Social Justice And Art

Analysis Social Justice can be defined as the promotion of a just society and the challenging of issues that can be seen as unjust. It is the belief that all people are entitled to human rights and should be treated in a just manner. Social justice is making sure that the needs of all people are met, and that all people are treated in a just manner regardless of race, sexuality, financial status, or any other Characteristic. The goal of social justice is to eliminate various issues that are unjust in the sense that they take away the human rights of people in our society (Robinson). Social Justice and art are directly related to each other. Art has the ability to be used as a powerful medium to create social change, and is a tool used by …show more content…
In order to have a lasting impact on its viewers, a piece of artwork must be thought provoking and and striking to the viewer. Art that is used as an attempt for social change may often be seen as provocative if the issue is controversial, such as abortion or euthanasia. The reason that art is an affective tool for social change is because it provides its audience with a visual representation of an issue. By doing this, the issue is humanized by having emotion conveyed, as opposed to simply having information provided about the issue (Shulman, …show more content…
Though these terms are similar, there are multiple key differences between the two. Charity focuses on alleviating the immediate needs of an individual or small group of people. The effects that charity has are short term, and focusses on the immediate problems at hand. Justice, however, focusses mainly on locating the source of an issue and eliminating it. Justice is the communal obligation to find a long-term solution for a social justice issue. (Massaro) One of the many ways to bring attention to social justice issues in our society is through art. Art can be found everywhere in our world, whether it be through visual art, graffiti, photography, or any other medium. When art is used as a tool for social change, it can be extremely effective. By creating visual representations of issues in society, an artist can cause people to question their own beliefs and opinions on the subject. It has the ability make people think critically about the social justice issues that are being conveyed, and to inspire them to do what they can to help eliminate the issues that are portrayed.