Examining Social Justice and Equality
Social justice and equality are basic human rights. Every Canadian, or citizen of
the world for that matter, deserves both. However, in an increasingly globalized society
and economic landscape, the basic humans rights of people in Canada and across the
globe are being violated. This has resulted in great inequalities and the effects are now
far-reaching with abject poverty becoming a harsh reality that many Canadians must
face in their daily lives. Due to factors like cutbacks in government expenditures, a
globalized economic system and a controlled labour market, the gap between the
af uent and the impoverished is widening, and socially just social welfare is needed
now more than ever to alleviate the suffering of the growing number of destitute
individuals and families in Canada.
Social welfare should be equally accessible to all citizens as a basic human right,
and that provision should include adequate income security programs and social
services to meet the needs of Canadians so that no one will have to live in poverty. The
major components of the social welfare system in Canada are income security, which
includes programs that provide material assistance or nancial aid, and social services,
which includes the provision of both community services and personal services that are
meant to improve the well-being of Canadian citizens (Hick, 2007). They are at the helm
of socially just social welfare, and social welfare policies in Canada should re ect this to
account for socially constructed inequalities and human rights violations that result in a
market-based economy.
This approach should be made available by the federal government to Canadian
fl
fi
fl
citizens to assist them in times of need, in a way that acknowledges and addresses
social injustices and the societal factors that contribute to them. This is not the current
case, however, as those who access social assistance bene ts in Canada do not
bene t very much, because the amount of nancial support provided leaves individuals,
families and children living in poverty. These groups can become stuck in a cyclical
pattern of poverty, a cycle that can span generations. On the contrary, among af uent
families wealth can be passed down through inheritance, while the impoverished have
less nances and assets to leave to their family when they pass on. There is little
sympathy for the poor and destitute in a capitalistic society. According to Colleen Lundy
(2011):
government and public discussions more and more are based on the
ideology of blaming the victims for their poverty and misfortune. Addressing
societal inequalities and social structures that contribute to such conditions are
longer part of the political agenda, if they ever were. (Lundy, p. 15)
n
o
The current dominating ideologies around poverty must be addressed and
challenged to solve the root of this problem in Canada.
To move towards a socially just society, several steps need to be taken by both
citizens, including social workers, and those within the municipal, provincial and federal
governments. An institutional approach to social welfare needs to take precedent over
the current residual approach that is punitive and demeaning, an extension of the
English Poor Laws. Within the residual approach, social welfare is limited and a
temporary response to a person’s needs, and implemented as a last resort. Within the
institutional approach, social welfare is a public response that is necessary to help
people attain a standard of living and health that is reasonable. The residual view is
fl
fi
fi
fi
fi
based on the notion that the needs of an individual should be met through the family
and work, while the institutional view is based on the idea that an individual is not
always able to meet all of his or her needs through family and the market (Hick, 2007).
The attitude of citizens towards those who utilize social assistance should be one
of understanding instead of one re ecting the dominant attitude of a society which
characterizes social welfare recipients as simply lazy or as having personal defects that
cause them to be poor. In order for citizens to change their attitudes, those at the level
of government must also change their attitudes and rhetoric towards citizens in need of
social assistance. Klein and Long (2003) note, “Social assistance (welfare) was
renamed “Employment and Assistance,” signaling the government’s new emphasis on
shifting people into the paid workforce as quickly as possible” (Klein & Long, p. 99).
News media also shares responsibility in in uencing public opinions and attitudes
among Canadians. They must carefully choose the language and rhetoric they use
when describing welfare recipients in news stories that often perpetuate negative
stereotypes and societal beliefs. All must acknowledge social welfare as a basic human
right in a market economy, and work towards correcting stigmas by creating public
awareness.
