Traditionally social justice policies rarely focus on equality issues other than economic or income inequalities, and equalities policies rarely include economic inequality. The infrastructures for dealing with the two are quite different. Yet social justice and equalities are closely interwoven. For example, people living in poverty are more likely than others to be disabled, and disabled people are more likely than able-bodied people to be poor - i.e. disability may be implicated in both the causes and effects of poverty.
By ‘unpacking the equalities dimension’ of social justice, we mean understanding the interrelatedness of social justice and equalities issues - why in social justice considerations we need to include equalities issues, and why social disadvantage needs to be recognized as another form of inequality (Sam, 2000).
Social exclusion describes a lack of or exclusion from full citizenship. (Citizenship includes civil, political and social rights). Factors usually considered include low income, poor housing, poor health, etc. Social justice and social inclusion describe changing systems and shaping culture to guarantee full citizenship.
The idea of social justice is founded on the principles of equal worth of all; entitlement of all to income, shelter and other basic necessities; opportunities and life chances for all; and reducing/ eliminating unjust inequalities.
Social justice, sometimes called civil justice, is a concept largely based on various social contract theories.
Most variations on the concept hold that as governments are instituted among populations for the benefit of members of those populations, those governments which fail to see to the welfare of their citizens are failing to uphold their part in the social contract and are, therefore, unjust (Sam, 2000). The concept usually includes, but is not limited to, upholding human rights; many variants also contain some statements concerning more equitable distributions of wealth and resources.
Social justice rightly.......
