This seems like something that should have been addressed much earlier, but I'm curious how everyone defines social justice. These definitions frame our conversations and I want to know how others interpret the subject.
From Wikipedia: Social justice, sometimes called civil justice, refers to the concept of a society in which "justice" is achieved in every aspect of society, rather than merely the administration of law. It is generally thought of as a world which affords individuals and groups fair treatment and an impartial share of the benefits of society.
What does it mean when we say something is or isn't social justice? What subjects are included under the heading "social justice"?
I think this is particularly relevant when we're discussing topics that seem to fall outside the range of tradition social justice, such as wellness, suicide prevention, sustainability, etc. In some areas there is a clear connection, but these are disciplines that rarely collaborate. Are the goals of these groups fundamentally different or is this a failure to explore the interconnectedness of the issues? And if the groups are different, do we still have a responsibility to each other? I know we demand social justice mentality from all the groups on campus, but social justice groups often fail to reciprocate for wellness or sustainability.
I'd love to hear everyone's opinions!
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to me social justice is considering how my actions, however small might effect others and what sorts of consequences they result it. for example,who made the tennis shoes that I am wearing? was it children? was the person paid fairly? or what happened to the bottle of water that I throw away? the mor i think about these things, the more i realize that my actions continue to have an impact on others, even when i don't think it will, it might not be immediate, but we are certainly depleting our resources. so,if i am aware of my actions, am able to alter them and educate others to do the same.
ReplyDeleteanyway, i am also interested in how we can find ways to take a holistic/comprehensive approach to the solutions we seek. any give issue has political, economical,social, etc... impact and if we can tie all those forces together, success has a higher probability.