In moving towards a socially just society, the idea of social inclusion as an
alternative way to look at social welfare delivery should also be put forward. This
concept challenges social welfare scholars to consider the non-economic aspects of
society that lead to social disadvantages or social exclusion, like health care, education,
community life, political participation, and, according to Hick (2007), “This idea refers to
the need to remove barriers and sources of exclusion” (p. 73). He goes on to note:
fl
fl
Many social welfare analysts are now calling for a change in the direction of our
economic and social policies, a change that is premised on the idea of social
inclusion. The belief underlying this premise is that social inclusion will lead to
cohesion, economic growth, and, in the long run, a reduction in the number
individuals who require social welfare assistance. (Hick, p. 102)
social
o
f
Amid the competing aims and needs of state and diverse cultural groups, justice
should be understood as a people rst concept. Despite government social policies with
the goal of balancing budgets and stabilizing the our market economy, the affect on the
social well-being of all citizens must be considered to ensure that social justice is
upheld.
What should be happening and what are happening are two completely different
things. Our economic system is not designed to bene t diverse societal groups, rather it
is designed to increase the wealth of those within the mainstream population. Keeping
the population segmented is an important part of capitalism, and this is where the
sexism, racism, and discrimination comes into play.
The creation of these societal divisions bene ts a capitalistic system by forcing
marginalized groups to compete for scarce jobs, often moving from their home
communities to obtain them. This is advantageous to capitalists because it keeps the
wages down, and people have no choice but to take jobs at low pay in order to survive.
Maintaining a large mobile segmented working class population is crucial to pro ts for
capitalism, and a main reason for widespread poverty among marginalized groups.
Poverty sees no ethnicity, gender, race or religion. It affects all people without
discrimination. Societal discrimination including systematic racism is what puts different
societal groups at risk of becoming poverty-stricken. Aboriginal populations, visible
minorities, immigrants, women, and children face higher risks of poverty in Canada
fi
fi
fi
fi
(Hick, 2007). These groups are all very diverse and unique in their own ways, but what
they share in common is the lack of a voice. Generally speaking, they lack the means of
access to a platform in which they can express their concerns about social policies that
directly affect them. Therefore, their opinions are less likely to be heard and they have
little choice but to live with government decisions that re ect the inequalities created in
society.
The vulnerability of certain societal groups compared to the mainstream
population allows them to be continually be exploited. This is why social workers have
the responsibility of promoting societal equality that bene ts all Canadians regardless of
their race, spiritual beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, age or socioeconomic status.
The role of social workers in Canada is to advocate for the provision of resources and
social services for people in need of assistance, (whether individuals, groups or whole
communities). Social workers must adhere to advancing social change strategies that
would eliminate inequalities that violate human rights. This, however, does not end at
the borders of a social worker’s country of origin.
In every part of the world, especially regions where poverty and inequality are
rampant, many people would bene t invaluably from regulated social welfare protection.
Most developed nations do have social welfare policies that provide basic protection
from poverty, but in many developing nations social assistance is at a bare minimum,
and nonexistent in some instances.
As social justice and human rights advocates, social workers in Canada have the
ability to create positive social change in other countries either privately, or through
af liation with global social work associations like the International Federation of Social
fi
fl
fi
fi
Workers. With granted consultative status as NGOs, organizations like the IFSW, the
International Association of Schools of Social Work, and the International Council on
Social Welfare play leadership roles in advancing a human rights and social justice
perspective (Lundy, 2011). Social work practitioners, despite their nation of citizenship,
play a signi cant role in international social justice issues.
The dire existence that has been created by a globalized market affects nations,
as governments are no longer able to provide social welfare for their citizens in a way
that they once were. As described by Sergio Vieira de Mello, a former UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-2002), international nancial institutions like the
World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank pose
fundamental obstacles to the realization of human rights (Lundy, 2011). This not only
affects developing nations with debt crises, but also Canadian citizens through cutbacks
in government expenditures beginning in the mid-1970s, which has led to numerous
inequalities for Canadians.
Equality, social justice, and human rights are all intertwined. The three are one
and the same and, in many instances, the terms can be used interchangeably. In
relation to the social welfare system in Canada, one of the hardest felt results of the
violation of social justice, equality and human rights of citizens is poverty.
Access to suitable food, shelter, and clothing are the bare necessities in the provision of
social welfare, but societal factors also need to be addressed. Any person who does not
have any one, or all, of these basic needs met is living in poverty. All three must be
factored into the design and delivery of social welfare.
