Unit rationale, description and aim

The world is faced with important challenges that need to be addressed in a considered and holistic manner. These include war and violence, migration and displacement, climate change, sustainable development and meaningful work, rapid technological growth, universal healthcare, and a range of injustices including economic, race and gender. In this unit, Catholic Social Thought will be considered as a framework to explore and address these issues. Catholic Social Thought has had a major influence on modern thought and practice in addressing global challenges and in the practice and ethos of important areas such as healthcare, education, law and business.

 This unit examines major global challenges in-depth through case studies. Students will assess empirical evidence and various perspectives, considering philosophical and theological reflections on the issue. They will draw on Catholic social ethics and judge whether it is effective in addressing the issues. In particular, students should develop their understanding of human dignity, the common good, and the virtue of care within the context of Catholic Social Thought. The aim of the unit is for students to acquire the skills and knowledge to become active agents for change in an interconnected world. This unit is available within ACU's Core Curriculum.

2026 10

Campus offering

No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.

Prerequisites

Nil

Incompatible

UNCC300 Justice and Change in a Global World , PHIL320 Ethics, Justice and the Good Society , PHCC320 The Just Society , PHCC201 The Origins of the Sciences and Contemporary Challenges , TPCC201 Ecology and Justice , THCC202 Sacred Land: Australian Indigenous Spiritualities and Catholic Thought , TPCC202 Conflict, Violence and Peace-making

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Explain key global challenges with reference to cu...

Learning Outcome 01

Explain key global challenges with reference to current evidence, the perspectives of those most affected, and accounts of the issues/challenges.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC5, GC6

Critically analyse key challenges with respect to ...

Learning Outcome 02

Critically analyse key challenges with respect to the common good, human dignity, and the virtue of care, particularly drawing on Catholic Social Thought.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC5, GC6, GC7

Reflect on the development of orientations or norm...

Learning Outcome 03

Reflect on the development of orientations or norms for personal and collective action, based on analysis of Catholic Social Thought.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8

Content

Topics may include:

  • Foundational understanding and skills in critical analysis and argumentation.
  • Key global challenges such as war and violence, migration and displacement, climate change and environmental degradation, sustainable development and meaningful work, rapid growth of technology (especially AI and media/communications), universal healthcare, indigenous custodianship and reconciliation, and a range of injustices including economic, racial and gender injustices.
  • Important concepts from Catholic social ethics, including human dignity, the common good and virtue of care and kinship.
  • Important traditions in Catholic Social Thought, particularly its formative documents.
  • Contemporary critical readings/approaches to Catholic Social Thought.

Assessment strategy and rationale

In order to pass this unit, students are required to achieve an overall minimum grade of pass (50%).

The assessment strategy has been designed to enable students to display achievement of all learning outcomes. 

To enhance assessment authenticity, assessment is integrated with class activities. This involves written and oral activities that assess understanding of key concepts and challenges, as well as discussion with peers and the production of individual pieces of work. Application of insights to contemporary challenges is emphasised. 

Task 1 asks students to explain key challenges and relevant concepts. It is a written or oral task undertaken in class that enables achievement of Learning Outcome 1. The task fosters core skills which will be further developed in Tasks 2 and 3.

Task 2 invites students to analyse key challenges or case studies with reference to Catholic Social Thought. This task is a project that enables students to display achievement of Learning Outcomes 2 and 3.

In Task 3, students are asked to integrate their range of learning across the unit by reflecting on key challenges and the development of orientations or norms for personal and collective action, based on analysis of Catholic Social Thought. It enables students to display achievement of all three learning outcomes.

Overview of assessments

Task 1: Conceptual Task Requires students to de...

Task 1: Conceptual Task

Requires students to define and explain key concepts and challenges.

Weighting

20%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC5, GC6, GC7

Task 2: Critical Analysis Project Requires studen...

Task 2: Critical Analysis Project

Requires students to analyse a key challenge or case study with respect to Catholic Social Thought.

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO2, LO3
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8

Task 3: Integrated Knowledge Defence and Applicat...

Task 3: Integrated Knowledge Defence and Application Task

Requires students to analyse a key challenge (or challenges) and reflect on appropriate norms for personal and collective action in response to the challenge(s).

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit will be offered as a flipped classroom, drawing on the standard 150 hours of focused learning. Students are required to complete online modules as well as attend on-campus seminars, where some assessment will be conducted.

Students learn through structured and sequenced activities that support the achievement of the learning outcomes. Students are asked to define key terms and approaches, analyse and integrate new information with existing knowledge, draw meaningful new connections, and then apply what they have learned to contemporary contexts. Collaborative and peer learning is emphasised. Because of this, active participation is essential for student learning, which is reflected in the assessment strategy. In this units, students will analyse key challenges through case studies, with a focus on Catholic Social Teaching.

Learning is designed to be engaging and supportive, helping students to develop critical thinking, analysis and reflection skills, as well as to engage with a wide range of approaches and perspectives, relevant to their own contexts. In this way, the student is placed at the centre of learning, and learning is an active and relevant process.

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Cahill, Lisa Sowle. “Laudato Si': Reframing Catholic Social Ethics.” The Heythrop Journal 59 (2018): 887–900.

Cichos, K. et al (eds). Sustainable Development Goals and the Catholic Church: Catholic Social Teaching and the UN's Agenda 2030, London: Routledge, 2021.

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. London: Burns & Oates, 2004. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781472985194.

Okin, Susan Moller. Justice, Gender and the Family. Basic Books: New York, 1991.

Francis. Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home. Encyclical Letter, 2015. Rome: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html.  

Francis. Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship. Encyclical Letter, 2020. Rome: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20201003_enciclica-fratelli-tutti.html.

O’Neill, William. Catholic Social Teaching: A User’s Guide. Maryknoll NY: Orbis, 2021.

Sandel, Michael J. Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010.

Táíwò, Olúfẹ́mi. Reconsidering Reparations. New York: Oxford University Press, 2021.

Vogt, Christopher P. “Laudato Si’: Social Analysis and Political Engagement in the Tradition of Catholic Social Thought.” In Integral Ecology for a More Sustainable World: Dialogues with Laudato Si’, edited by Dennis O’Hara, Matthew Eaton, and Michael T. Ross, pp. 13-27. Lanham: Lexington, 2020.

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