The Hurt of the Past, the Wounds of the Present
By Emily Allen-Hornblower, Rutgers University
Over the last 8 years, I have been teaching college-level courses in Classics to incarcerated men in medium and maximum-security prisons. Our discussions, particularly regarding Homer and Greek tragedy, have invariably proven to be a springboard for addressing the burning social, ethical and human issues that pertain to these men’s lives before, during and after their release from prison.
Poverty, Social Justice, and Fear of the Poor in the Ancient Greek World: Aporophobia, Ancient and Modern
By Aida Fernandez Prieto, Manchester Metropolitan University
Ending poverty is essential in ensuring social justice (United Nations, n.d., b). Although poverty eradication is the first of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, n.d. a), poverty figures have increased worldwide in the last few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and new armed conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine (United Nations, n.d., a; World Bank Group 2020: 21).
Myth and Voice Initiative: Reflective Practice
By Efi Spentzou, Royal Holloway University of London
The Myth and Voice Initiative: Storytelling for Communities is a cross-departmental enrichment project ran collaboratively by students and staff at Royal Holloway University of London. Aimed at schools, youth environments, community groups and other interested voluntary settings, the project comprises of a series of informal participatory workshops based on select Greek myths. We foster collective re-imaginings of ancient mythical narratives to encourage self-development, inspire active citizenship and support community-building.
Sinners, Saints and Socrates
By Micheal Joseph Duchesne, Stanford University
Socrates has been championed as an advocate of social justice (Vlastos, 1991), but this has neglected crucial aspects of his philosophy. Martin Luther King Jr positively reflected on Socrates’ acts of disobedience (Letter from Birmingham Jail) and Mahatma Gandhi argued that we should live and die as Socrates did (The Soldier of Truth). However, Socrates set an inhuman standard to follow. It does not track two of the most crucial aspects of social justice: it must be social and perform a communal good done by a community.
Supporting Accessibility and Inclusion in Study Abroad and Experiential Learning Contexts
By Michael Goyette, Eckerd College
Given the prominent role that study abroad and hands-on, experiential learning often have in our field, at this juncture there is a need for more dialogue about supporting accessibility and inclusion in such environments, where those issues can take on a heightened poignancy or immediacy. Indeed, as much as they can provide excitement and inspiration, experiences that transcend the boundaries of the traditional classroom space also have the distinct potential to leave some students feeling marginalized or outright excluded, and/or academically disadvantaged.