Open AccessThe Light to the Left: Conceptions of Social Justice Among Christian Social Studies Teachers
Author(s) -
Paul Orlowski
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
in education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1927-6117
DOI - 10.37119/ojs2017.v23i1.315
Subject(s) - sociology , ideology , gender studies , social justice , politics , social change , social philosophy , protestantism , feminism , faith , theme (computing) , social science , political science , law , social relation , theology , philosophy , computer science , operating system
This article describes a study that took place in Saskatchewan, Canada, during 2013-2014. Ten practicing high school social studies teachers who self-identified as Christian answered an unsolicited invitation to participate in a qualitative study about the ways in which they think about social justice. Almost evenly split between Catholic and Protestant, female and male, and urban and rural, most participants were very progressive in their thinking about important economic and social issues. For example, all supported paying taxes and the social welfare state, and almost all supported gay rights and feminism. As well, an important emergent theme arose: The majority spoke about breaking from the teachings of their church if the teachings did not fit with contemporary society. All of them claimed that their faith influenced their thinking about social justice. The study challenges some secular notions about the values held by Christian social studies teachers. Situated in Canada, the study challenges American research findings about the political ideology and values of Christian social studies teachers. Keywords: social studies education; teaching for social justice; controversial issues; teacher beliefs; Christian teaching