Praxis Assignment Day Of Social Justice

Praxis Assignment Day Of Social Justicesocial Justice Is The Fair A

Praxis Assignment – Day of Social Justice Social justice is “the fair and equitable allocation of bargaining powers, obligations, and resources in society” (Nelson & Prilleltensky, 2005, pp. 65). For my social justice day, I operationalized this term as contacting as many people as I could, within a 24-hour period, to ask them to vote against Proposition 8. I chose this because marriage brings with it many resources, such as access to health care, social security, and retirement benefits for partners. Having one group of people systematically unable to access these kinds of resources is not fair or equitable, and therefore, not socially just.

I began my day by volunteering for a local phone bank for 3 hours. I was calling people in the northern California central valley area. I targeted this region because I believed that people along the coast might already be against Prop 8, while central valley residents might be less informed or less engaged. During these calls, I engaged in conversations about Prop 8 with everyone I reached. Some people hung up on me, but others responded positively or with sympathy. One woman told me I was going to go to hell, but others encouraged me to continue because they believed it was an important issue. This back-and-forth left me feeling both defeated and energized. I made it a point to end the day on a positive note, even staying extra minutos to talk to one last person.

My face-to-face attempts were more challenging. I felt uncomfortable discussing politics with friends, especially given my usual avoidance of such topics. I was surprised to find stereotypes I held about support for Prop 8, and I experienced some personal defensiveness when friends assumed I was queer but not out or teased me with a slur. I explained to one friend that I was discussing Prop 8 for class. These reactions made me realize how threatened I felt when discussing controversial issues.

My “social justice me” was different from my everyday self because I deliberately chose to speak about Prop 8 with everyone and to engage in phone banking, which was new for me. I avoided certain individuals, including family members like my father, due to discomfort or fear of conflict. Some environments made it easier to discuss political issues, such as my class discussions on LGBT topics, where shared knowledge and supportive context facilitated openness. Conversely, less familiar settings like the shuttle or casual social gatherings presented barriers because situational factors did not encourage such conversations.

Reflecting on this, I believe that increased exposure to political discourse could make it easier for me to enact social justice behaviors consistently. As a straight person, I also recognize that my privilege makes it easier to avoid uncomfortable discussions about LGBT rights, since these issues do not directly affect me. Nevertheless, my participation in this activity stemmed from a sense of responsibility—an act of solidarity—since I believe that advocating for marginalized groups is a collective obligation rooted in social justice principles.

The costs of embodying social justice included personal discomfort, potential social alienation from friends, and the dilemma of balancing authenticity with activism. The benefits included contributing to awareness, potentially influencing opinions, and aligning my actions with my values. I weighed these factors and viewed the societal benefits—such as undoing injustices like Prop 8 and promoting equality—as outweighing the personal costs.

This exercise heightened my awareness of how privilege influences behavior and responsibilities. As a straight individual, I acknowledged that I have a privilege that enables me to participate in activism more easily, which I see as an accountability to use that privilege responsibly. Engaging in this activity reinforced that social justice is a collective effort requiring conscious actions from those who benefit from societal privileges. It also underscored the importance of ongoing reflection, especially regarding when and how to challenge structural inequalities.

In conclusion, living a day rooted in social justice was both challenging and enlightening. It revealed the behavioral shifts needed to embody justice and highlighted the significance of contextual factors. The experience reinforced that social justice involves not only awareness but active engagement—through behaviors that promote fairness, reduce oppression, and redistribute power equitably. This practice reminds us that privilege comes with responsibilities and that individual actions can contribute to larger societal change when guided by principles of fairness and collective well-being.

References

• Nelson, G., & Prilleltensky, I. (2005). Community psychology: In pursuit of wellness and liberation. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Nelson, G., & Prilleltensky, I. (2010). Community psychology: In pursuit of liberation and well-being. Routledge.
• Langhout, R. D., et al. (2013). The praxis assignment: Experiential learning in a large social-community psychology class. Journal of Community Psychology, 41(3), 330-344.
• Scott Plous. (2012). Social psychology day of compassion. Wesleyan University.
• Prilleltensky, I., & Nelson, G. (2002). Wellness as fairness: The promotion of social justice in health psychology. Journal of Social Issues, 58(1), 129-147.
• Matthews, D. R., & Snyder, M. (2019). Privilege and oppression in social justice activism. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 7(2), 223-239.
• Nelson, G., & Prilleltensky, I. (2012). Community psychology: In pursuit of wellness and liberation (3rd ed.). Routledge.
• Young, I. M. (2011). Responsibility for justice. Oxford University Press.
• Hooks, B. (2000). Feminism is for everybody: Passionate politics. South End Press.
• Kivel, P. (2017). Uprooting racism: How white people can tip the balance. Change Maker Publications.