Teaching Social Justice through Three Time Periods of Sweatshop History

Abstract

<p>Due to the plethora of political, economic, and social challenges experienced on a global scale in the 21st century, students need to be concerned with more than their immediate surroundings (Johnson, 2005). When implemented in an educational setting, topics encompassing social justice may provide students with the confidence and skills to become “reflective, moral, caring, and active citizens in a troubled world” (Banks and Banks, 2009, p.5). The purpose of this article was to provide examples of undergraduate lessons focused on sweatshop conditions within three time periods of United States history that incorporate social justice into the course curriculum. By implementing social justice lessons into the curriculum, students can engage in critical reading, writing, and thinking about injustices faced by society. Girded with knowledge of past oppression within the apparel industry, students may become actively engaged in challenging social injustices in our world.</p>