Some food for thought for these message forums:
The Core Principles of Social Justice
Social justice is defined as the “concept in which equity or justice is achieved in every aspect of society rather than in only some aspects or for some people and affords individuals and groups fair treatment” (SNHU, 2018). Consider these principles as you complete the project draft assignment in Module Two. As you study the core principles of social justice, remember that even though someone hasn’t experienced these core principles in their lived experience, these core principles still exist and affect other people. There are five core principles for social justice:
- Access to resources
- Equity
- Participation
- Diversity
- Human rights
Access to Resources
Previously, you explored social identity and how social identities intersect. Now, you are going to see how social identities continue to affect social justice. The first principle of social justice, access to resources, centers on people of different socioeconomic status receiving equal access to resources. The key word here is
equal. What can equity look and feel like when discussing access to resources?
Equity
The next principle, equity, also centers on the socioeconomic identity to ensure that people receive what they need. Pay attention to how equity interacts with each principle of social justice. Equity comes down to how resources are distributed to groups of people. Often, a person’s socioeconomic identity implies how likely they are to receive a certain resource. Equity is not the same as equality, which provides everyone with the same resources. Just because something is equal does not ensure it is equitable since different groups have different needs.
Participation
The principle of participation refers to whether people feel psychologically safe to speak and can use their voice no matter their identity or background. In some societies, not everyone can voice their opinions, thoughts, or needs. Their participation is limited due to multiple factors. Participation involves advocating for others’ voices to be heard so that they can contribute to decision making in society. Participation for all requires space for all. Those who can hold space for others should do so. How do you hold space for others? Can you think of a time that anyone held space for you?
Diversity
You will learn more about diversity in this course, but it is essential to understand how social justice impacts diversity.
Diversity includes the awareness of protected categories related to discrimination. Some may look familiar because they are also social identities. Individuals, such as employees or students, are protected from discrimination based on race, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, an applicant’s age, disability, or military status. Do any of these protected categories show up as your dominant identity? Policymakers must consider diversity when making laws to meet people’s needs.
While diversity has a significant weight in the workplace, we can work to become more aware of diversity and engage in this area actively. One way to do this is to assess the diversity of the people in your life. Look at your circle of friends, the authors of books you read, the creators of music or podcasts you listen to, the types of media you consume, and the types of businesses you support. How can you add to the diverse voices in your life? Seeking out diverse perspectives is one step in cultivating cultural respect.
Human Rights
Social justice means nothing without considering who justice will serve: the people. All people deserve human rights, and human rights should be the focus when examining social justice. Without human rights, true social justice cannot exist. At the heart of human rights is the desire to uphold the rights of all people, including the civil, political, cultural, legal, and economic rights of others.
As you navigate the online classroom environment, you will cross paths with individuals with similar and different identities. Like you, their identities are shaped in part by lived and learned experiences and unconscious biases that impact their worldviews of justice. This will be a great opportunity to continue to learn from one another, recognize when bias shows up, and practice communication skills along the way. Practicing a growth mindset is an important part of your experience as a student, especially when navigating identity, unconscious bias, and justice. Feldman (2020) explores the growth of fixed mindsets. Similar to unconscious bias, you can learn and unlearn these behaviors. A growth mindset can improve if you are willing to seek to understand, dedicate time to your work, challenge yourself, and practice. However, those with fixed mindsets firmly believe that talent and motivation are things that you are born with and are not areas you can improve on over time. Navigating through this course and the prompts this week will require a growth mindset and commitment to making an effort to challenge your beliefs while in pursuit of learning to understand others.
Starting any journey can be a difficult task. As you begin your journey at SNHU, you may feel uncertain or nervous. On the other hand, some of you may feel excited or proud. Regardless of your feelings, we all start somewhere! It is this shared element that allows us to connect with one another, share our experiences, and grow together as learners. Do not be afraid to lean on your fellow classmates, your instructor, your advisor, and others in your life to help build your confidence, determination, and motivation as you get underway.
