First Advisor
Kate Partridge
Second Advisor
Khahn Le
College
Regis College
Degree Name
BA
Document Type
Thesis - Open Access
Number of Pages
41 pages
Abstract
This thesis argues that literature is a valuable tool in examining issues of justice, and teaching ethics through literature is a way to build critical thinking skills and awareness of the world. In this thesis, I examine research and teaching methods that have already been studied and implemented in the teaching of ethics and justice in companionship with literature, and use these resources to propose my own syllabus for a community college class on Ethics in Reading. The syllabus is broken into 7 units: an overview of justice in literature, five specific justice issues (race, feminism, queer studies, eco-criticism, and poverty), and a final unit for the application of the concepts in a holistic way that reach beyond the class.
There is a balance between how justice issues can be taught through literature, and how literature can be read in an ethical way. Everyone deserves access to a good education, and education of any kind holds inherent value. Narrative and stories are central to how we construct everything about ourselves that shapes how we influence and perceive the outside world, including our conception of justice. Teaching certain stories in certain ways allow for the teaching of justice, increased awareness of the world, and the creation of a self that wants to improve the world.
Date of Award
Spring 2023
Location (Creation)
Colorado (state); Denver (county); Denver (inhabited place)
Copyright
© Kami Mittlestadt
Rights Statement
All content in this Collection is owned by and subject to the exclusive control of Regis University and the authors of the materials. It is available only for research purposes and may not be used in violation of copyright laws or for unlawful purposes. The materials may not be downloaded in whole or in part without permission of the copyright holder or as otherwise authorized in the “fair use” standards of the U.S. copyright laws and regulations.
Recommended Citation
Mittlestadt, Kami, "Teaching Justice Through Literature: How Higher Education Informs Ethics and Identity" (2023). Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection). 1064.
https://epublications.regis.edu/theses/1064
Included in
Adult and Continuing Education Commons, Community College Leadership Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Educational Psychology Commons, Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, Higher Education Commons, Other Arts and Humanities Commons, Other Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons, Reading and Language Commons, Rhetoric and Composition Commons, Social Justice Commons