TeachingRE Issue 4.pdf - the Second Level Support Service

‘HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING’The subsequent sections are designed to put the concept of ‘Social Justice’ into context. SectionTwo,‘Homelessnessand Housing’, starts with the premise that access to housing is a fundamental right, where individuals and householdshave safe and secure housing that they can call home. Housing policy in Ireland is also outlined as too is theprogression of housing, historically perceived as a social need, toward a commodity, an asset to be bought and sold.The section describes the multi-faceted reasons why people become homeless, for example, poverty, unemployment,relationship breakdown, and drug dependency. Case studies are provided for students to work in groups to discussthe reasons why people become homeless. The various housing tenures (local authority, housing organisations,private rented, and owner occupied) are outlined as too is the accommodation available for people who arehomeless.The section ends with suggestions of how homelessness in Ireland can be overcome, arguing that it isstructural problems (at State level) such as access to safe and secure appropriate housing, dramatic reduction sincethe 1980s in the building of social housing, poverty, and unemployment, as the root causes of homelessness.‘UNDERSTANDING CRIME’SectionThree ‘Understanding Crime’ introduces pupils to the crime rates in Ireland and those most at risk of beinga victim of crime. It highlights that the number of indictable offences (more serious offences) has not increasedsignificantly over the past number of years despite public perception.This section asks the question,‘What are thecauses of, and potential responses to, crime?’ Again, using case studies of young people who have committed anoffence, students are presented with a number of sociological and psychological theories so they can make aninformed and rational judgment on why the young person committed the offence.There is a brief outline of Ireland’sresponses to crime which primarily focuses on social control.The second part of this section looks at the profile ofpeople in prison, in particular young men who make up a substantial proportion of the prison. Prison condition, thenumber of people sent to prison and the purpose of imprisonment is also outlined.This section ends by presentinga number of approaches to targeting the causes of crime, for example, provision of training and employment, drugrehabilitation and increased support on post-release from prison.The “Why Care?” – Social Justice Unit for Schools has a final section which contains descriptions of ‘People Workingfor Justice’, where students can read about ordinary people working in extraordinary jobs. The unit also has anumber of distinctive features; firstly, audio and video files of social activities, people who are homeless, andex-offenders describe experiences of prison and homelessness. Secondly, each page of the site has a print function.Thirdly, a password protected teachers’ section which includes quizzes, ‘points for reflection’ and ‘possibilities foraction’.The promotion of Social Justice and the protection of human dignity is the responsibility of all citizens and inparticular our elected representatives. It is people at the margins of society, for example those who are homeless,that are most disadvantaged economically and socially.The “Why Care?” Unit is designed for students to learn abouthomelessness and the causes of crime, to have an informed debate, and to challenge our own perceptions of whatis just and unjust, good and bad. All major religions challenge injustices in society.The call to promote Social Justiceis succinctly described by Fr Pedro Arrupe SJ, former Superior General of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits):‘Let there be men and women who will bend their energies not to strengthen positions of privilege, but, to the extentpossible, reduce privilege in favour of the underprivileged. …evil is overcome only by good, hate by love, egoism by generosity.It is thus that we must sow justice in our world.To be just, it is not enough to refrain from injustice. One must go furtherand refuse to play its game, substituting love for self-interest as the driving force of society’ 3“Why Care?” (www.jcfj.ie/whycare) can be used as a once-off resource, as source material for classroom debatesand school programmes, or structured as a six-week classroom module.Queries and requests for further information can be directed to:Eoin Carroll: ecarroll@jcfj.ie, Advocacy and Social Policy Research Officer,The Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice,26 Upper Sherrard Street, Dublin 1. Further information is available at: www.jcfj.ie.Nobody should have to sleep rough’© Jesuit Centre for Faith and JusticeNotes1Miller, David (2004)presentation at the Institute forPublic Policy Reform SocialJustice Project 2004: Openingdiscussion:(http://ippr.nvisage.uk.com/uploadedFiles/research/events/Directors’_Support_Team/RTS_seminar_two_summary.pdf)2The Department ofEconomic and Social Affairs ofthe United Nations (2006)Social Justice in an OpenWorld:The Role of the UnitedNations, United Nations: NewYork. p. 15.3From the address of PedroArrupe SJ to the “TenthInternational Congress of JesuitAlumni of Europe,” in Valencia,Spain, on July 31, 197322 TEACHING RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ISSUE FOUR SEPTEMBER 2009