Reframing responsibility in the social justice classroom

Abstract

This article examines a question that white students often ask when they learn about their role in systemic racial oppression: ‘Why am I responsible?’ I argue that the conception of responsibility that grounds this question is focused on causality and individual action and makes it difficult for white students to understand how within the context of structural injustice they are complicit in systemic racial injustice. Building on the work of feminist philosophers such as Iris Marion Young and Judith Butler, I propose a rearticulated notion of responsibility that is not focused on blame or fault and that understands that critique is at the heart of ethics. Implications for social justice education are discussed.