January 6th Action vs. Justice

As a part of RA training this past week, there was a strong focus on social justice, which has been one of the staples of ongoing training seminars throughout the year. For several hours we discussed social justice, and the different ways that it could be achieved. Unfortunately, the group did not necessarily have a full grasp as to what social justice is, and, sadly, few people truly do. On a college campus, what students should truly focus on is social action, not social justice. Social action is the form of acts that individuals can do to try to make a positive change within their communities and environments. Social justice, on the other hand, is the act of totally eradicating a certain problem from the globe, making it a non-issue. Very few examples of social justice exist in our world, as that would require a total fix of the problem. An example of social justice would be that all people have food to eat all the time, therefore erasing hunger from the list of problems plaguing human civilization. Social action would be sending food to an African nation struggling with emaciation. The trouble with the confusion is not simply logistics. The issue becomes when an organization tries to convince people that social justice is something achievable. It is a form of setup for failure. If the problem is not completely finished, the group must have been unsuccessful, even though any contributions of social action are, in many ways, solving a problem, even if not the problem. The real root of the issue is the difference between action and intention. Social action is an act that can be done, something physical, tangible, and quantifiable to make the world a little better. Social justice, on the other hand, is the intention of making the world better, the wish for better, the ideal of better. Another issue with misinforming individuals on the difference between social action and justice is the difference that can arise in the eyes of different types of people on social justice. There is not a single answer to what is and is not socially “wrong,” and therefore leads to questioning about sweeping statements of the need for justice. Some may not believe that solving problem is necessary. They may not even believe that such a problem is even a problem. Therefore telling a collection of over 300 RAs that the goal is social justice is misleading, and can lead to a sense of helplessness. The best way that the University can educate its staff is to encourage a diverse form of social action projects. Some may focus on one issue, others another, but that will allow students to truly feel connected to the projects that they are doing, and they can feel a tangible change happening in the world. Social justice can also be taught, but it must be done in such a way that individuals understand the loft of such a goal, and understand that they cannot achieve social justice alone, but rather that they can act toward making the world a better place as a whole.