SOCIAL JUSTICE

Meaning of Social Justice

The concept of social justice is best understood as forming one part of the broader
concept of justice in general. Before we understand social justice, let us understand
justice, and then attempt to comprehend that the part of justice which we can call
social justice.
The terms ‘just’ and justice’ have a very broad and wide use. To the Greeks,
according to Aristotle, justice was equivalent to virtue in general. But we use the
concept in many different contexts to make a verification of moral and political
points. The terms ‘just’ and justice’ are most confusing and ambiguous because an
act may be just to one person and unjust to another. So ,when we talk of just men,
just society ,just actions and just states of affairs, the word just is always used and
understood as against unjust, and independently it can never convey the sense in
which it is being widely used. Thus, the terms ‘justice’ and ‘injustice’ are relative
terms and describe the pleasure and pains suffered by a group of individual while
not by another in similar circumstances.
Meaning of Social Justice
To the theorists, the just state of affairs is that in which each individual
has exactly those benefit and burdens are due to him by virtue of
personal characteristics and circumstances. It implies that where two
men are equal in the relevant respects, they should be treated in the
same way.
The principle to ‘treat equals equally’ or ‘treat men equally except
there are relevant differences between them’ has often said as a
general characteristic of justice this presents the principle of equality of
opportunity which is one of the modes of delivery of justice. Under this
principle every individual of a republication society should get his due
both pleasure and pain.
Meaning of Social Justice
Broadly justice may be divided into legal and social justice. Legal justice
concerns the punishment of wrongdoing and compensation of injuring through the
creation and enforcement of the public laws and rules. It deals with two types of
issues. First of all, it stipulates the condition under which punishment may be
inflicted, adjust the scale of punishment to fit the nature of different crimes and
also make a provision for giving reparation to the victims of crimes in certain
circumstances only. We call this as criminal justice. The other part of the legal
justice is civil justice. It regulates the amount of restitution which must be made for
injuries. Under both – criminal and civil justice the principle of a fair trial, rights of
appeal, etc. form part of the legal justice.

Social justice, on the other hand, concerns the distribution of benefit and
burdens throughout a society. It deals with such matters as the protection of
persons’ regulation of wages, housing, medicine, social security and many other
social welfare benefit. Since benefits given to individual largely depends upon the
shape of the power structure a society has; therefore, the distribution of power is
relevant to social justice.
Meaning of Social Justice
A complete concert of an individual with his society is the hall-mark of a just social
order. A just social order is based on a harmony of the individual with his society;
and it is through the nexus of his station in life this harmony can be attempted and
achieved. Lawlessness or disorder, immorality or injustice result by throwing out of
gear the relation between the individual and the society. It is either when the
individual ego emulates itself as against the social ego, or when social over-reaches
itself to the annihilation of the individual ego. Justice aspires for a concord of the
individual with society so that there is chance neither for individual excesses nor
for extreme social hegemony.
Social justice is the position of the station in life and status in society, the curious
name of social justice is given to a creed committed to reduce reciprocity between
an individual’ duties and rights, between his liabilities and liberties.
Society is constituted into a state only to enforce this reciprocity by authority. In the
modern technique of social welfare this obligation is discharged through the agency
of law enacted and enforced by the State.
The need for Social Justice
The aspiration for social justice, through which every working man and
woman can claim freely and on the basis of equality of opportunity their fair
share of the wealth that they have helped to generate, is as great today as it
was when the ILO was created in 1919. As the ILO celebrates its 100th
anniversary in 2019, the importance of achieving social justice is ever more
pressing, with the rise in inequality and exclusion, which is a threat to social
cohesion, economic growth and human progress. With climate change,
demographic changes, technological development and, more generally,
globalization, we are witnessing a world of work that is changing at an
unprecedented pace and scale. How can these challenges be addressed to
offer possibilities for the achievement of social justice in an ever more
complex world of work?
Principle of Social Justice
The principle of social justice implies establishment of equality in social relationships. It
aims at removing discrimination suffered by particular groups of labour. The disabilities and
discrimination suffered by slaves, serfs, indentured and migrant labour, bonded labour, etc.
is well-known. Discrimination against women workers when compared to their men
counterpart, in matters relating to wages and other terms and conditions of employment,
has continued till date.
The preamble to the constitution of ILO recognises that "universal and lasting peace can be
established only if it is based upon social justice" and its Philadelphia Charter of 1944
asserts, "All human beings, irrespective of race, creed or sex, have the right to pursue both
their material well-being and their spiritual development in conditions of freedom and
dignity, of economic security and equal opportunity". The Indian Constitution has
prohibited discrimination on the basis of caste, race, sex and religion. The Constitution also
abolishes 'untouchability' in any form and prohibits beggars and forced labour. The
Directive Principles of State Policy also direct the state to strive to promote the welfare of
the people by securing and protecting a social order in which justice - social, economic and
political, shall inform all institutions of the national life.
Example: Labour laws enacted keeping in view the principle of social justice are: Indian
Slavery Act, 1843; Equal Remuneration Act, 1976; Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act,
1976 and Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970.
Principle of Social Justice
The principles of social justice are an essential part of effective health
promotion. There are four interrelated principles of
Social Justice
Equity

