John Tiedemann SJUS 2010 Midterm Exam

The exam Choose TWO of the three questions below and write an essay of 500 words or more in response to EACH one. 1. Flesh out the definition of social justice that we’ve developed in class and apply it to a contemporary of historical figure or movement that we have not already discussed at length in class. What makes the philosophy and/or activism of that figure or movement an example of social justice specifically? (You may find it helpful to contrast the figure or movement you’ve chosen to another figure or movement, one that embodies, e.g., charity, policymaking, etc.) 2. Flesh out the definition of systemic racism that we’ve developed in class and apply it to an incident that you’ve experienced or witnessed personally. How does using the lens of systemic racism help us to understand the meaning of that incident differently than we would if we were to treat it merely as an isolated, individual injustice? 3. We’ve noted that social justice activism has two dimensions, a pragmatic one and a visionary one. Define those two dimensions fully and then use those them to evaluate a specific action by a contemporary or historical activist group. In your view, what makes this action a particularly illuminating instance of the effective integration of concrete pragmatism and imaginative vision? (You may refer here to an activist group we have already discussed in class, provided that the specific action you analyze is not one that you’ve already written about in your journal.)

Audience Imagine that you’re writing to a group of Denver high school seniors who are interested in joining the LLC next year and want to learn more about core concepts of social justice. Some of those students are already pretty well versed in the philosophy and history of social justice; others are much newer to social justice. As a writer, then, your job is to be clear enough and thorough enough to insure that the newbies can learn from you, while also being insightful and thoughtful enough to engage the attention of the veterans.

Format, etc. Post your exam in your Learning Journal by the start of next class. Your essays should thoughtfully argued, clearly composed, and carefully proofread. They should also be double-spaced and in Times New Roman 12, with an indent at the start of each new paragraph. Your responses may be longer than 500 words each, but, if they’re shorter than that, you can be sure that you’re not arguing in enough depth and detail. On the other hand, however, keep in mind that you’re turning in your exam to a writing teacher, and writing teachers are militantly opposed to fluff and padding. So aim to be both thorough and concise.