Teaching Social Justice in Nonprofit Management Education: A Critical Pedagogy and Practical Strategies

Abstract

Within higher education, there is mounting pressure for increased discussions of diversity, inclusion, and social justice. Although these topics are particularly relevant to nonprofit management education (NME), instructors have expressed uncertainty about how they should proceed in incorporating these topics into their courses. Here, we argue a critical pedagogy framework can support instructors to address effectively topics of diversity, inclusion, and social justice within their classes. We identify three different but complementary critical pedagogical strategies that NME instructors can adopt in order to do so. We also provide resources for instructors and conclude with suggestions for future research.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dyana P. Mason

Dyana P. Mason is an Assistant Professor in the School of Planning, Public Policy and Management at the University of Oregon. Dr. Mason's research covers nonprofit governance and management, and the role of nonprofit organizations in crafting and implementing policy. Her work has been published in Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Voluntas, Nonprofit Management & Leadership and Nonprofit Policy Forum, among others.

Lindsey McDougle

Lindsey M. McDougle is an Assistant Professor of Public Administration at Rutgers University-Newark. Dr. McDougle’s research broadly focuses on topics related to philanthropic responses to social issues. Her work has been published in a number of scholarly journals, including Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Social Indicators Research, and International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing.

Jennifer A. Jones

Jennifer A. Jones is an Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Management and Leadership at the University of Florida. Dr. Jones has published in Nonprofit Management and Leadership, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership, and Organizational and Social Dynamics. Active in the scholarship of teaching and learning, her teaching-related publications have been published in Active Learning in Higher Education and North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture. Dr. Jones received the 2014 Emerging Scholar award from ARNOVA and is a member of Nu Lambda Mu, the nonprofit scholars’ international honor society.