Access

Participation

Rights
Social Welfare & Social Justice
Social welfare concerns the collective well being of members of a society and
the social responsibility for its ongoing improvement. The study of social
welfare examines the quality of human life in a society, in all its dimensions,
and explores the types of resources needed to enhance it, including but not
limited to social work and social welfare policies and programs. Social justice
intersects with social welfare in its concern for the extent to which persons
have equitable access to resources for human development, both within a
society and globally. Social justice research investigates whether some
groups have privileged access to resources while others are systematically
excluded and social justice advocacy explores ways to remove social
inequalities.

“Social justice is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political
and social rights and opportunities. Social workers aim to open the doors of
access and opportunity for everyone, particularly those in greatest need.”
National Association of Social Workers. “Social justice encompasses
economic justice.
Social Justice
The concept of justice is not a simple one, but multi-dimensional. One of its dimensional is
social justice which is an outcome of social philosophy .A social philosophy of a nation
largely depends on its policy it follows. A society is judged by the norms those govern the
lives of its members. The norm that is enforced by the State is its system which reflect
rights, privileges and obligations of its citizens.
The concept of social justice is not a pleasing but perplexing one. Its connotations are
social economic and political .Under a polity embracing social justice discrimination based
on caste, creed , race, religion, faith, sex and place of birth does not find place. The concept
assures all citizens individual dignity and other cherished human values for the full
evolution of his personality ,It envisages to established a welfare state where equal
opportunity to education and work for livelihood is proffered to both –men and women
without the least discrimination based on caste and creed socio-economic justice pleads
for equal remuneration for equal work to both –men and worker without creating any
difference of caste and creed . Social justice must be in conformity with justice in all
aspects of social life of a given society. Without political justice economic justice vis-a vis
social justice is not possible. Political justice stands for an equal share in ruling and also
being ruled. It is a rule of law and not of men or men needs and under which sovereign
resides with the people. As political justice serves the social needs and so it too is a part of
social justice.
Social Justice
Economic justice for an equal opportunity for material gains to all
citizens without any discrimination of caste and creed. It can notes
adjustment of various interests in a given socio-economic structure of a
State .In various Indian labour legislation the concept of social justice is
describe in every industrial adjudication.
A galaxy of case law concludes that the adjudications strike a balance
between the interest of labour force and the interests of capital
investing public. It is because without striking a balance of adjustments
of the two interest’s industrial peace cannot be achieved and without
the industrial peace neither the country will prosper nor the labour
force will prosper. Thus, the concept of social justice demands the
satisfaction of interests of various sections of the society and
particularly those sections of people who did not opportunities to
develop their personalities.