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Washington State University

Social Justice Statement

We welcome you to the Department of Human Development, where we learn and work on the homeland of Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) Tribe and Palus people (Pullman campus) and on the Chinookan and Taidnapam peoples and the Cowlitz Indian Tribe (Vancouver campus). The Department of Human Development is committed to promoting an ethical and just society through an intentional focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion in our research, teaching, and service.

Our department recognizes intersections of multiple social identities (e.g., race, gender, class, sexual orientation, ability, age, etc.) and the need for research, teaching, outreach, and extension that critically examines intersectionality in identity, family and social systems, and everyday experiences.

We examine, contextualize, and address inequities and systems of oppression that continue to disproportionately impact people from historically underrepresented and excluded communities, such as those of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Native American, and Asian descent, People of Color, Women, LGBTQIA+, and People with Disabilities.

The Department of Human Development offers a broad-based curriculum founded on a dedication to social inclusion, equity, and the analysis of contemporary issues informing and shaping individual development, family systems, and society at large. Students learn and practice critical thinking to examine human development in social and culturally responsive contexts and promote equitable, inclusive, and just lived experiences for all.