Department of Social ScienceAbout Us"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" --Martin Luther King [changing quote here] | ||
Moorhead Hall 239A 1 Washington Square San Jose, California 95192-0093 (408) 924-5740 Fax (408) 924-5753 Email us |
Mission StatementThe Social Science Department is distinctive at San Jose State University in its interdisciplinary approach to understanding, analyzing and critiquing the historical, social, political, economic, and cultural condition of women and people of color in our local community, California, the U.S. and globally. The department is committed to race/ethnic, class and gender equitable learning. We strive to build relationships with community agencies to encourage faculty and students to transcend boundaries for learning, creativity and community service.
In addition, the department's central mission is to prepare Multiple and Single Subject majors to teach in a diverse society. Our priority is directly related to the reality of the demographics in California. Many of our schools, especially at the elementary level, are minority majority. Our student teachers will walk into classrooms that are increasingly homogeneous(?) in terms of race/ethnicity. We are also committed to providing a solid foundation in interdisciplinary social science. The complex social issues teachers and students confront require that they have the ability to analyze and critique the myriad of problems affecting schools from multiple perspectives. No one(single?) discipline can provide students with the skills and knowledge to navigate the complexity of social, political, economic, historical and cultural issues they will confront as educators in the twenty-first century. Moreover, our courses emphasize the critical perspective we feel is necessary to take a leadership role in the schools. It is our goal to train activist teachers who will look beyond the classroom in an attempt to improve the educational system. To that end, our courses discuss the application of theory to practice in not only teaching but in the education public policy arena.
DirectionsThe Department of Social Science is located in Dudley Moorhead Hall on San Fernando, just two buildings east of the Martin Luther King Jr. Library. Directions to the university are here, and campus maps are available here.
Office hours are 9 - 5 Monday through Friday during regular semesters. Please call to ask about office hours during Intersession and Summer. |
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