Supporting the fair treatment of all people regardless of gender, race, colour, ethnicity, age, marital or parental status, sexual preference, disability or religious belief.
Government of Western Australia Social Justice Statement, 2021.
The words or at least concepts of ‘social justice’ are used in contexts where people understand social justice to be about fairness beyond individual justice. According to Craig et al, “it is often seen these days as either a relic of the 1970s, or a catch-all used by conservatives and progressives alike”. Baldry argues that “we should all be clamouring for the revival of social justice, that is, ensuring systemic and structural social arrangements to improve equality, as a core political and social value”.
To put it simply, the concept of social justice involves finding the optimum balance between our joint responsibilities as a society and our responsibilities as individuals to contribute to a just society. Many different ideas exist about where that optimum balance lies.