justice, and to decide how best to strive toward it, but in ways consistent with the definition. Be sure to operationalize the construct, or decide on the behaviors that embody social justice, before you begin your 24 hour period (see reverse side for more detail).
Part II: Write About Your Experience
At the beginning of class on Cot 17, turn in a social-community psychology analysis of what the day was like (no less than one and no more than two typewritten pages using 12-point font and 1" margins; you may use double spacing or 1.5 spacing if you need more room). Here are the questions you must address:
• How did you choose to behaviorally operationalize social justice? How does this operationalization relate to the definition of social justice? (Note: See reverse side for more detail.)
• Who were the recipients of your efforts and why?
• How did others respond to your efforts at enacting social justice?
• Was the "Day of Social Justice you" different from the "normal you?" If so, what are the situational/environmental factors that create these differences? If not, what are the situational/environmental factors that facilitate this consistency for you? (Note: see reverse side for more detail.)
• What are the psychological costs and benefits of behaving in a socially just way? In your view, do the benefits outweigh the costs? Why or why not?
• How does this exercise relate to your own accountability, privilege, or oppression (choose one)? (Note: see reverse side for more detail.)
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
Attachment:- Praxis-Exercise.rar