Social Justice

Social justice pertains to access to rights, opportunities, and privileges within a society and globally. Social justice ensures equal life chances for all individuals regardless of individual characteristics or background, starting in the perinatal period, all way to the end of life. Although social justice is a universal concept, different cultures may include distinct narratives about what makes a society just. Compelling scientific evidence exists for the social and economic benefits of investing in equitable societies.

Developmental scientists have long acknowledged that social justice, or the absence thereof, may have critical repercussions for development over the life span. In 1979, psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner advanced a bioecological systems theory that was one of the first to acknowledge the influence of multiple nested ecosystems in human development. That ...