Small Acts of Social Justice in Society
Written by Caitlin Arthur-McGill and edited by Zachary Carter
Roughly 7.7 billion human beings make up the world, all with unique cultures, worldviews and ways of life. Human experience is often shaped by overcoming negative experiences, and too often it is adversity that brings us together. For centuries, individuals have fought through revolutions, sickness and wars, to get to where we are now. Generation Z carries the forgotten weight of those before us. Generation X and Y too carry the weight before them, all the way to the silent and lost generations whose experiences have shaped our current society. All over the world, nations, cities and small communities, continue to fight against grave violations to their individual and collective human rights. With this past, present and inevitable future fight, social justice is born and re-born through every single human being. Justice is the concept of fairness. Social justice is the concept that relates to the hard realities that individuals and groups face in society. This can include, but is not limited to, fair and equitable access to education, healthcare, employment opportunities and housing.
For many people, living in a country like Australia is like hitting a cultural and geological jackpot. It is important to remember that although for many, Australia is a safe and inclusive place, this is not the case for everyone due to factors such as racial and religious discrimination and living near or under the poverty line. Social injustices must be challenged within society. For many, it is the smallest acts of justice that can lead to change, even if those small acts might feel uncomfortable. The first step for engaging with social justice is to start with self-reflection. This reflection can be about personal beliefs and values, as well as taken for granted assumptions about people and their behaviour. It can be expressed through a conversation, because it is always better to speak against a popular belief or harmful bias than to not speak at all. To say and do nothing is not a neutral stance. Challenging assumptions and providing facts to you classmates, friends and family, can encourage discussion and education on social issues leading to better understanding. It is from the differences and not the similarities within each of us that we learn the most.
An example of this is women’s rights. A movement that has been fought for centuries, however much of the conversation has come predominantly from women – arguably only 50% of the world’s population. Thus, we must ask questions about the other 50% of the population and notice ways that power has been inequitably distributed in society. In this instance, there is an argument that true and lasting change will only happen when men and women both join the conversation. A small act can be questioning the status quo and asking who benefits and who is disadvantaged, by policy, practice and public services. Beyond recognising social inequities, it is important to commit to action to fight social barriers and make the effort to change the circumstances. Change can happen individually or collectively, and momentum can be gained through the encouragement of others. A small act of social justice could be printing off a free LGBTQI+ poster from the internet and hanging it up at your institution. It could be asking your best friend what they want to change in the world. It could be organising a guest speaker who has lived experience with social inequities to learn from their perspective about change. It could be working on a group project to create fact sheets about a specific social issue.
As a student, whether in primary school, high school or university, you will never again be surrounded by so many people with diverse experiences, attitudes and ideas. The time for change is now. The time to find your own fire is now and through committing to small acts of social justice in your everyday life, you will ensure that the flame will never die out.