Integrating social and environmental justice into the chemistry classroom: a chemist’s toolbox

Grace A Lasker,Edward J Brush

doi:10.1080/17518253.2019.1609602

Grace A Lasker, Edward J Brush

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1080/17518253.2019.1609602

Copy DOI

Abstract

ABSTRACTAlthough the chemical enterprise has provided numerous contributions to humanity, unintended consequences contribute to a disproportionate exposure of hazardous chemicals to certain populations based on race and socioeconomic status. Integrating concepts of social and environmental justice within chemistry curriculum provides an educational framework to help mitigate these impacts by training the next generation of chemists with justice-centered and green chemistry principles to guide their future work. Green and sustainable chemistry technologies can contribute to social equity and environmental justice. However, equity and social justice have only recently become a significant part of the green chemistry conversation. This article summarizes how the authors have explored issues of equity and environmental justice with the green and sustainable chemistry community. It offers a toolbox for college and university instructors containing foundational language, research, and idea-generation that can be used to strengthen the transition of a traditional chemistry curriculum toward a justice-centered one.

Highlights

The American Chemical Society’s (ACS) vision [1] focuses on ‘[i]mproving people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry.’ Chemistry has inarguably provided numerous contributions to humanity; it has come with a history of unintended consequences of chemical impacts on human health and the environment [2–4] including planetary-level impacts on atmospheric processes and climate [5]
(2–4) including planetary-level impacts on atmospheric processes and climate [5]. These have contributed to a disproportionate exposure to hazardous chemicals in vulnerable populations [6–11] and warrants discussion around ethics and responsibility of the chemical enterprise to reduce
As students apply what they have learned within their chemistry courses or programs to solving problems within the context of systems thinking assignments or case studies, they recognize their impact within these greater systems

Summary

Introduction

The American Chemical Society’s (ACS) vision [1] focuses on ‘[i]mproving people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry.’ Chemistry has inarguably provided numerous contributions to humanity; it has come with a history of unintended consequences of chemical impacts on human health and the environment [2–4] including planetary-level impacts on atmospheric processes and climate [5]. As students apply what they have learned within their chemistry courses or programs to solving problems within the context of systems thinking assignments or case studies (or on projects across different schools and disciplines of study), they recognize their impact within these greater systems Expanding their question ‘Why am I studying chemistry?’ beyond STEM-based learning outcomes into social and behavioral, artistic and creative, health and medicine, and systems of race, culture, and identity, challenges them to work interdisciplinarily to solve complex issues and provides relevance to the real-world systems beyond the classroom and laboratory [28]. Creating classroom and laboratory exercises that involve systems thinking analysis as part of the deliverable helps students identify their role in a bigger system as well as their opportunity for positive impact as career chemists, designers, etc It increases relevancy for students, important in particular for students of color and women [28], and provides context and purpose for their place in their communities as chemists

Conclusion

Findings

Notes on contributors