Philosophy of Social Justice
Nobody should graduate from Social Justice High School without being able to explain what social justice means to her or him. Your Philosophy of Social Justice statement should be no less than 250 words and no more than 600 words. In light of your four years as a social justice student, you have studied many topics and issues locally, nationally and globally. Your Philosophy of Social Justice essay should draw upon those learning experiences and articulate how they have shaped your personal definition of social justice.
This statement will provide a clear philosophy and a vision for struggle. Each statement should be unique. Nonetheless, the following guidelines should be helpful to you as you prepare your statement. Your Philosophy of Social Justice Statement should answer four fundamental questions with concrete examples:
The Philosophy of Social Justice Statement should include concrete examples of specific topics, drawn from your life experience and from your courses at Social Justice High School.
This statement will provide a clear philosophy and a vision for struggle. Each statement should be unique. Nonetheless, the following guidelines should be helpful to you as you prepare your statement. Your Philosophy of Social Justice Statement should answer four fundamental questions with concrete examples:
- What is social justice?
- What obstacles do we face while struggling to achieve social justice?
- What is your vision for struggle?
- What is your role in the struggle?
- How is this topic/issue/problem a social justice issue?
The Philosophy of Social Justice Statement should include concrete examples of specific topics, drawn from your life experience and from your courses at Social Justice High School.
Your Philosophy of Social Justice must answer the following questions:
1. What is social justice?
You have heard these two words thousands of times in the last four years. But what do they really mean to you? Use specific examples to describe what social justice is. Your examples may have to begin by describing what social justice is not, but they should not be limited to negative examples. You may use examples from your life but you also must include examples from your classes. You may want to describe how your understanding of social justice has changed over the last four years.
2. What obstacles do we face while struggling to achieve social justice?
If we all want social justice, then why don’t we have it? What are the historical and current obstacles to achieving social justice? Again use specific examples from your classes and from your life.
3. What is your vision for struggle?
How do people effectively struggle towards social justice? In other words, what strategies and techniques help us achieve social justice? How will those of us committed to social justice move forward during your lifetime? Provide evidence for the effectiveness of these strategies by citing personal or historical examples.
4. What is your role in the struggle?
How do you imagine yourself contributing to the vision for struggle you explained above? What will you do right now? What is your Fire? What will you do in your career or life in the future?
5. How is your chosen issue connected to social justice?
All four sections of your philosophy of social justice should be consistent with each other and with the rest of your Fire project. For example, your role in the struggle has to fit within your vision for struggle and has to address one of the obstacles you discussed. All four sections should rely heavily on specific examples from your classes and your life to make your philosophy clear and concrete.
Your essay must included at least 1 academic scholarly source, which is cited in your annotated bibliography.
1. What is social justice?
You have heard these two words thousands of times in the last four years. But what do they really mean to you? Use specific examples to describe what social justice is. Your examples may have to begin by describing what social justice is not, but they should not be limited to negative examples. You may use examples from your life but you also must include examples from your classes. You may want to describe how your understanding of social justice has changed over the last four years.
2. What obstacles do we face while struggling to achieve social justice?
If we all want social justice, then why don’t we have it? What are the historical and current obstacles to achieving social justice? Again use specific examples from your classes and from your life.
3. What is your vision for struggle?
How do people effectively struggle towards social justice? In other words, what strategies and techniques help us achieve social justice? How will those of us committed to social justice move forward during your lifetime? Provide evidence for the effectiveness of these strategies by citing personal or historical examples.
4. What is your role in the struggle?
How do you imagine yourself contributing to the vision for struggle you explained above? What will you do right now? What is your Fire? What will you do in your career or life in the future?
5. How is your chosen issue connected to social justice?
All four sections of your philosophy of social justice should be consistent with each other and with the rest of your Fire project. For example, your role in the struggle has to fit within your vision for struggle and has to address one of the obstacles you discussed. All four sections should rely heavily on specific examples from your classes and your life to make your philosophy clear and concrete.
Your essay must included at least 1 academic scholarly source, which is cited in your annotated bibliography.