Social Justice

Social justice designates the visions of—and the efforts to bring about—a just and equitable society. [Page 1191]Social justice movements have often been supported by religious groups and frequently have an emphasis on providing rights and resources to those subgroups that have been historically and systematically oppressed. While the term originally referred to the equal distribution of economic opportunities, social justice came to denote a wide range of political, legal, and cultural causes, including—but not limited to—rights to health care, housing, education, and legal representation. Poverty, racism, sexism, and other institutionalized inequalities are considered to be obstacles to achieving the egalitarian society envisioned by social justice advocates. Guided by the complementary principles of subsidiarity and solidarity, movements that advance social justice emphasize the inherent dignity of ...