Iris Marion Young

Text: Iris Marion Young (contemporary American philosopher, died recently, of cancer), "Responsibility, Social Connection, and Global Labor Justice," chapter 9, Global Challenges: War, Self-Determination, and Responsibility for Justice, Polity, 2007 (On Blackboard)

Directions: Typed; stapled. Answer the questions separately.

Grade: 10 pts for this report and 8 pts for class discussion

I. Topic and purpose of the essay (chapter 9): Main question/issue; Young's objective, her model, the two factors she is relating; brief description of her criticisms of previous treatments of justice--why they are not appropriate for addressing the issue of justice focused on in this chapter

II. Explain structural injustice: what "structural" and "structure" mean (what is a structure? Is it a process?); explain structure as you describe the case or illustration that Young uses (the global garment industry); clarify the social relations (different positions of people); clarify what she means by "social connections," "global social connections"

III. Describe structural injustice and responsibility in relation to this kind of injustice: how structures are produced and maintained and how they produce injustices; the basis of responsibility and "diffusion of responsibility"; who is responsible and how much.

IV. Describe the Social Connection Model of Responsibility showing how it differs from the Liability Model (main differences). Clarify (1) why the Social Connection model is better for explaining responsibility in relation to structural injustice, and (2) when the liability model applies to structural processes.

V. How should we think about action with respect to structural injustices (factors to consider)? Do those sharing responsibility bear the same degree of responsibility? Give an example of action.

Be prepared to discuss this essay in class: Global social structure (processes, transnational social connections, interdependence); global structural injustice and responsibility (equal responsibility for those involved?), action required. Notice use of Locke (social before political)

NOTE: Consider how this text integrates what we have examined. Any relation to Marx's views of social processes? What about the