Communication Studies Research Seminar (394-0-22)

Topic

Transformative and Restorative Justice

Instructors

Bailey Flynn

Meeting Info

Frances Searle Building 2107: Mon, Wed 11:00AM - 12:20PM

Overview of class

The terms transformative and restorative justice have become increasingly popular as American systems of retributive justice—namely the prison system—continue to fail communities. But before we can understand what it means to exercise alternative forms of justice on an institutional scale, we need to start smaller. What does it mean to restore, transform, or even repair? What does it have to do with justice? What are we seeking to restore in the first place? How, even on an interpersonal level, can repair really be "achieved"? What do we seek to transform, and how? In this course, we answer these questions by reading and discussing the work of artists, writers, researchers, and activists defining alternative justice on their own terms. This includes a great deal of writing by Black abolitionists who have shaped transformative justice as we understand it today. Students develop their own understandings of alternative justice movements by engaging critically with these texts. In addition to class discussions, workshops, and presentations, students spend the bulk of the quarter preparing an in-depth research project which explores how we communicate transformative justice into reality. Our discussion of assigned readings is complemented by our workshopping and supporting each other in the research and writing process. No expertise is required to succeed in this course; strong participation is essential.

Class Attributes

Department Majors Only
Juniors Only

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Communication Studies Juniors and Seniors.