Social Justice Quickwrites

Quickwrite #1

1. Write down 5 words that describe you.

Athlete, intelligent, intuitive, creative, capable

2. Write down four words or phrases that you feel are important for all humans to have or
feel.
Freedom, Education, Free Speech, Security

3. List three Social Justice issues you are interested in.

Employees/Employers rights, Corporate Social Responsibility, Workers
rightsmigrant labor

4. Write two ideas for possible solutions.

Solutions to Corporate Social Responsibility
a. Increased Customer interest: Customer opinion
b. Advertise Company, community, consumer, and environmental benefits
of sustainable production.
5. Write one sentence describing what you want to get from this class.
I would like to broaden my knowledge of social justice issues and develop an
understanding of how to solve those issues.

6. Put research here

Corporate Social Responsibility encompasses environmental protection and the
wellbeing of employees, the community and civil society in general, both now and in the
future(Source 1).
Examples of CSR: Xeroxs Community Involvement Responsibility(Source 2)
Googles Google Green Program (Source 3)

Source 1

Source 2

Source 3
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uickwrite # 2 on Plato

1. Who does Plato compare women to? What do women need in order to achieve equality?

Plato compares women to Dogs, questioning if all activities be shared, or do we expect

the females to remain indoors on the grounds that bearing and nursing the pups incapacitate
them for anything else(Plato, 3). In order to achieve equality, women need to be seen as
beings who are capable of all the things men are capable of, thus entitling them the same
training that men are entitled to.

2. Why is this a Social Justice issue?

This is a social justice issue because Plato addresses womens rights and social
equality.
3. Do you think Women are equal to Men today? What other groups are facing issues of
inequality? Use specific Examples.
I think the equality of social status of men and women have come a long way in the past
centuries, but I believe, especially in rural areas as well as 2nd and 3rd world countries, the
status of men and women are not equal. Native Americans and Minorities such as Black or
Hispanic people also face issues of inequality.
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Quickwrite #3
Social Justice Quickwrite on TED talks on Poverty

Esther Duflo

1. What is the key argument the speaker is making? Give examples

Esther Duflo proposes unconventional approaches to tasks to create change and help
those facing poverty. Among these approaches are deworming children to encourage them to
attend school, offering incentives such as lentils to people who choose to be vaccinated. In
addition, she advocates that randomized control trials to evaluate impact are beneficial to the
success of aid projects.

2. Do you agree with their solutions on poverty?

I agree with Esthers solutions to poverty, as they are shown to have an large impact on
targeted communities. For example, when children were cured of intestinal worms, they
received an average of 30 more years of education than before. Such results should convince
most of the effectiveness of Esthers approach to facing poverty.

Jessica Jackley

1. What is the key argument the speaker is making? Give examples

Jessica Jackley states in her speech that the best way for people to change their lives is
for them to have control and to do that in a way they believe is best for them. The organization
that she set up, called Kiva, takes small amounts of money and loans them to small business
owners, farmers, etc. in the form of a microloan. A program that she proposes an an effective
method of making donations is called profounder, with which people can loan money and then
choose to recoup their money as cash or to donate it to a nonprofit.

2. Do you agree with their solutions on poverty?

I agree with her solutions on poverty to an extent. Jessica advocates for economic
independence among impoverished individuals. For those who struggle or have struggled with
alcohol or drug abuse, this independence may prove to be ineffective. However, many others
will certainly utilize their newly acquired finances in a productive manner, and, in that way, will
help fight poverty around the world.

