You notice it especially when it is missing: Social justice

February 20th is the "World Day of Social Justice" - an opportunity for us to focus on the topic of social justice at share. Because we want to make the world a little more just every day with our products and balance out the effects of social injustice. But what exactly is social justice? What are the biggest political and social grievances and what does the climate crisis have to do with it? The sociologist Prof. Dr. Matthias Quent has taken on the topic for us as a guest author. He shows the biggest problems that hinder social justice here and globally and explains how justice can be achieved.

Imagine you're taking part in an 800-meter race: you probably want to do well so you can run at the front and finish quickly, because those are the rules of the sport. You hear everywhere: 'You can do it on your own! You alone are the architect of your own happiness!' But suddenly you realize that the runners don't start at the same line: some start a hundred meters ahead of you, some behind you. How are you supposed to catch up? You try and make good progress. Then you realize that there are obstacles in your lane that others don't have to overcome. In the end, you fall behind. Is that fair? Did you even have a fair chance?

The situation is similar in society. Although our enlightened and democratic demands promise equal opportunities and equal rights, the conditions for a good life are unfairly distributed from the start. Chance decides in which region, in which family and social class, with which gender identity, with which skin color or with which health conditions a person starts life. Even later, strokes of fate can cause setbacks: accidents, illnesses, crises, the employer going bankrupt, environmental disasters or even war. None of this depends on one's own performance and it is no merit to be spared from obstacles.

Whoever has a lot gets a lot. Whoever has little gets little

The good news is that all of these coincidences do not automatically have to be accompanied by disadvantages or privileges. There is no "biological" or "natural" automatism according to which difference leads to inequality. Because what awaits us and happens to us after we are born is socially created - that is, it is produced by people. It can also be changed by people. Whether a gender identity, a skin color, financial wealth or poverty of the family, a disability or strokes of fate hold people back permanently depends solely on how society is organized politically, economically and culturally. And we can all change that. Many obstacles could be removed and the race made fair.

The example of the 800-meter run is not just a thought experiment, but still a social reality. A study by Oxfam recently showed how unequally wealth accumulation is distributed in Germany, for example: According to the study, 81 percent of the increase in wealth generated in Germany in 2020 and 2021 went to the richest one percent of the population. Just 19 percent of these gains are distributed among the remaining 99 percent. With such extreme inequalities, there can be no talk of performance-based justice.

In any case, the majority of large fortunes in Germany are not earned through one's own work, but inherited. In contrast, migrants, people from East Germany and children from working-class families inherit comparatively little statistically. As a result, social injustices are cemented and passed on across generations. The wealth elite stay among themselves - as do the disadvantaged. Inequalities are inherited. But this does not only affect money, but also other conditions that one cannot choose.

Education, racism, gender: there is a lack of justice

Children of parents with higher educational qualifications are much more likely to achieve higher educational qualifications than children whose parents have lesser educational qualifications. Higher education is usually associated with jobs with higher income and prestige. However, the potential for higher education is not inherited biologically, but socially. Those born into a wealthier family have better educational and future opportunities: their own bedroom; parents who have time to take care of homework; learning a musical instrument in their free time; buying books, tablets, PCs; tutoring or even private schools; no pressure to work alongside school and university. Educational success depends on conditions that students cannot choose.

Women still earn significantly less money than men for the same work. Many jobs that are traditionally attributed to women are not paid at all or are paid comparatively poorly: for example in the areas of education and care. People who cannot be assigned to the binary sorting of "man/woman" do not even appear in the relevant statistics and are made invisible in all possible contexts. LGTBIQ+ people are often discriminated against and excluded.

Those affected by racism have worse chances on the job and housing markets, among other things.

Systematically, so-called people with a migration background in Germany are more affected by exclusion, poverty and a lack of prospects. Frequent police checks, stigmatization and even experiences of violence can not only lead to a loss of trust in society, but also promote frustration and mental illness.

The vast majority in Germany sees that things are unfair

Social justice means that everyone has the same opportunity to develop skills and talents and to achieve goals and desires. Everyone starts in the same position, regardless of characteristics such as origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disabilities or illnesses. Social justice is a key prerequisite for stable and functioning societies. Many conflicts and problems can be explained by the fact that in Germany too, recognition and prosperity still depend on what family you are born into, rather than who you are or how long or what you work. That is not fair. A large part of the German population also thinks so. Surveys repeatedly show that a clear majority of people in Germany believe that things are unfair in Germany.

A study recently published by the Bertelsmann Foundation found that privileged groups perceive society as fairer than those who are more likely to suffer from disadvantages. Men tend to see society as fairer than women, who are still disadvantaged in various ways. Older people, who, for example, bear more responsibility for the climate crisis than younger people and who will suffer less from it, are more likely to believe that there is fairness between the generations than younger people. Those who are more politically right-wing are more likely to believe that wealth is distributed fairly in Germany.

Global injustice and the climate crisis

What is true in Germany is true to an even greater extent worldwide. Wealth and poverty, living conditions and opportunities are also extremely unfairly distributed to the advantage of the global North and to the disadvantage of the global South - as a result of violent and racist colonization. The climate crisis is exacerbating these injustices. People living in poor and vulnerable regions are often particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, such as extreme weather. They have fewer means to protect themselves against disasters. On the other hand, social injustices mean that privileged population groups and regions have disproportionately high greenhouse gas emissions, which are the cause of global warming.

Many people are affected by more than one dimension of disadvantage - for example, as a woman who is also affected by racism and at risk of poverty. This is referred to as intersectionality. Those affected by intersectional discrimination have to overcome even more hurdles and the various burdens compound each other.

Social justice is actively hindered

There are influential voices that advocate the preservation of politically desired social injustices and thus against effective countermeasures.

For some of those who have benefited from social injustice throughout history, real justice can feel like discrimination. Take the example of the 800-meter race: Anyone who, as a man, white, or from a wealthy family, has always been able to start ahead of others can feel threatened by the demand for social justice. If everyone could start the race in the same position, it might show how undeserved their own position is. That is why so many people deny their privileges or idealize them. A section of society is radicalizing in misogynistic, racist, and social Darwinist directions. Radical right-wingers in particular are calling for a crusade against diversity, "political correctness," "eco-socialism," and "wokeness."

However, being woke, i.e. being “awake” to the various forms and causes of social injustice, is a prerequisite for removing obstacles and enabling equal opportunities and rights for all people – even in the face of resistance.

Justice is possible

The suffering of disadvantaged people is socially generated and is therefore suffering for which society, politics and the economy are responsible. Everyone can do something to improve conditions in the future through fairer political rules. Everyone benefits from this. Because people who are confronted with discrimination are often unable to fully develop their potential to contribute to society. Injustice makes people ill, encourages frustration, aggression, violence, social division and political radicalization. A guilty conscience is a burden on more and more people. And social injustice costs billions more: for example for health, social benefits, the police and the justice system, which have to deal with the consequences of unjust conditions.

In history, progress towards greater social justice has mostly been achieved through protests, strikes and solidarity among those affected by injustice. Social justice in a national and international context can only be achieved through binding political rules that apply to everyone.

Supporting activism and non-governmental organizations, responsible consumption, courage against devaluation and discrimination and political participation are important steps towards a fairer world – for the benefit of all.

Photo credit: Sio Motion.