Embracing Social Justice within a Computing Curriculum to Foster Social Change

To ensure that technology serves as a tool for empowerment rather than oppression, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) scholars have examined the ethical considerations of HCI research to explore pathways that inspire social change. In this work, we consider post-secondary education as one such pathway to social change. We engaged in a qualitative content analysis of the course, Introduction to Social Justice Informatics, with 47 students to understand how students developed knowledge of social justice and what sociotechnical tools facilitated their learning. We found that course materials coupled with peer discussion and reflective practice contributed to their development of critical consciousness. We discuss the significance of critical consciousness as a grounding theoretical approach within a social justice computing curriculum and the role of hope within social justice efforts and the workplace. We conclude by providing collectivist design strategies to nurture hope in the workplace.