Nowadays, especially thanks to the younger generations who believe in the necessity and effectiveness of philanthropy, equality, collaboration, and mutual respect, the concept of social justice is known and used widely. However, despite the fact that one may often hear this phrase, not everyone understands the meaning behind it and can have difficulty defining it. Therefore, it is essential to provide several general definitions of social justice that will allow to fully understand and appreciate this concept.
Several institutions and organizations provide their own explanations of the essence and importance of social justice. For example, according to the United Nations, “social justice may be broadly understood as the fair and compassionate distribution of the fruits of economic growth” (The San Diego Foundation, 2016, para. 2). Further, the National Association of Social Workers defines this concept as “the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities” (The San Diego Foundation, 2016, para. 2). Therefore, it is evident that the ideas of equality, compassion, and fairness are central to social justice and can be seen in all definitions.
As for me, I would define social justice as the view that all people, notwithstanding their age, race, gender, profession, and other characteristics, deserve equally good treatment, equal opportunities, and equal rights. Social justice should make sure that no one receives more or less, especially for non-objective reasons or in connection with illegal activities. Additionally, recent events related to the Black Lives Matter movement make me connect social justice with the fight against racism, which is opposed to the concept of equal rights and treatment.
The definitions provided above make it possible to state that social justice is not only a good but also a vital, valuable, and beneficial system. Additionally, below are the facts that also prove the importance of this concept. For example, social justice makes sure that all individuals have access to equal educational, economic, and workplace opportunities. Suppose in a group of diverse employees, not everyone works effectively and responsibly, and the employer wants to reward some of the staff. In that case, those rewards should not be allocated based on race, gender, or age but rather on productivity. Precisely this idea is one of many that social justice tries to promote. Another example is the fact that many members of minorities cannot receive quality medical services because healthcare providers discriminate patients based on their race or other characteristics. For instance, the symptoms and complaints of African Americans are often not taken seriously, which social justice advocates also struggle with.
Despite numerous lessons that should have taught people about the importance of this concept, some recent events have demonstrated the need for more social justice initiatives. For example, even COVID-19, a global threat that should have united all people, demonstrates numerous inequalities. According to Haase (2020), the pandemic “shines a spotlight on the uneven distribution of goods and burdens, opportunities and resources that we find in most of the world’s cities today” (para. 1). Further, Haase (2020) also notices that justice and inequality challenges are caused by both the coronavirus situation itself and several policy reactions to it, including economic lockdowns and stay-at-home orders. That is why more social justice initiatives are required today.
Thankfully, many major organizations have decided to adopt social justice policies and help people protect their rights. For instance, Apple has recently announced its $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, and $30 million will be used by the company to provide Black and Hispanic students with expanded education programs (Collins & Guynn, 2021). This is Apple’s way to help students and also eliminate racism inside its workforce (Collins & Guynn, 2021). Another great initiative belongs to the National Football League, which decided to include anti-racist slogans and allow its players to demonstrate social justice messages on their helmets (Haring, 2021). The purposes of this initiative are to support the NFL’s fans and address injustice.
References
Collins, T., & Guynn, J. (2021). Apple gives $30 million in new projects for Racial Equity and Justice Initiative. USA Today.
Haase, A. (2020). Covid-19 as a social crisis and justice challenge for cities. Frontiers in Sociology, 5.
Haring, B. (2021). NFL will continue and expand social justice initiatives for new football season. Deadline.
The San Diego Foundation. (2016). What is social justice? TSDF.