BISP Special Focus Program Overview
The BISP Special Focus in Inequalities and Social Justice is for visiting students who are interested in understanding how individuals, organizations, and society as a whole are affected by inequities and injustices.This pertains to subjects in the social sciences, professions serving people or working within organizations, and many other types of work impacting humans and culture in all societies across the globe.
Students pursuing this BISP Special Focus topic will learn about key mechanisms and institutions in which individuals and groups are categorized, the power imbalances between them, and the causes and consequences of these inequities. Social structures that maintain and reproduce inequalities and social injustice are examined by looking at race, social class, gender and systemic forces within the broader institutions of families, neighborhoods, government, health, education, and the labor force, among others.
Learning Goals
By pursuing this BISP Special Focus topic, you will gain:
- UC Berkeley academic credit in a focused set of courses tailored to your interests in inequalities and social justice.
- Faculty guidance on a culminating certificate project in which you will synthesize learnings and insight gained in your coursework and research at UC Berkeley.
- Research and analytical skills through approaching inequalities and social justice from multiple perspectives.
- Communication and presentation skills through your participation in the BISP Special Focus program and coursework.
Sample Courses
- Introduction to Gender & Women’s Studies
- Indigenous Peoples in Global Inequality
- African American History and Race Relations: 1450-1860
- Social Inequalities
- Decolonial Border Geographies
- Survey of LGBTQ History in America
For a more comprehensive list of pre-approved courses for the BISP Special Focus in Inequalities and Social Justice see the longer list here.