Kean University is on the brink of introducing another Masters program to the curriculum. In Fall 2008, the Masters of Arts program in Sociology and Social Justice will be a fully running. According to Dr. José Sanchez, Chairperson of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and Coordinator of the program's development, it has been a long journey trying to get a masters program in the Sociology Department. It has been approved by the New Jersey Presidents' Council and once again Kean is a pioneer in the field of education. It is the only institution in the state and region having developed a graduate program in Social Inequality. The only institutions with a similar program exist at American University in Washington, D.C. and Brock University in Ontario, Canada. Dr. Sanchez describes the program's importance as, "addressing issues that affect people and understanding the sources of it, how it affects people, and understanding its consequences". Social inequality is a major issue which affects our society on many levels. The discrepancies between the treatment of people based on gender, race, ethnic background, sexual orientation, and economic status is alarming. The goal of this extensive program is to train students to be researchers, activists, and people who can help eliminate these problems. Who would benefit from a program such as this? Everyone. Social injustice is a topic we hear about often, however, we usually hear terms like, racism, poverty, sexual discrimination, homophobia, and etcetera.

The career possibilities are infinite. Most companies and institutions have positions for those who deal with discrimination or affirmative action. Possible jobs for those with this degree are workers for non-profits, internal consultants, corporate world leaders, grant writers, researchers, heads of agencies and more. As the world becomes more of a blend of different lifestyles, social issues are bound to be important. Many students from Kean's Sociology Department have been interested in the program, but other majors will benefit as well. Kean is known for producing educators, and future teachers can benefit from this program immensely. What better way to make sure our nation's teachers, who have an impact on the youth, have a deeper understanding of the concept of inequality and how to deal with it. Other majors, according to Dr. Sanchez, which may benefit are Public Administration majors and those involved in social sciences.

Compiled into a 36 credit graduate program, it features courses concentrating on social issues. Some of the courses are Social Justice Policy, Gender, Society, and Inequality, Analyzing Power and Oppression, and others that will serve as the building blocks for a socially conscious student. Another course Dr. Sanchez will be teaching himself is "The Oppressive Workplace". The class is designed to investigate instances of inequality, such as harassment of women at work, and also sweatshops around the world where children work for barely anything to make items which are shipped to the United States.



Although we are bombarded by news of social inequality on a daily basis, Dr. Sanchez says with programs like Kean's he is hopeful. "This has been a long time in the making. Almost a dream come true for me and others", he says. Students from New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and more are starting to inquire about the program. Currently a list is being compiled of interested students and the deadline for the fall program is May 1, 2008. With time, there is hope more scholarships can be provided for these students. Anyone who is interested should contact Jose Sanchez at (908) 737-4053, or jsanchez@kean.edu. If you are wondering if this program is for you, you should think about if you are a good researcher, a good person, and someone who wants to create justice in the world.