My Definition of Social Justice:
Initially, my definition of social justice was focused on the concept of equality and how the existing power structure is used. Social justice for me was doing things right by all members of a community without discrimination. Where by power, in any situation is not abused for the benefit of one group and disadvantage of another. (August 25, 2016)
As Rawls mentions in his "A Theory of Justice", justice is the set of principles or guiding structure we as a society (of men) would arrive at if we were to remove our knowledge of our position in society from the equation. These principles of social justice "provide a way of assigning rights and duties in the basic institutions of society and they define the appropriate …show more content…
I will not go into any detail citing all the injustices in the world since the beginning of time, but this idea is important because unlike in the days of the American civil rights movement; discrimination or even injustice today is not seen in plain sight. As Hayward and Swanstrom explain in their book on "Justice and the American Metropolis" cities as the backdrop of our urban lives are rife with "thick injustice" (Hayward & Swanstrom, 2011, p. 4) where unjust power relations are deep and difficult to see or assign responsibility.
As Whitney Young Jr. explained in 1968, social injustice in the form of discrimination and segregation in America is not something that just happened; it is part of the structural system of governance in the United States and it is historically planned and re-planned with the aid of architects, urban designer and planners who shape the city that people inhabit. And even with all the civil reforms it has not disappeared, it just changed its stripes to fit in like a chameleon into the fabric of the cities we live …show more content…
Over the past few months I have finished all five seasons of HBO 's The Wire which depicts the lives of people in Baltimore, including the police department, municipal government, school system and drug organizations to name a few. The Wire further illustrates what Young calls the "unintended consequences" (Young I. M., 2013, p. 57) of structural injustice. The series closes with a harrowing message: that even the most well-intentioned and justice seeking individuals trying to change Baltimore for the better, could not break the strong cycle of oppression. We see young people full of promise fall into crime and drugs because of the deep-rooted and systemized channels guiding the possibilities available to them. Like in most drama, the tragic elements could have been avoided with more individuals lending their voices to the injustices they witness, rather than simply "following the rules, minding their own business, and trying to accomplish their legitimate goals." (Young I. M., 2013, p.
Initially, my definition of social justice was focused on the concept of equality and how the existing power structure is used. Social justice for me was doing things right by all members of a community without discrimination. Where by power, in any situation is not abused for the benefit of one group and disadvantage of another. (August 25, 2016)
As Rawls mentions in his "A Theory of Justice", justice is the set of principles or guiding structure we as a society (of men) would arrive at if we were to remove our knowledge of our position in society from the equation. These principles of social justice "provide a way of assigning rights and duties in the basic institutions of society and they define the appropriate …show more content…
I will not go into any detail citing all the injustices in the world since the beginning of time, but this idea is important because unlike in the days of the American civil rights movement; discrimination or even injustice today is not seen in plain sight. As Hayward and Swanstrom explain in their book on "Justice and the American Metropolis" cities as the backdrop of our urban lives are rife with "thick injustice" (Hayward & Swanstrom, 2011, p. 4) where unjust power relations are deep and difficult to see or assign responsibility.
As Whitney Young Jr. explained in 1968, social injustice in the form of discrimination and segregation in America is not something that just happened; it is part of the structural system of governance in the United States and it is historically planned and re-planned with the aid of architects, urban designer and planners who shape the city that people inhabit. And even with all the civil reforms it has not disappeared, it just changed its stripes to fit in like a chameleon into the fabric of the cities we live …show more content…
Over the past few months I have finished all five seasons of HBO 's The Wire which depicts the lives of people in Baltimore, including the police department, municipal government, school system and drug organizations to name a few. The Wire further illustrates what Young calls the "unintended consequences" (Young I. M., 2013, p. 57) of structural injustice. The series closes with a harrowing message: that even the most well-intentioned and justice seeking individuals trying to change Baltimore for the better, could not break the strong cycle of oppression. We see young people full of promise fall into crime and drugs because of the deep-rooted and systemized channels guiding the possibilities available to them. Like in most drama, the tragic elements could have been avoided with more individuals lending their voices to the injustices they witness, rather than simply "following the rules, minding their own business, and trying to accomplish their legitimate goals." (Young I. M., 2013, p.