Recent events have drawn national attention to the fight for reproductive rights. However, Black women, Indigenous women, Women of Color, and LGBTQ+ people have long been fighting for reproductive justice, which connects reproductive rights to issues like immigration rights, fair wages, housing, quality education, and safe neighborhoods. There has…

In a world where decisions are increasingly scrutinized to ensure fairness across legally protected groups, it is critical to apply such scrutiny in a manner that is consistent with the law. This dissertation attempts to reconcile the legal definition and empirical measurement of disparate impact, one of two forms of discrimination recognized by…

Historically, the educational journey for Blacks has chronicled both struggles and progress, dating back to slavery when Blacks were denied educational rights, and now as many face the consequences of the resegregation of schools. The resegregation of schools perpetuates social and racial inequalities, particularly in southern states like…

This study aims to examine Black educators' experiences within cultural heritage institutions that are documenting topics that include the long arc of the American Civil Rights Movement. Black educators are powerful conduits of the African American story because they align with African American cultural heritage institution's goals to foster…

This study examined social studies teachers' conceptions of human rights education (HRE), with a focus on the connection between HRE and global citizenship education (GCE). These conceptions were studied through a Critical Race Theory framework. This study took place in a small city in North Dakota and utilized a collective case study approach.…

The historic Highlander Folk School has recently been recovered as a unique model of rhetorical education that significantly impacted labor organizing and civil rights work in the United States. While scholarship and mainstream publications consistently celebrate the folk school as a gender inclusive, racial sanctuary, this dissertation reorients…

National data indicated approximately 80 percent of the teaching force is white while the student population continues to become increasingly racially diverse. Teacher education programs continue to graduate and recommend for licensure a disproportionate number of white teachers. Research indicates overwhelmingly pre-service teachers suffer from a…

Systemic sustainable change does not happen overnight but begins with the diffusion of knowledge and changing of attitudes (Rogers, 2010). Additionally, games can educate while adjusting attitudes (Gee, 2008; Jones, 2008). For these reasons, this project designed a Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) prototype to teach about the basic human rights…

Social work education programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) are expected to cultivate the knowledge and skills students require to competently challenge social injustices and advance social and economic justice in their professional practice (CSWE, 2008a). Because social work educators play a key role in this effort…

Numerous studies exist on distributive and procedural justice among union represented or nonunion employees. However, there does not appear to be any research on the perceptions of justice from individuals who have worked in both capacities, under differing processes and procedures for each group, within the same heavily unionized organization.…

This dissertation examines diverse pedagogic approaches to teaching human rights and citizenship at the university level and how a particular academic community perceives of and engages with human rights and citizenship discourse. Based on fieldwork conducted at Sabanci University in Turkey, I explore how students and educators draw on, modify and…

Human rights education (HRE) holds the potential for educators to begin an honest dialogue with students and to connect local issues with international struggles for human rights. However, HRE and other teaching approaches that build understanding of systems of power and oppression that lead to human rights violations are not widely embraced in…

Community organizations, especially those aiming at social change, play a significant role in establishing societal health and contributing to adult learning in daily communities. Their existence secures marginalized groups' involvement in society and enhances community development by building community leadership with multiple stakeholders…

Social work educators have the challenging task of preparing students to be ethically, morally, and socially responsible professionals. As professionals in the 21st Century, social workers are faced with ever increasing complexity and change. Teaching philosophies are at the foundation of what educators do in the classroom. Research about teaching…

Urban youth in the United States often experience daily human rights violations such as racism and violence. Therefore, Human Rights Education (HRE) can strengthen their understanding of these issues and unleash their power to act toward positive change. This qualitative study attempted to gain a deeper understanding of the use of performance arts…