Examining Social Justice Part 1: A Road Map to Understanding

Tensions exist around issues of social import.
If we are incapable of defining what it is that we are actually fighting for,
we will be unable to engage one another constructively
on topics that shape our world.”

Social justice is a controversial topic whose definition and importance are often contested.  There are those who claim social justice as their moral obligation when shaming someone for their behavior, leaving a bad taste in people’s mouths around this cause.  When conversations come up that cite social justice or discuss social structures, inequity, race, gender, etc, people often back out of the conversation for fear that they could be on the “wrong” end of the general opinion.  What started as a movement to promote equality and fairness has unraveled into a topic ripe with misinformation and aggression, creating more division. 

A topic that was meant to fight social injustice has devolved into a platform for ostracizing those that do not practice social justice methods.  Instead of starting a dialogue, people are now more afraid to talk to each other for fear of being attacked for their opinions.  Tensions exist around issues of social import.  If we are incapable of defining what it is that we are actually fighting for, we will be unable to engage one another constructively on topics that shape our world.  

This two part blog series will shed light on what social justice is, why it is relevant to you, and the potential it has when utilized for it’s true purpose. 

         
(Photo Credit: Tarplin-Robertson Photography and Videography)

So what is social justice really? What is it’s purpose?

Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines justice as fairness, equity, rights, objectivity or concerning morals. From the English origin in the 14th century it means “Rewarding to everyone of that which is his due” (etymonline.com).  Dictionary.com defines it as “A concern for justice, peace, and genuine respect for people.”  When we talk about justice, we think about what is right, often discussing something beyond written law regarding conduct.  When it comes to society and its relationship to justice, we are discussing the moral principle determining just conduct.

In a series of essays written to explain the philosophy behind the U.S. constitution (The Federalist Papers), the founding fathers tried to create a political philosophy and establish cultural principles about how we engage the law, but further, how we engage human rights. In Federalist Paper No. 51, justice is discussed and its relation to how we live together under one governing system.  Their view was that what is right for a society is when all are equal, and when good is sought for as an overarching right for all.

America was built on the notion that the more interest groups and subcultures there are, the less likely it will be for a majority to rise up and dominate.  According to this principle, justice can be understood as something that goes beyond law because it is something above any majority, sought for by all and therefore not diminished by any particular interest group.  In the search for social cohesion, the founding fathers detailed the importance of not just guarding against dominating rulers, but of being wary of the oppression of one another.  The hypothesis was that the more diverse a society, the more society will run based on the needs of its people.  However, when so many interests are represented, it becomes complex to maintain this social cohesion.  So, how can we answer to the interests of everyone?  How can we ensure this goal of just equality for all?

Social justice is the method to achieving this goal.  Social justice is a perspective that helps us to find objectivity by unpacking our socialization.  It gives us the opportunity to look at what is right, equitable, and due to each person beyond how we were socialized.  Through this method, we are not looking at the interests of any majority, but rather taking that out of the equation all together and looking at each small group from an objective standpoint.  Bias is built into us and serves the purpose of helping the individual person or community to survive.  But what about the survival of others?  How can we as a society, and as a global community, understand that we will get more of what we want and need when everybody’s needs are met?  If we deny rights to some and give them to others, one day the narrative could change and the same rights could be taken from us.

When social injustice occurs, it is often due to society’s inability to engage and integrate our differences.  We share space with people that are so diverse from us, and it takes a certain amount of cooperation in order to function cohesively with such differences.  When we treat people as different, or when we use language to label them, we are encouraging a disenfranchisement among ourselves.

“Justice is the end of government. It is the end of civil society. It ever has been and ever will be pursued until it be obtained, or until liberty be lost in the pursuit. In a society under the forms of which the stronger faction can readily unite and oppress the weaker, anarchy may as truly be said to reign as in a state of nature, where the weaker individual is not secured against the violence of the stronger; and as, in the latter state, even the stronger individuals are prompted, by the uncertainty of their condition, to submit to a government which may protect the weak as well as themselves; so, in the former state, will the more powerful factions or parties be gradually induced, by a like motive, to wish for a government which will protect all parties, the weaker as well as the more powerful.” (Federalist Paper 51)

Social Justice is not a war between sides.  It is not the oppression of the right to freedom of expression.  It is not about control, silencing or policing.  Rather, social justice is a call to action.  It is a call to take a look at society and the morals, norms, and values of a culture and objectively analyze the impact that these perspectives have on each group, and on each individual person.  It is calling us to reflect inwardly and think about how our socialization determines our view point, and how this view point impacts the way that we interact with one another.  And finally, how these interactions shape and mold the world that we live in.

So, take some time to reflect on your role in all of this.  In the comments below, tell me what you have observed of social justice in the world today.

Stay tuned for the sequel in this two part blog series to find out why this is relevant to you.
How can we engage this topic in a way that it actually achieves what it set out to from the start?