Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Prompt 1: Create your own definition of social justice and include this definition in your
response.
a. How might you communicate this definition of social justice to your
clients/students/colleagues?
b. How might you ensure that your clients/students have input in your practice of
social justice?
c. What role does your identity play in practicing social justice as you define it?
To me, social justice is the process of creating a more humane and compassionate world.
Social justice involves gaining the awareness, knowledge and skills to advocate for equity in our
society. Equity, to me, is making sure that everyones needs are met so that they can equally
participate in society. Equity does not mean that everyones needs are the same or that everyone
should be treated as if they were the same. Social justice at its core, in my opinion, is the
celebration of the uniqueness of each individual and the acknowledgement of their value to
society.
I think that one of the best ways that I can communicate this definition of social justice to
my students and colleagues is through empathy (Collins, 2013). Having true empathy for others
experiences and working daily to understand what my students and/or colleagues are
experiencing can help my students and colleagues to see that I see them as having value. It is
also important to me that my students understand that I see them as whole people who have lives
outside of their work or being a student. Showing empathy for their experiences and working
with them to fulfill their needs in a way that works for them will help them to see this definition
of social justice.
I might ensure that my students have input in my practice of social justice by including
them in the conversation. I believe that it is important for me to understand my students views
of social justice issues, and I have found that sometimes they are more aware and have better
skills than I do around some of these issues. By including them in conversations around isms
To have the opportunity to explore the many layers of your own identity and the
identities of others.
I think that this definition of social justice is very fitting for my particular program here at
Seattle University. There are two things that I think are explicitly missing from this definition
however. The first is the acknowledgement of the value of different groups of people and
different viewpoints. Social justice is not just about knowing multiple viewpoints or knowing
people interact differently. It is about knowing these things and acknowledging that these things
are all valuable to society as a whole. The second thing that I feel is missing from this definition
is an action piece. While awareness and knowledge are very important and can take a long time
to develop, skills are important as well. The third bullet point seems to be missing how we
create these positive outcomes for all people. It is important for our students to have skills that
they can start to try out in their interactions with others.
I feel that the ism group of classism would respond to this definition by saying that this
sounds great, but in practice it may be a very middle class definition for students. Students who