What is Social Justice?
Social Justice is a broad topic that, at first look, may be difficult to define or may be defined incorrectly. These resources will help you arrive at a definition of Social Justice and in doing so, aid you in selecting an appropriate topic for your Social Justice related speeches.
Start Here
Choosing a topic is one of the first steps you should take, but given the massive amount of information and topics out there, it can be difficult to decide on a social justice topic you are passionate about. The following databases are good places to begin your search for articles, essays and perspectives on social justice issues in modern society.
- Academic OneFile This link opens in a new window
- Academic Search Ultimate This link opens in a new window
- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
- Education Source This link opens in a new window
- Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new window
- SocINDEX with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Consider also finding those databases best suited to the topic you are applying a special context to. For example, if you are looking at diversity and social justice in educational opportunity, consider databases related to that subject. You can sort databases by subject on the A-Z Databases page or peruse some databases related to a subject in our Academic Research Guides.
Expand Your Search
Once you have chosen a topic that interests you, it makes sense to see what other resources may be out there describing, defining, or otherwise supporting your speech. A good strategy to use is to find an article describing or addressing a social justice issue (See START HERE) and then using keywords or other information from the article to do an Advanced Discovery Search for books, videos, and peer-reviewed articles related to Social Justice and your topic or issue. This search might include "Social Justice" as a subject (This part is done for you in the linked example above) and then a keyword or term in the second line related to your topic.
However, please note that many materials that address or focus on social Justice issues may not necessarily have Social Justice associated with them as a subject heading. As you learn more, review the research, and work with your professor, you will gain a better understanding of which individual articles and resources may address social justice and which might not.
Consider Your Sources
Remember that Social Justice touches MANY different subjects.
For example, if you are researching affordable higher education for all, or debates about the amount of money spent per public school student, you will want to include education-focused databases and publications in your research. If you are researching an issue like a living wage or income inequality, you will want to include business and economics related databases and publications in your research.
This means that you may want to consider visiting the library's other Research Guides related to the subject that most matches your social justice issue. Remember to ask your librarian if you are struggling or need help with this process.