Social workers are passionate about serving others. They apply this passion to advocating for vulnerable groups of people like children, seniors and those with disabilities. Because of this, social work is tied to social justice, which often leads efforts to protect the rights of the previously mentioned groups.

This article discusses what social justice is, why it’s important, and how social justice applies to the social work field.

Social justice has to do with the belief that all people should have equal rights and opportunity. However, there is a lot of confusion about what exactly this means. To more fully understand social justice, it helps to examine its history.

The concept of social justice has religious roots, originating in 1843 from the Italian philosopher and priest Luigi Taparelli d’Azeglio, according to the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI), a nonprofit educational organization. ISI notes that the Catholic Church formally adopted “social justice” as part of its teaching through Pope Pius XI’s 1931 encyclical, “Quadragesimo Anno.” These early discussions of social justice addressed the growing gap between the rich and poor after the industrial revolution and into the progressive era.

After the Great Depression, the social work profession experienced a shift in priorities and adopted a social justice focus. In his Social Work Today article, “Keeping Social Justice in Social Work,” Dr. Frederic Reamer explains how many social workers “worked primarily in public welfare agencies and other social programs begun under the New Deal and designed to address society’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens.”

The idea of social justice received more attention after John Rawl, an American political philosopher, published “A Theory of Justice” in 1971. Its guiding principle was that people have “an equal right to the most extensive system of equal basic liberties compatible with a similar system of liberty for all.” Rawl’s ideas and theories of social justice have continued to be pertinent in economics and politics. For example, the United Nations and The International Forum for Social Development mention Rawl’s justice ideas throughout the 2006 publication, “Social Justice in an Open World: The Role of the United Nations.”

Definition of social justice:
Social justice is a type of justice rooted in the idea that all people should have equal rights, opportunity and treatment.

Definition of social injustice:
Social injustice is when actions are taken that infringe upon a group’s rights, marginalize their opportunities or treat them unfairly.

Social justice promotes fairness and equity across many aspects of society. For example, it promotes equal economic, educational and workplace opportunities. It’s also important to the safety and security of individuals and communities.

According to the National Education Association (NEA) Diversity Toolkit, “The absence of social justice results in social oppression.” The NEA notes this could be in the form of “racism, sexism, ageism, classism, ableism, and heterosexism.” It also suggests the following strategies for promoting social justice:

Social workers apply the above strategies to advance growth and change among vulnerable groups, such the senior, LGBTQ, homeless, veteran and refugee communities.

Social justice issues span many areas. The Pachamama Alliance, an organization that advocates for indigenous and nature rights, says social justice issues can stem from prejudices in areas such as race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, education and mental or physical ability. Social workers must engage these issues as they promote social development and change.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) notes five areas of social justice priorities: voting rights, criminal justice/ juvenile justice, environmental justice, immigration and economic justice. Other common social justice priorities are related to health care, education and workers’ rights. While liberals and conservatives feel differently about social justice issues and how to address them, social workers are committed to addressing the social injustices they encounter.

Social justice and social work cannot be separated. Social workers use their strong communication and empathy skills to relate with patients undergoing stress and trauma, which could be related to social injustices. They ensure people are treated with respect and promote social justice within schools, hospitals, community centers, nursing homes and more.

According to the NASW’s Code of Ethics, “The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty.” The NASW lists social justice as one of the social work profession’s core values, which include:

Each value is tied to an aspirational ethical principle. For social justice, the ethical principle is “Social workers challenge social injustice.” The Code of Ethics expands upon this principle:

Social workers pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social workers’ social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice. These activities seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge about oppression and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers strive to ensure access to needed information, services, and resources; equality of opportunity; and meaningful participation in decision making for all people.

Social workers engage in social justice because they have to be attentive to the environmental and societal factors that contribute to people’s struggles. Reamer explains this in his Social Work Today article, writing about how social workers understand “that individual clients’ struggles with problems such as clinical depression, anxiety, domestic violence, substance abuse and poor health often stem from significant social and economic problems associated with poverty, unemployment, unaffordable housing, inflation and other environmental problems.”

Aside from social work, there are several other careers in social justice. If you’re looking for ways to help individuals and communities address injustices, you may want to consider the following social justice careers: 

Regardless of what type of social work career you wish to pursue, if you decide to become a social worker, social justice will likely be an integral part of your work. Below are resources related to social justice in social work. How will social justice be part of your social work career?

Last updated: March 2022