How the learning unfolds
Each level of the course moves through ten lessons. The lessons build on one another: each one takes up the structures of punitive justice as they appear in US politics and government, then works through the unitive structure that can take their place, along with the language that makes each structure function.
Level I introduces the framework and covers Arcs 1 through 7. Level II covers Arcs 8 through 14. Both levels teach how substance thinking makes the punitive structures work and process thinking makes the unitive structures work. Level I is the prerequisite for Level II.
This is not a lecture course. It is designed for participative and experiential learning, so that the Arcs become something a participant can recognize and use rather than something learned about.
How much time it takes
For study groups, each lesson is designed to run 90 minutes. The one exception is Lesson Four, which runs two hours because of the extent of its content. Meeting once a week, taking one lesson at each meeting, is what most groups find works best, though a slower pace is entirely workable and the choice belongs to the group.
The self-directed course carries no set lesson length, although 90 minutes is the suggested length. Participants move through the material at whatever pace suits them, spending longer on a lesson that asks for more reflection and moving more quickly through one that does not.
Two ways to take the course
Both formats cover the same content and lead to the same understanding. The difference is whether the learning happens in community or at an individual’s own pace.
The study group course
A study group of 6 to 12 people, led by at least one volunteer course leader, offers an opportunity for deep learning in community. Participants work through the ten lessons of each level together, drawing on one another’s experience and insight as they go.
Course leaders do not need prior knowledge of or experience with Unitive Justice. Every leader is guided by a detailed Course Leader Handbook that sets out each lesson in full, so that leading a group requires willingness rather than expertise. Up to ten contacts with AUJ staff are included, so that questions arising along the way can be answered by someone who knows the material well.
The interval between Level I and Level II is the group’s to determine.
The self-directed course
The self-directed course is taken by individuals, guided by a detailed handbook with reading assignments and exercises for each lesson. It is designed for those who prefer to set their own pace, or who do not have the option of joining a study group.
Self-directed participants are not left on their own. Up to ten contacts with AUJ staff are included, so that questions arising along the way can be answered by someone who knows the material well.
As with the study group course, no prior knowledge of or experience with Unitive Justice is required of participants in the self-directed course.
Which format fits
| Study group | Self-directed | |
| Group size | 6 to 12 participants | Individual |
| Guided by | A volunteer course leader, supported by the Course Leader Handbook | A detailed participant handbook, self-directed edition |
| Pace | 90 minutes per lesson (two hours for Lesson Four); weekly meetings recommended, slower is fine | No set lesson length — faster or slower, entirely as the participant chooses |
| Support included | The course leader and the group support one another, plus up to 10 contacts with AUJ staff so that questions arising along the way can be answered by someone who knows the material well | Up to ten contacts with AUJ staff so that questions arising along the way can be answered by someone who knows the material well |
| Best for | Those who learn through discussion and shared practice | Those who prefer to work independently, or who have no group nearby |