Restorative Justice as Reflective Practice and Applied Pedagogy on College Campuses

S-CAR Journal Article
Jeremy Rinker
Jeremy Rinker
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Restorative Justice as Reflective Practice and Applied Pedagogy on College Campuses
Authors: Jeremy Rinker and Chelsey Jonason
DOI: 10.1080/17400201.2014.898628
Published Date: March 31, 2014
Pages: 20
URL:
Abstract

Restorative justice (RJ) is both a methodology for dealing with conflict and a process for modeling more positive human relations after social harm. As both method and process, the benefits of developing restorative practices on college campuses go well beyond just the many positive community-oriented outcomes of facilitated conflict resolution processes. We argue that the opportunities for reflective pedagogy and learning for student facilitators outpace the pragmatic benefits to the parties in conflict. By explaining the reflective learning and theoretical interaction that has blossomed between and among students and teachers during the implementation of a RJ initiative in DePauw University’s Conflict Studies Program (CSP), this paper problematizes the role of student engagement and practice in analytical learning about conflict and conflict resolution. The CSP/RJ project, a liberal arts practice initiative, provides a space and structure for undergraduate students to apply conflict theory and learn through the experience of facilitating restorative conferences. Restorative conferences facilitate dialog between harmed individuals and those responsible for causing the harm. In providing victim(s) with a voice and offender(s) the opportunity to take primary responsibility for repairing past harm, restorative conferences represent an untapped resource for students of applied peace education and teachers’ interested in applied conflict pedagogy.

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