Philosophy of Social Justice
Social justice can be defined differently by each individual asked because everyone has lived through different circumstances that shape the manner in which they think. However, most lead to a similar conclusion: it is the concept that everyone is entitled to unprejudiced economic, political, and social rights and opportunities. All through my four years in high school, I have learned what “social justice” is and is not, what it should and shouldn’t be. Most importantly, I have learned to act and speak against injustice. Not always is it finding a voice within yourself to make a change. The real difficulty lies in being heard. Since prejudice is still an on-going subject, being acknowledged is crucial, but can be affected with persistence, determination, and action.
It was not until my sophomore year that I was able to come to the realization of what social justice meant to me. “What is a diamond?” was the question to start off the unit in my sophomore chemistry class. Mr. Daniel Morales-Doyle made it one to remember because we not only studied the properties, but the social issues regarding the demand for diamonds. It was odd for me to be in an environment where we studied the integrity of people and the concept of chemistry because I had never been exposed to that. I was always taught from a book and walking in that class was truly shocking – not for the wrong reasons. I found it fascinating that a teacher could connect familiar concerns to a lesson. He made it a mission for us to know that not everything revolved around a textbook. Personally, he made me start rethinking all that I had been taught by opening my eyes to other perceptions of how things were created, whether chemistry related or not.
Now that I am taking AP Chemistry, his words keep following me around regardless of him no longer teacher at my school. Ms. Levingston, who currently teaches the class, has tried to incorporate his way of teaching into the way we learn, with her own personal touch, and I find it motivational. It enforced my future goals of wanting to go into college studying the thing I have passion towards: science. I want to keep moving forward in chemistry (and neuroscience), so that I can come back to my community and make people scientifically literate concerning everyday issues that can potentially save their lives.
In spite of my future ambitions, I have an inclination towards speaking about rape in college campuses because it is a silent problem on the rise. Not many people see this as a concern because it is not emphasized enough. They might hear about a few cases, but they do not realize that being oblivious to this matter is not doing anything to keep women out of danger. Statistics have shown that “for both college students and nonstudents, the offender was known to the victim in about 80% or rape and sexual victimizations.” 1 It has also been stated that “most (51%) student rape and sexual assault victimizations occurred while the victim was pursuing leisure activities away from home, compared to nonstudents who were engaged in other activities at home (50%) when the victimization occurred. 1 “The offender had a weapon in about 1 in 10 rape and sexual assault victimizations against both students and nonstudents,” yet “rape and sexual assault victimizations of students (80%) were more likely that nonstudent victimizations (67%) to go unreported to police.” 1 Taking these key pieces of data into consideration, it is frightening to know that society does not really understand the seriousness of this clear dilemma.
It was not until my sophomore year that I was able to come to the realization of what social justice meant to me. “What is a diamond?” was the question to start off the unit in my sophomore chemistry class. Mr. Daniel Morales-Doyle made it one to remember because we not only studied the properties, but the social issues regarding the demand for diamonds. It was odd for me to be in an environment where we studied the integrity of people and the concept of chemistry because I had never been exposed to that. I was always taught from a book and walking in that class was truly shocking – not for the wrong reasons. I found it fascinating that a teacher could connect familiar concerns to a lesson. He made it a mission for us to know that not everything revolved around a textbook. Personally, he made me start rethinking all that I had been taught by opening my eyes to other perceptions of how things were created, whether chemistry related or not.
Now that I am taking AP Chemistry, his words keep following me around regardless of him no longer teacher at my school. Ms. Levingston, who currently teaches the class, has tried to incorporate his way of teaching into the way we learn, with her own personal touch, and I find it motivational. It enforced my future goals of wanting to go into college studying the thing I have passion towards: science. I want to keep moving forward in chemistry (and neuroscience), so that I can come back to my community and make people scientifically literate concerning everyday issues that can potentially save their lives.
In spite of my future ambitions, I have an inclination towards speaking about rape in college campuses because it is a silent problem on the rise. Not many people see this as a concern because it is not emphasized enough. They might hear about a few cases, but they do not realize that being oblivious to this matter is not doing anything to keep women out of danger. Statistics have shown that “for both college students and nonstudents, the offender was known to the victim in about 80% or rape and sexual victimizations.” 1 It has also been stated that “most (51%) student rape and sexual assault victimizations occurred while the victim was pursuing leisure activities away from home, compared to nonstudents who were engaged in other activities at home (50%) when the victimization occurred. 1 “The offender had a weapon in about 1 in 10 rape and sexual assault victimizations against both students and nonstudents,” yet “rape and sexual assault victimizations of students (80%) were more likely that nonstudent victimizations (67%) to go unreported to police.” 1 Taking these key pieces of data into consideration, it is frightening to know that society does not really understand the seriousness of this clear dilemma.
1
Langton, Lynn, and Sofi Sinozich. "Rape And Sexual Assault Among College-Age Females, 1995-2013." Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), 11 Dec. 2014. Web. 15 Mar. 2015. <http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=5176>.