Introduction to Social Justice
Social justice is regarded as an essential part of human life. It was found that it deals with processes and goals. According to Bell (2018), social justice addresses social inequalities, including race and gender. As a result, equality, justice, and dignity are promoted and respected by society.
The Role of Equity, Dignity, and Self-Determination
The main aim of social justice is to form a society where each individual is equally treated, has the same opportunities, and can fairly access all resources needed. Equity is an integral part of social justice. In this case, significant attention is paid to historically marginalized groups so that they can receive support (Adams & Zúñiga, 2018). Dignity is when each person is treated equally despite social or other differences. Each individual deserves to be treated with respect without considering their social or cultural backgrounds and other forms of discrimination.
Self-determination is a crucial part of social justice, as it empowers individuals. Self-determination helps people and organizations to decide on their lives and protect their rights. For instance, marginalized groups should have special protection and define their needs and solutions. The proper agencies to deliver this care should be established so these individuals would be safe. As a result, advocacy for peoples lives and rights can be established so that life quality improves.
Social Justice vs. Diversity
In addition, social justice varies from the diversity, as it contains quite opposite components. Diversity means the presence of people from different social groups and with different cultural backgrounds, whereas social justice addresses imbalances created by diversity. This includes discrimination, inequalities, and disrespect. As a result, diversity refers to peoples features that are usually different, and social justice is equal opportunities and rights for individuals from diverse groups.
The Complexity of Identity in Identity Politics
One of the significant components of social justice is identity policy, as identity is maintained and protected by social justice. Firstly, it is essential to understand what parts of identity consist of: these factors are gender, race, and socioeconomic status (Tatum, 2018). The parts can interact with each other and influence, shaping the identity and making its experience more complex.
Moreover, all these parts are crucial in creating a persons identity and developing life values. In this case, identity politics sees that each identity is multifaceted, and various factors influence it and can change peoples identities or their acceptance. Hence, identity politics is a complex issue that consists of various factors that shape an individuals identity.
Dominant and Subordinate Groups and Structural Inequality
In addition, dominant groups might use stereotypes to classify identity. In this case, prejudices are seen, which leads to the development of structural inequalities and other relevant forms of discrimination. There is also another group type, which is called subordinate. These groups see their identities through discrimination or oppression. These two groups are opposite to each other and are created by the actions of these group members. In their case, their identity is shaped by prejudices, gender, race, and socioeconomic status. It was found that these categories try to maintain structural inequality, so they create social hierarchies (Kirk & Okazawa-Rey, 2018).
Moreover, their actions cause unequal resource distribution and access to opportunities. In this case, there are groups marked as superior and inferior. As a result, social differences are created, and different groups of people are labeled. Thus, the division into dominants and subordinate, superior, and inferior groups significantly influences peoples identity and leads to inequality.
Social Constructionism and the Four Factors
Social constructionism is an essential term for understanding the meaning of social justice. Social constructivism can be explained as a theoretical framework that has various aspects of society, such as gender and race, which are considered social constructs and not natural categories (Tatum, 2018). Multiple factors contribute to the social construction of race, each having its own effect on identity. However, there are four main factors: social institutions, historical context, interaction, and language.
Race as a Social Construction in The Story We Tell
The film “The Story We Tell” can be used and analyzed to understand these factors. Each of the four factors is accurately seen in the movie, so a deep understanding of their impact can be established. The film shows how race was defined through decades and centuries, especially paying attention to power imbalances and different forms of identification (Race: The Power of an Illusion (The Story We Tell), n.d.). For example, the film illustrates the evolution of the concept of the race.
In addition, the film demonstrates various social institutions, including media, government, and education. The focus is especially on the role of these institutions in shaping racial categories (Race: The Power of an Illusion (The Story We Tell), n.d.). For instance, it was shown how social institutions contributed to discrimination and the development of racial stereotypes.
Significant attention is paid to interactions, especially everyday ones. The film shows the experience of racial profiling and pays attention to the racial constructs that significantly contribute to the shaping of identity. As well as social interactions can change the social construction of race.
The last aspect seen in the film is the language and the way it can be used to create racial categories. It was mentioned the racist terminology and its impact on the social construction of race. In addition, racism narratives also contributed to the development of discrimination and racial inequality.
Intersectionality: Definition, Origins, and Significance
Intersectionality is also essential to fully understand the concept of social justice. Intersectionality is the framework that includes different aspects of a persons identity (Atewologun, 2018). As a result, a unique experience can be earned. In addition, this term shows that a person cannot be related to only one identity category. Moreover, each form of inequality is interconnected and related.
The History of Intersectionality
The origin of intersectionality comes from the experiences and difficulties the Black women faced. These experiences include oppression, discrimination, and gender inequality. As a result, civil activity and feminist movements occurred (Jankoski, n. d.). This term emphasizes the role of addressing the discrimination that people might face. If we practice intersectionality, it is possible to see the complexity of the identity.
Putting Intersectionality into Practice
In addition, the advocation for social movements and policies that address various forms of discrimination can be essential. However, a more accurate and holistic approach is needed, especially in the social justice system. In addition, this approach should include the experience of marginalized groups and effectively analyze them and understand them to create an appropriate policy.
Conclusion
To conclude, social justice and identity are complex issues that include different factors that shape them. Equity is a crucial part of social justice and the main difference between it and diversity. Diversity creates precedents for discrimination, which social justice can solve. In addition, understanding available social groups and their impact on the issue also helps to better understand the term. Lastly, race and gender are also significantly used in social justice, as most violations are considered to these criteria.
References
Adams, M., & Zúñiga, X. (2018). The importance of equity and dignity. In M. Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, D. C. J. Catalano, K. DeJong, H. W. Hackman, L. E. Hopkins, B. J. Love, M. L. Peters, D. Shlasko, & X. Zúñiga (Eds.), Readings for Diversity and Social Justice (pp. 3-5). Routledge.
Atewologun, D. (2018). Intersectionality Theory and Practice. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Business and Management.
Bell, L. A. (2018). Theoretical foundations for social justice education. In M. Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, D. C. J. Catalano, K. DeJong, H. W. Hackman, L. E. Hopkins, B. J. Love, M. L. Peters, D. Shlasko, & X. Zúñiga (Eds.), Readings for Diversity and Social Justice (pp. 15-27). Routledge.
Jankoski, J. A. (n. d.). Socialization and Hate: Can Higher Education Make a Difference? In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Business and Management.
Kirk, G., & Okazawa-Rey, M. (2018). Categories that maintain structural inequality. In M. Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, D. C. J. Catalano, K. DeJong, H. W. Hackman, L. E. Hopkins, B. J. Love, M. L. Peters, D. Shlasko, & X. Zúñiga (Eds.), Readings for Diversity and Social Justice (pp. 35-38). Routledge.
Race: The Power of an Illusion (The Story We Tell). (n.d.). Facing History and Ourselves. Web.
Tatum, B. D. (2018). The complexity of identity. In M. Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, D. C. J. Catalano, K. DeJong, H. W. Hackman, L. E. Hopkins, B. J. Love, M. L. Peters, D. Shlasko, & X. Zúñiga (Eds.), Readings for Diversity and Social Justice (pp. 28-34). Routledge.
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