DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00715

Summary
In this paper a strategy for incorporating social justice themes into an introductory organic chemistry curriculum at Reed College is described.
The authors used key compounds that have had significant social, cultural, and environmental impacts. Through them students practiced arrow-pushing mechanisms, predicted products, and identified pKa values and functional groups.
The article highlights the selection of the following themes for student illustrations:
• Orally Active Synthetic Progesterones are discussed in terms of their impact on gender equality.
• Criminalization of cannabinoids is considered in light of their medicinal properties.
• The influence of two compounds, hydroxyurea and permethrin, is examined in populations in sub-Saharan Africa.
• An antiretroviral and the fight against HIV-related stigma are also examined.
The authors hypothesized that these topics will prompt students to think about chemical compounds as not just isolated species, but as parts of a larger system. Ultimately, they theorized that this work will deepen student engagement and ultimately will improve retention, particularly in underrepresented groups.
Details on the implementation and the evaluation of this work are discussed.
Overall, the preliminary student feedback on this pilot program was overwhelmingly positive, albeit from a randomly selected small group of students.

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
This paper proposes an approach to reimagine Higher education as it is refers to social justice themes and their incorporation to the introductory organic chemistry curriculum. It deals with system thinking and green chemistry as each compound was introduced to students along with its background and some of the effects beyond intention, from regulatory issues to environmental pollution. The choice of topics was based on challenging students to think of chemical compounds not just as isolated species, but as parts of a larger system.

Point of Strength
The point of strength of this paper is the description of an approach which infuses social justice themes to students of chemistry and at the same time makes the material more relevant to students, keeps students engaged, and emphasizes the real-world applications of the concepts and compounds that they are learning about.