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Philosophy & Religious Studies Department

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Public Praxis Minor

As an academic response to the social disintegration characterizing much of present public life, the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies together with the Department of Sociology, established an interdisciplinary minor in Public Praxis. Committed to fully engaged learning, global awareness, solidarity with those subject to injustice, and public work with a view toward a more just and humane world, the minor requires students to integrate work for the common good and scholarship, with critical reflection and analysis. A capping course provides an opportunity for students to initiate, work out all details, and institutionalize (establishing in some on -going form) their own project.

A typical Praxis assignment requires a student to:

  • Engage in at least 12 hours of public work (about two hours per week for six weeks)
  • Keep a journal of critical reflections about the Praxis experience
  • Attend two one-hour roundtable discussions with other Praxis participants
  • Produce a public document integrating the public work experience with theoretical research and contributing to public consciousness.

Students usually find the Praxis experience rewarding, because it is an "eye opener" to a vast array of community needs and public work opportunities, and because the "real world" relevance of class readings and theoretical research often becomes quite vivid. Sometimes, students discover commitments to community work that long outlast the deadlines for their Praxis assignments.

The Marist Praxis Project has been honored by the Templeton Foundation as one of the best programs in the country for promoting citizenship. It is also cited on the Princeton Review website as one of the best things about from a student's perspective.

With appreciation to former Projectkeeper Dr. Greg Moses for his contribution to this text and for his seminal work with the Marist Praxis Project.

The Minor in Public Praxis requires 6-7 courses (18-21 credits) chosen among 4 categories, outlined below. Capping
course required. Core course: Social Inequality with Dr. Luske.

Public Praxis (3-6 credits)

REST/SOC 320 Public Praxis 1 (waived with prior experience)
REST/SOC 325 Public Praxis 11 (Capping course)
TBA Public/Global Citizenship (alternative Capping)

Human Rights (3 credits)

WMST 320 Feminist Political Thought
SOC 336 Social Inequality
POSC 213 Politics of Human Rights
POSC 216 Black Political & Social Thought
REST 225 Global Liberation Theology

Affluence & Poverty (6 credits)

SOC 336 Social Inequality
PSYC 222 Community Psychology
REST 230 Religion & Politics
POSC 202 Political Process & Environment
COM 440 Advocacy Journalism
CRJU 314 U.S. Urban Cultures
REST 231 Social Ethics & Economics
REST 244 Prisons, Praxis, & Prisoners
POSC 273 International Politics

Human Values & Choice (6 credits)

SOC 341 Social Change
PHIL 103 World Views and Values (praxis-oriented)
POSC 110 American National Government (praxis…)
POSC 101 Political Issues and Ideas
POSC 103 Introduction to Global Issues
POSC 320 Feminist Political Thought
ENG 353 Ethnic American Literature
REST 208 Judaeo-Christian Scriptures (The Bible)
REST 245 Jesus and Discipleship
REST/SOC 219/220 Sociology of Religion
PHIL 392 MLK & the Philosophy of Nonviolence
ENSC 101 Environmental Issues