scholarly journals Developing critical citizenship in LLB students: the role of a decolonised legal history course

Fundamina ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 337-363
Author(s):  
Lize-Mari Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
Social Science ◽  
Citizenship Education ◽  
Legal History ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Development Of Students

Within the neoliberal ideals of society, social science subjects are battling for their rightful place in curriculums. As a result, legal history courses are being presented by increasingly less universities in South Africa. In the tendency towards a skills-based LLB, higher education institutions are neglecting to acknowledge the immense impact students’ ideologies and critical thinking will have on the future of South Africa. This contribution argues that it is not only possible to deliver competitive graduates, to retain social subjects and to heed the call for decolonisation, but that a transformative, decolonised legal history course is vital to these ideals. The contribution explores the role of such a course in the development of LLB graduates where it strives towards constitutional ideals and social justice. Furthermore, it takes a look at legal history as a form of critical citizenship education, where it is based on the holistic development of students within constant critical self-reflection and the promotion of a common set of shared values. The development of critical citizenship in students are explored by defining this concept, as well as by discussing the manner in which it can be taught and the importance to the so-called born-free LLB student. This study concludes with broad outlines of the manner in which a legal history course would have to be presented within a critical pedagogy to achieve the aims of critical citizenship.

The Role of University Leadership in Advocating Social Justice in South African Higher Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 1527-1544
Author(s):  
Naziema Begum Jappie
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Black Population ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Role Players ◽  
New Democracy ◽  
South African Higher Education

Higher education institutions in South Africa are undergoing remarkable changes. Traditionally, universities have been governed on a scholastic, academic, and research basis. This promoted an authoritarian and autonomous governance system, which clearly justified separate education under apartheid. The new democracy in South Africa vowed to change the system to ensure equity, diversity, and justice in education. Universities had to transform to benefit the underprivileged, disadvantaged, Black population of the country. This resulted in universities having to conduct their activities in a corporate style and, as such, required a commitment by all stakeholders to succeed. University leaderships are important role players who are pivotal in ensuring that social justice prevails. This chapter will investigate the role of leadership in shaping vision and mission in addition, ensuring policy implementation at the various higher education institutions.

The Role of Student Affairs in Promoting Social Justice in South Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgit Schreiber
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Student Affairs ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Conceptual Models ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
The Social ◽  
Design For Learning

AbstractStudent affairs, as an integral part of universities, has taken on a key position in contributing to social justice as one of the central imperatives of higher education in South Africa. This article sketches the development of this role and outlines some important tasks for contemporary student affairs. Three conceptual models within the social justice framework are utilized: participatory parity, universal design for learning, and student engagement. These models are uniquely useful to strengthen student affairs’s contribution to the development of social justice in South Africa. It is suggested that student affairs leaders articulate a more explicit position on social justice in order to contribute more cogently to students’ awareness of positionality, privilege, and exclusion.

The Role of University Leadership in Advocating Social Justice in South African Higher Education

2019 ◽  
pp. 243-260
Author(s):  
Naziema Begum Jappie
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Black Population ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Role Players ◽  
New Democracy ◽  
South African Higher Education

Higher education institutions in South Africa are undergoing remarkable changes. Traditionally, universities have been governed on a scholastic, academic, and research basis. This promoted an authoritarian and autonomous governance system, which clearly justified separate education under apartheid. The new democracy in South Africa vowed to change the system to ensure equity, diversity, and justice in education. Universities had to transform to benefit the underprivileged, disadvantaged, Black population of the country. This resulted in universities having to conduct their activities in a corporate style and, as such, required a commitment by all stakeholders to succeed. University leaderships are important role players who are pivotal in ensuring that social justice prevails. This chapter will investigate the role of leadership in shaping vision and mission in addition, ensuring policy implementation at the various higher education institutions.

Justice versus Social Justice in South Africa: Quo vadis?

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marelize Isabel Schoeman
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Historical Discourse ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Underlying Basis ◽  
Quo Vadis

This article explores the concept of criminal justice as a formal process in which parties are judged and often adjudged from the paradigmatic perspective of legal guilt versus legal innocence. While this function of a criminal-justice system is important – and indeed necessary – in any ordered society, a society in transition such as South Africa must question the underlying basis of justice. This self-reflection must include an overview questioning whether the criminal-justice system and its rules are serving the community as originally intended or have become a self-serving function of state in which the final pursuit is outcome-driven as opposed to process-driven. The process of reflection must invariably find its genesis in the question: ‘What is justice?’ While this rhetorical phraseology has become trite through overuse, the author submits that the question remains of prime importance when considered contemporarily but viewed through the lens of historical discourse in African philosophy. In essence, the question remains unanswered. Momentum is added to this debate by the recent movement towards a more human rights and restorative approach to justice as well as the increased recognition of traditional legal approaches to criminal justice. This discussion is wide and in order to delimit its scope the author relies on a Socratically influenced method of knowledge-mining to determine the philosophical principles underpinning the justice versus social justice discourse. It is proposed that lessons learned from African philosophies about justice and social justice can be integrated into modern-day justice systems and contribute to an ordered yet socially oriented approach to justice itself.

Race for Social Justice in Higher Education

2022 ◽  
pp. 138-156
Author(s):  
Bryan Q. Patterson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
United States ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
High Education ◽  
Mission Statements ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Systematic Change ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
New Model

In the last decade, there has been a greater focus on social justice concerns in United States. These concerns include addressing situations of racism, microaggressions, and racial injustices. As a result of these concerns, the need for social justice has become more apparent for institutions of higher education to adjust and rethink how they become more inclusive and provide more equitable opportunities for all stakeholders. Institutions of higher education are being pushed into unfamiliar territory, and the role of academics and high education institutions will need to be redefined in a new model of true systematic change and policy overhaul. How do institutions of higher education (colleges and universities) become more accountable in reshaping their purpose and mission statements through the lens of social justice and inclusivity? This chapter will generate insights and illuminate ongoing institutional conversations regarding the successful adoption of social justice frameworks and practices in the foundations of higher education.

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