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Quickwrite #4

Quickwrite on Nacirema

1. What are some interesting behaviors of this tribe? The Naciremas interesting behaviors
include women applying a substance made from fish scales, which men find attractive,
and elite men and women to to go to the village witch doctor to have parts of their bodies
cut away. What researchers have found most strange is the many contradictions of the
Nacirema people. For example, they discriminate against many members of their tribe
while their highest tribal law is that all individuals are equal.
2. What is your opinion of the article? Do you think this is reflective of Americans? I think
this article accurately depicts certain aspects of the American culture, such as the
discrimination of individuals despite laws on equality. In addition, this article touches on
the unevenly distributed wealth and a paper currency.
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Quickwrite #5
Letter to a Law Student Interested in Social Justice

1. Provide a summary of the article:

Social Justice advocacy is different from other forms of advocacy. First, if one wishes to
follow the road to making a lot of money as a lawyer, there are many other, better routes to that
wish. In addition, there are a number of things that a social justice advocate must keep in mind
as they face adversity in their career. Among these things is to be prepared to be uncomfortable
as well as being patient and flexible in order to prepare for chaos, criticism, and failure. It is of
high importance to understand and remember that, as a social justice advocate, you are often
voicing the views and beliefs of those who dont have a voice. Although it can be a difficult
career path, you are speaking out, and in turn bettering the lives, of unfairly treated, oppressed
people in society.
2. Which points of advice do you feel are the most important when exploring a career in social
justice? Why?

I feel that the point of advice of being prepared to be uncomfortable is important because the
issues focused on are often morally unjust and uncomfortable. In addition, it is important to
remember that the resistance that social justice advocates face must be endured while they
focus on the final goal and reason they are advocating.
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Quickwrite #6

Create a thesis and an outline for each of the two prompts.

1. What role have movies, television, or music played in the promotion of social justice
issues? Has the impact been a positive or negative one? Use evidence and examples
to support your claims.

I. Thesis: Movies, television, and music play a pivotal role in a general understanding of
many social justice issues, such as gender and racial equality, by creating an
environment for the awareness of these issues.
II. Talk about impact of movies (specifically documentaries). Benefits of documentaries
include a deeper understanding of specific social justice issues.
III. Impact of music. The impact of music can often be detrimental to many social justice
goals. For example, objectifying women and using derogatory terms towards women as
well as different ethnic groups. However, a number of artist have written songs to bring
awareness and acceptance of minorities (e.g. Eminem on LGBTQ+: same love;
anti-bullying: Born this way by Lady Gaga).
IV. Talk about the impact of television. Advertisements viewed while watching television can
educate the general public about common issues the world faces today. Educating
individuals is important to finding solutions to these global issues.

2. Choose a Social Justice Issue and research organizations that are doing positive work to
solve that issue. What work do they do and why are they so good at making a positive impact?

I. UNICEF is a highly impactful organization that focuses on defending the rights of

children, specifically on child protection and inclusion, child education, and child survival.
II. UNICEF works to improve the standards of nutrition, gender equality, education, and
development of children. In addition, immunization and humanitarian action are
addressed by UNICEF.
III. UNICEF is so good at making a positive impact because of their broad range of issues
focused on within a very important aspect of society, childrens rights. Because children
are the future of innovation, by making an impact on children, an impact on the entire
community is made.
Quickwrite #7

1. Why is this a Social Justice Issue?

Article 23, Part 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights highlights the right of all humans
to favorable working conditions worthy of human dignity. Article 24 states that everyone has the
right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours

2. Would any of their solutions make an impact on our community? What other ideas do
you have to reduce stress for students?

I think that their solutions might prove to be at least somewhat beneficial to our community.
However, the competition and stress over grades that exists is rooted in the effort to be
accepted to prodigious colleges. This effort will continue to exist despite efforts to reduce
anxiety and stress.
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Quickwrite 8
1. What are the main subjects that the film addresses? What does the film suggest can be
done to address these issues?

The film addresses the topics of puppy mills and the deceptive nature of pet stores when
it comes to the sale of puppies at pet stores. The ways dogs get abandoned or neglected are
also covered, such as purchasing a dog on a whim. The film also addresses the topic of cruelty
and abuse towards horses. The consumption of horses is also addressed as a problem faced by
society. Exotic animals as pets is described as a selfish act in the fact that a wild animal is being
domesticated for the purpose of owning an exotic pet. The documentary addresses the issue of
elephants and other wild animals in circuses being forced to do things they were never meant
to do for the purpose of entertainment. Habitat destruction through trash as well as other forms
of pollution to the environment are described in the documentary.

