What is social justice?

Learning Objective:
To define what social justice and injustice are and explore the different ideas about
what makes something fair.

Do Now:
1) Omnipotent is………
2) The Big Bang is ………
3) A Theodicy is…
4) Natural evil is……..
5) One cause of terrorism is ………
6) DU: “Striving for social justice is the most valuable thing to do
in life”, Albert Einstein. What does this quote tell us about
the importance of working for social justice?
 Find Faults, Fix or Extend
1. Omnipotent means all powerful, an example would be
that God created the universe.
2. The Big Bang is a scientific theory for the
creation of the universe that says that a massive
explosion ripped the universe into existence.​
3. A Theodicy is an argument to prove that God exists
even though there is suffering in the world. It is a
way of defending God’s omnipotence and
omnibenevolence against the existence of evil.
4. Natural evil is evil that occurs naturally in the world
(for which humans are blameless). For example,
disease, famine, earthquakes and tsunamis.
5. One cause of terrorism is war, invasion, imperialism,
politics or extremism.
 The Big Picture
Does religion generate social justice?

What is social justice? Marx, Religion and Social Justice The Old Testament Life & teaching
of
Jesus
Faith in Act
ion: Faith and soc
Martin Luth ial justice
er King – some diffic
ult truths Islam and Social Justice

Fai
th
in A
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Mu tion:
ha m
m ad F a ith
Ali i
Sewa n Action:
and L
angar
The BIG Q
u es t ion
 The Big
Picture
Today, we are going to understand the
definitions of social justice and injustice.
This will enable us to examine images
demonstrating social justice and injustice.
This is important because we will then discuss
our role in working for social justice?.
 Key Term: Social Injustice

Some of the
An act or most common
event that examples of
is unfair or social injustice
are
preventing homophobia,
someone’s ageism and
rights. poverty.
Key Term: Social Injustice

In my own words, social injustice is …

An example of social injustice is………..

Which of these pictures
shows social injustice?
 Key Term: Social Justice

Ensuring that
Promoting everyone has
a fair equal access
society by to basic
challenging needs,
opportunities
injustice. and rights
Key Term: Social Justice

In my own words, social justice is …

An example of social justice is………..

 Social Justice in Action
The term social justice refers to the goal of achieving equality in
society and how to attain it. This includes such factors as the
redistribution of wealth, power and opportunity across all members of
society, specifically to include those who have historically been
oppressed or deprived. Some of the ideas which social justice often
seeks to challenge include the class system, monarchy and
dictatorships.

While social justice as a concept may be too broad to have one

particular face, there are several movements which have formed around
the world and which aim to address an aspect of social justice.

For example, the #metoo movement focused on raising the voices of

women who had been routinely subjected to unsolicited and unwelcome
male advances, as a means of highlighting the need for female equality.
Similarly, the Black Lives Matter movement aimed to draw attention to
the discrimination faced by African American people at the hands of
the police in the USA, where many unarmed Black people have been shot
and killed by police.
 The Big
Question

Does religion promote

social justice?
The United Nations
1948 - Universal Declarations of Human Rights

Statements of rights that all humans should be

granted

Called ‘articles’

First article: ‘All human beings are born free

and equal in dignity and rights’.

Many countries agree to the Universal

Declaration of Human rights.

Amnesty International defend Human Rights

In 1948 the United Nations issued the In 1948 the United
Universal Declarations of Human Rights. Nations issues the …
This contained a set of articles, which are
statements listing rights that all humans This contained a set of
should be granted. The declaration articles which…
includes 30 articles but all are based on
the first article ‘All human beings are The declaration
born free and equal in dignity and includes…
rights’.
Many countries have formally agreed to The articles are all based
the Universal Declaration of Human rights on the first one which
and are expected to maintain each of the says…
rights in their country. When and if any of
the articles are broken then other Many countries have…
countries and international agencies step
in to restore basic human rights. Countries and
international agencies
will step in…
Action groups such as Amnesty
International works worldwide to protect
An example of an action
and campaign for those whose basic human
group is…
rights are denied.
1) Which of these human rights
do you feel are most important
and why?
2) Which of these rights do you
have and how do you know?
3) What problems are caused
when people do not have their
human rights?
1. In my opinion the most important human
right is…..because…
2. Some of the human rights I have are……..I
know this because…
3. When people do not have their human
rights this can cause problems such as…
 If this is the answer
What is the question?

Our human rights Equal opportunities

Not allowing harm to

Everyone being others or preventing them
treated fairly from their basic needs
 Skills Activity
Describe the importance of Human Rights to maintaining
social justice.
There are many different reasons why human
rights are important to people.

P Firstly, they give people equal opportunities.

E This means that / For example……………

P Secondly, having human rights encourages people

E to treat each other fairly.
This means that / For example……………
P Finally, by having human rights it means people
E can continue to work for social justice
This means that / For example……………
 Head Heart Hashtag

Summarise What will

what have How has you share
you learnt it made with
in the you feel? someone
lesson else?
Resources