Essay - Theories of Justice in Social Work Social Work: Theories of...

theories of justice in social work

SOCIAL WORK: THEORIES OF SOCIAL JUSTICE

OBJECTIVE

***** objective ***** this work is to discuss Liberal Individualism, Market Individualism and the theory of Social Democracy and draw*****g from the Afrocentric paradigm, personal own experience, or other readings ***** discuss possible alternative views of justice not captured by the three theoretical frameworks of any ***** the aforementioned three theories of social justice.

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According to Fazal Rizvi in the work entitled: "Some Thoughts on Contemporary Theories of Social Justice" there is not ex*****tent single ***** clear definition which can be applied ***** ***** justice however the reality of injustice is quite clear for those who have experientially lived with this ***** through oppression, homelessness and going hungry. Three main traditions of thinking exist regarding social justice which are those *****: (1) ***** individualism; (2) Market Individualism; and (3) Social Democratic.

I. MARKET INDIVIDUALISM

***** individualism holds that ***** justice is less focused on the distributi***** of justice ***** more focused on the process by ***** holdings are acquired. In this school of thought the state is involved only minimally while the market makes provision of social justice through employment, services and welf***** thereby protecting the individual's freedom. There is no socially set goals ***** economic allocation in the theory of "market *****." Market Individual*****m is a concept that was *****troduced in the work of Robert Nozick ***** h***** 1970 publication *****: "Anarchy, State ***** Utopia" which expressed a belief that the ***** is ***** basic provider of social ***** employment, services and welfare. (Sohng, 2004) According to Sohng (*****) "The market knows best "***** the exercise ***** the self-interest of the individual leading to ***** "optimal collective social good." (p.2) The ***** of Isbister entitled: "Capitalism and *****" *****s that justice in accordance to Western thought is the quality of getting what one deserves. E***** ***** basic to ***** in this school of thought. Equality holds that if people are diverse then equality in one area may lead to in***** in another therefore ***** the focus to equality of opportunity ***** equality in access ***** resources. ***** problem exists ***** the fact ***** while opportunities are equal *****n the capabilities of the individual will inevitably lead to different outcomes thereby it is unders*****od that if ***** results are expected then the provision of opportunities must be different. Further*****, when there is no equal access to resources then there is not ********** ***** opportunity. Isb*****ter holds that the only realization of freedom is in ***** presence of equality and states that it must be there is a difference ***** '*****-to' and 'freedom-from'. The third aspect is the ***** upheld by Isb*****ter is that of 'efficiency' of drawing from the ***** available resources and yet, the problem existing is that the world's ***** do not equal ***** demands ***** human demands. Isbister states that Pareto efficiency descri*****s the s*****uation where efficiency is ***** person receiving more while another receives *****. Rawls ***** that the 'Difference principle' is