Curriculum Proposal for Social Justice Education: A Case Study within High School and College in Japan

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the socially vulnerable were placed in an even more difficult position. High school and college liberal arts education on social justice is needed to address the possible emerging and re-emerging infectious disease pandemics. A desirable educational curriculum to actualize this should include (1) Basic Theory of Ethics and Social Justice—justice and goodness, justice in Ancient Greece, deontology, utilitarianism, and the principle of inequality—, (2) Social Justice Theories—liberal egalitarianism, communitarianism, and social structural approach, (3) Psychology and Behavioral Economics—social intuitionist model, implicit association test, and nudge—, and (4) Advocacy—racism and xenophobia, elderly, disabilities, women, gender and justice—. The curriculum on social justice aims to help students understand the value of social justice, recognize inequality and disparity in society, and acquire the ability to address the widening social gap and inequality. The concept of justice is internationally diverse. Thus, extracting “social justice” in the context of each country’s culture and adding it to the social justice education curriculum is important.

Keywords

• education
• COVID-19
• curriculum
• ethics
• Japan
• social justice