Techniques for Addressing Issues of inequality and Deprivation in the Political Science Classroom: Role-playing, Empathy and Experimentation in teaching Civil and Political Rights.

Confucius has been quoted as saying, “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.” This has become a mantra for many of us in the disciplines of social science to engage students in innovative techniques for our classrooms. Political scientists, like their colleagues in other disciplines, have begun to move beyond the traditional lectures, which we argue still has an important role in the undergraduate classroom, to use different forms of media to engage students. Some resourceful educators and dynamic campuses have begun to give students “hands-on” experiences to help them understand the dynamics of modern day politics. While hearing, seeing and doing may help students better understand politics, there are activities that we, professionals and society at large, would prefer that student did not engage in. Most people do not want to see students “doing” genocide in order to have a better understanding of the dynamics that lead to genocide. This paper reviews the importance of engaged-learners when discussing issues of civil and political rights. The authors have sought new and innovative ways to have students think critically about human rights and social justice. This paper is a preliminary report on how their students have received techniques such as films, role-playing, research, and observation. While the authors come from different sub-fields (American politics and international relations), they have been seeking out other professionals and have had a running dialogue between themselves and other professionals on new techniques and methods. Our conclusions suggest that students are “entertained” in classrooms that employ such methods, which is not necessarily a benefit although students are engaged, but they also have a better understanding of how to critically think about the issues and understand the plight of others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]