Teaching transformation: Fostering critical awareness through transformative justice organizing frameworks

Area of Science:

• Social Work Education
• Critical Pedagogy
• Social Justice Studies

Background:

• Transformative justice (TJ) frameworks offer critical lenses for social change.
• Curricular integration of TJ is underexplored.
• Bridging identity awareness and critical action is key for social work practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore curricular adaptation of transformative justice (TJ) definitions and approaches.
• To foster student critical reflection from identity awareness to critical action.
• To present applications within social work curricula.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of TJ frameworks.
• Curricular design and adaptation strategies.
• Exploration of collectivist perspectives in social change.

Main Results:

• Curricular adaptation can effectively shift student focus from identity to action.
• Integrating TJ fosters critical reflection on social change.
• Collectivist approaches enhance the understanding of social transformation.

Conclusions:

• Adapting TJ frameworks in social work curricula is effective for developing critical consciousness and action.
• This approach supports students in understanding and engaging in collective social change.
• Further research into TJ curricular models is warranted.