2. What role do humans have in protecting animals? How is this related to Social Justice?

Humans are the ones who are creating unhealthy environments for animals. Therefore,
the fate of animals in terms of cruelty is in the hands of humans. Humans have the ability to
advocate for animals. Animals do not have the ability to advocate for themselves. This is related
to social justice because animals should be given the same basic rights to life and welfare as
humans. I believe humans have the responsibility to treat animals with respect.
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Quickwrite 9

1. Brainstorm possible topics for your book

Our topic is recycling

2. Create a character by sketching or describing characteristics or both.

Curious, concerned, motivated

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Quickwrite 10 on Nature Walk

1. What did you hear, see, smell, and observe outside?

I heard birds chirping, cars driving, and students in classrooms talking. I saw trees, blue sky,
weeds, wet ground, and green plants because of the rain.

2. What themes did you see developing?

I saw a theme of human cultivation. In other words, I noticed that plants and trees were trimmed
to look clean, leaves were picked up, and dirt and sand were blown back into the soil beds.

3. What are you willing to do to defend nature?

I am willing to change my own habits to defend nature. Examples include saving water, throwing
trash in trash cans, recycling, carpooling, and making a conscious effort to turn off lights, fans,
etc. when not in use.
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Social Justice Quickwrite 11 on The Story of Stuff

1. How have we addressed some of the issues discussed in the film as a planet?
What other steps need to be made?

Many large corporations have begun to fulfill their corporate social responsibility, doing things
like converting their energy supply to clean energy sources such as wind and solar. Additionally,
these companies do things such as using fibers and metals to produce products that dont harm
the environment. Other steps that need to be made are creating products that are more durable
so that waste is reduced.

2. What do you do personally to address some of the issues?

When I go to the store, I bring reusable grocery bags. I also recycle bottle, plastic, and paper. In
addition, we have solar panels at my house. I sonae clothes to goodwill instead of throwing
them away. I also participated in beach cleanups as my service learning project.
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Quickwrite 12

Read the following article and answer these questions.

http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2015/06/opinions/sutter-two-degrees-marshall-islands/

1. What are the main issues in the article?

The main issues of this article are the impact that climate change has on the marshall
islands. More specifically, floods as a result rising sea levels are threatening the existence of
these small islands. A large issue is also that many people write these types of islands of, either
questioning their existence or do not care enough. The consequences of climate change, are
very real, however, to the islanders.

2. What can be done to prevent Islands and cultures like these from disappearing?

The heavy reliance on fossil fuels in the industrial world are the largest contributors to
the warming of the planet. Cars, boats, and airplanes are some of the sources of harmful
emissions that contribute to global warming, and in turn, to the rising sea levels. Many steps are
being taken to solve these issues. Emission free vehicles and the transition to clean energy
sources are helping these efforts, but much more needs to be done. Among the things that need
to be done are encouraging the use of clean energy. In addition, using less heat and air
conditioning, buying energy efficient products, and reducing/reusing/recycling are all beneficial
to slowing down rising sea levels.
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Quickwrite #13

1. According to the Film Fed-Up, why is sugar so addictive?

Sugar is addictive because it releases dopamine in the brain, just like other addictive drugs such
as cocaine. Sugar also produces cravings which create the desire to eat more sugar.

2. Is this a Social Justice Issue? What can be done to address the issue?

This is a social justice issue because consumers are often intentionally misinformed about the
health impacts of certain foods. An example would be the many different names for sugar,
which companies seem to be using to deceive customers. Additionally, there is a correlation
between socioeconomic standing of individuals and unhealthy fast-food consumption.