SOCIAL JUSTICE (cont’d)

Conceptions of social justice are the views people have about why there
should be fairness or equity between the different groups on society. These
concepts are:

1. Natural rights – refers to rights people are entitled to by virtue of being

human, e .g. life and liberty. Natural rights are enshrined in constitutions as a
Bill of Rights. Additional rights considered necessary for all people to enjoy
similar benefits are:
Civil and political right e.g. the right to vote and hold public office
Economic and social rights e.g. fair wages, right to education and
health care
Ethnic rights – protection of minorities from unfair practices in
employment and access to education.

2. Welfare – social justice that is based on ideas of welfare focus on the

distribution of resources so that the disadvantaged in society have access to
the necessities of life. Disadvantaged groups include the homeless, elderly,
poor, physical and mentally challenged.

3. Mutual advantage - this concept recognizes that some level of inequality

exists in all societies, so for social justice to prevail everyone must benefit
from opportunities available in society. However, the recipient must earn
the benefit rather than being given it as a right or because of a need. E.g. an
unemployed person on welfare must commit to seeking e job.

Social Injustice - Refers to inequitable access to social and economic

opportunities on the basis of ones age, gender, ethnicity, class or creed.
Discrimination refers to acts or behaviours that treat others unfairly.
Discrimination can be based on:

1. Age. Ageism is an attitude towards mainly older people that treats them
as objects of not much worth. Ageist practices include, exclusion of older
people from social activities, media stereotyping – ‘grumpy old man’, ‘old
maid’ etc. 2. Sex. Sexism refers to prejudice against people based on their
sex and not on individual merits or failures. Sexist practices extend to both
men and women. Outcomes of sexism include sexual harassment, domestic
violence. Discrimination against women e.g. denying women equal pay for
equal work or restricting access to higher paying jobs affect entire families.
3. Racism and classism. Racism is the negative or positive value that is
placed on a group of people who belong to a particular race or have a certain
skin colour because they are believed to be superior or inferior.
Classism refers to the negative or positive ways that persons of a particular
socio-economic group are portrayed. Class and racial discrimination find
expression in streaming in schools and employment practices based on
ascriptive criteria (race, colour, social class, physical appearance).

Indicators of development affected by breaches of Social Justice

Social and economic equalization –the degree to which all groups are
experiencing similar levels of income, access to goods and services and
other opportunities. Slave society was unequal because the whites exerted
political power and controlled the wealth while the enslaved had neither.
Today, racial discrimination and prejudice foster inequalities- the growing
gap between the rich and the poor which is underpinned by race and class
still persists in most Caribbean countries, especially in Jamaica, Haiti and
the Dominican Republic.

Productivity
Employment discrimination or sexual abuse affects the development of a
country by reducing female productivity and, among children reduced
capacity to learn and hence take advantage of educational opportunities.
Less pay for women doing the same jobs as men may find women becoming
de-motivated; low paid workers may resort to sabotage, go-slow, etc.

Quality of life.
Ageism forces many older persons to retire, thus robbing society of a store
of accumulated knowledge, experience and wisdom. Exclusion further
isolates older people as they tend to believe stereotypes about themselves
(self-fulfilling prophesy). The failure to provide adequate help, medical care
and relief for the elderly results in increased morbidity and likely earlier
mortality.
Groups that experience racial and social class discrimination in the labour
market become an underclass, turning to crime, drugs, etc.
Workers in low paying jobs are unable to improve their standard of living.