What is Social Justice?
"Social Justice" is a term that can have different meanings and implications depending on one's cultural background, political inclinations, and personal beliefs. This diversity of thought can engage profound and enriching discussion and dialogue, often encompassing:
- Gender
- Race
- Class
- Sexual orientation
- Religion
- Age
- Physical and mental ability
- Ethnicity
- Nationality
- Body size
- Other salient social group identities
- Our conception of social justice includes the understanding that:
- Social justice education is both a process and a goal. This means that the way social justice education happens is as important as the outcome it achieves.*
- The goal of social justice education involves movement towards a society where all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure, where individuals are able to develop their full capacities and interact democratically with others, and where the distribution of resources is more equitable and reflective of common humanity.*
- The process for attaining these goals should be democratic and participatory, inclusive and affirming of human agency and human capacities for working collaboratively to create change.*
- Leadership involves authenticity, inclusion, reciprocity, and transformation.
- Action for change involves alliances and coalition building, community engagement, and continual learning on the part of change agents.
