What is Social Justice?

“Social Justice: noun: justice in terms of the distribution of wealth opportunities, and privileges within a society” (Dictionary.com).

“Social justice refers to a concept in which equity or justice is achieved in every aspect of society rather than in only some aspects or for some people” (NEA).

Above are two different, yet similar, definitions of social justice. I personally prefer the second definition because it points to the idea that every single person is equal completely. No ifs, and, buts, or exceptions. The second definition comes from the National Education Society’s article “Diversity Toolkit: Social Justice.” In this article it is pointed out that “the absence of social justice results in social oppression.” Many cultures are oppressed, and often it comes in different forms. Socially oppressed people may face discrimination, lack of resource distribution, and emotional damage. As future educators we need to be aware of the oppression that may be going on in our community and how to be a social justice warrior for our future students. This article provides some strategies on how to focus on our students and fight social oppression in the classroom. We need to be aware of behaviors and attitudes in our classroom from both the “privileged” and the oppressed. If a student is feeling uncomfortable it is our job to make them feel safe in our classroom. All parties should be talked to and the subject should be addressed quickly before anything can get worse. Part of that has to do with how much focus on diversity we put in the classroom. The more acceptance and equality that is taught in the classroom the more the students will learn that everyone deserves to be accepted and treated fairly. This is very important to me because I was not treated fairly in school because of my background. Hispanic kids made fun of me for looking white, and white kids made fun of me for not being “all white.” Social oppression can happen in various forms and we need to be aware of that. It isn’t one size fits all. I also like the idea of addressing the consequences of being oppressed in class. That way the students can recognize why they should be accepting to diverse cultures. Diverse cultures doesn’t just mean accepting all cultures, it’s also accepting the people that come from multiple backgrounds. I think the most important part of social justice is to be aware of the oppression that is happening around you. Currently as students we see examples (or are an example) of social oppression. We can use these examples to prepare ourselves for what we will deal with when we’re teachers. I don’t want any students going through what I have, so I will always try my best to make sure all cultures in my classroom are appreciated and celebrated.

“Diversity Toolkit: Social Justice.” NEA 2017. http://www.nea.org/tools/30414.htm. Accessed 10 Oct 2017.