Assessing social justice must include factoring in societal costs, like increasing
fi
fi
costs of living and access to suitable employment, and how they create poverty. The
attitude of the culture as whole needs to be readdressed through knowledge and
awareness. Leroy Little Bear (2000) has stated that:
Culture comprises a society's philosophy about the nature of reality, the values
that ow from this philosophy, and the social customs that embody these values. A n y
individual within a culture is going to have his or her own personal interpretation of the
collective cultural code; however, the individual’s worldview has its roots in the culture
– that is, in the society’s shared philosophy, values, and customs. (Little Bear, p. 25)
The social justice issues faced by poverty-stricken and poor citizens are not the
only social justice issues faced by vulnerable populations in Canada. The human rights
of Canadians are violated in numerous respects, many of which are directly linked to
cutbacks in government expenditures.
Access to healthcare is a basic human right, one that holds tremendous value in
Canada. In what is supposed to be a socially just society in a developed nation, equal
access to affordable healthcare should be attainable for citizens who are suffering from
an illness. As addiction is an illness, affordable care needs to be provided in
communities, and in some instances gender-speci c treatment centres are better-suited
for those in recovery than mixed-gender facilities.
In my home community of Nanaimo, British Columbia, there are affordable
gender-speci c treatment options for men, but none are currently available for women.
Women in Nanaimo who cannot afford expensive facilities must either leave town or not
get treatment. Many women do want treatment but would prefer to not have to leave
their community as this often includes leaving their family support, including children,
behind in order to get the treatment they need.
A social justice issue that has been ongoing in my community concerns the need
fi
fi
fl
for an affordable women’s treatment facility. A residential facility that was designed
speci cally to offer women-speci c treatment was in operation until closing its doors last
spring. Sophia House operated as a partnership between the Island Crisis Care Society
and the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA).
According to an article written by Darrell Bellaart (2013) in the Nanaimo Daily
News that published on March 2, the occupancy rate at Sophia House averaged 51 per
cent in its second year of operation before closing, down from 66 per cent in its rst
year. VIHA maintains that at the annual cost of $294,000, the limited use does not justify
keeping the recovery home open, and the money would better used elsewhere in the
system. This is the basis on which the closing of Sophia House was prompted by VIHA.
Social justice advocates in the community argue that an affordable treatment
centre that provides women-speci c treatment is needed in Nanaimo, and are hoping
that a new facility will ll the void left by Sophia House. This still has not happened yet
but many in the community, including social workers, continue to advocate on behalf of
women who are in need of treatment for addictions in Nanaimo.
Social justice and equality can be considered as synonymous, for to have one, is
to enjoy the other. In a capitalist market economy, numerous factors contribute to the
increasing need for adequate social welfare provision in Canada. This need may be
even greater in debt-ridden developing nations around the globe. When the human
rights of any individual or group are violated, people must act. As a social worker, it is
one’s responsibility to be an advocate to any person or people who are treated unjustly
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
and face inequality.
References
Bellaart. D. (2013, March 2). Options still exist for women’s treatment. Nanaimo Daily
News, p. A4.
Hick, Steven. (2007). Social Welfare in Canada: Understanding income security, 2nd ed.
Thompson Educational Publishing Inc., Toronto, Ontario.
Klein, S., & Long, A. (2003). Part 2, The Context: Where Do BC’s New Welfare
Policy Ideas Come From? In A Bad Time to Be Poor: An Analysis of British
Columbia’s New Welfare Policies, (pp.12-14). Vancouver, BC. Canadian
Centre for Policy Alternatives - BC Of ce, and the Social Planning and
Research Council of BC. Reprinted with permission of The Canadian Centre
for Policy Alternatives - BC Of ce.
Little Bear, L. Jagged worldviews colliding, In M. Battiste (Eds.), Reclaiming
indigenous voice and vision (pp. 77-85). Vancouver, BC UBC Press. Reprinted
from Reclaiming Indifenous Voice and Vision by Marie Battiste. (Ed.) Copyright
Uniersity of British Columbia Press 2000. Allrights reserved by publisher.
Reproduced with permission.
fi
fi
Lundy, Colleen. (2011). Social Work, Social Justice & Human Rights: A Structural
Approach to Practice, 2nd ed. University of Toronto Press, North York, Ontario.