Wednesday 22 May 2019

Exploring Concepts And Definitions Of Social Justice

By Shirley Anderson


Different people often interpret different areas and concepts of society in different ways. Officially, when it comes to social justice, the term relates to the concept of fair and just practices between society and individuals. In most cases, this is measured by personal identity, lifestyle, social privilege, personal activity and distribution of wealth.

In current movements, the practice has placed an emphasis on breaking barriers when it comes to economic and racial inequality, LGBTQ+ rights and social mobility. In addition, the movements are working to enable the duties and rights with regards to institutional aspects of society so that all individuals can receive the benefits of capitalism and corporatism. In fact, there are now a number of programs, workshops and conferences associated with this type of justice being held at colleges and universities on an annual basis to assure this is the case.

Most often, these institutions are made up of social taxation and insurance, public health centers, schools, services and affordable housing. Whereas, distribution of wealth through community and government benefits and regulation of markets are also important in this regard. Whereas, most all of these institutions and organizations focus on individual equality and responsibility, especially by those in power such as governors, senators, mayors and city council members.

The practice is often invoked during discussions about historical figures, philosophers and ideologies which differ in the overall human experience. In most cases, these differences refer to gender identity, racial equality, immigration reform, the environment and individuals whom are developmentally or physically disabled. More recently, issues related to LGBTQ+ and gender identity have also become part and parcel to the movement.

In most cases, the social aspects of the justice system can be traced back in history to the time of Thomas Paine's ideological and philosophical beliefs and Augustine of Hippo. While this is the case, the term actually did not become widely used until the late 1700s. After which, people came more familiar with the practice during the 1848 revolutions. Then, the term gained a great deal more popularity in relation to the women's and civil rights movements during the 1950s and 1960s.

Recent research has shown that the expression was actually used as early as the Federalist Papers No 7 in the which the term was mentioned in print for the first time. As a result, a number of American scholars in the legal field began using the phrase on a regular basis. Then, later the term became a common occurrence in worldwide educational institutions and law practices around the world.

In the latter part of the industrial revolution, progressive American scholars began using the term more frequently. After which, it was also used in establishing the International Labor Organization. Once the labor organization was established, the term began to spread more rapidly around the world, with different countries providing different concepts and meanings.

It should be noted that while a Jesuit priest had been recognized as coining the term, the phrase is much older. As such, there is no certainty as to whom the first individual was to use the term. In some cases, it has even been associated with the spirit of Enlightenment, which would make sense, still no one knows for sure. As such, unless researchers can find a text with the phrase which predates 1748, this will most likely remain the case.




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