“Striving for social justice is the most valuable thing to do in life.” – Albert Einstein
We are bound to interact with people in society and even be a part of communities. We all form our notions about social justice starting with our perception of what is fair and what is wrong. Social justice can be defined as the equitable distribution of rights, opportunities, and advantages among all members of society. To understand what is right and what is wrong, we truly need to uncover the essence of social norms and an individual’s role in society.
You can build a positive environment among students and adults with the help of thoughtful social justice activities. In addition to learning about social justice, people can broaden their intellectual horizons by participating in lively debates and taking beneficial social action. In this article, you can find various social justice activities that incorporate various forms of expression perfect for inculcating the right values and morals of society.
Interesting activities to decode social justice for adults
Social justice activities are not just mere interactions between people. These activities help individuals voice their opinions, understand the right method of handling social injustice, and even do their bit towards society.
1. Impromptu Speech
People play a part in a variety of social concerns that affect society. A good technique to allow individuals to gather their ideas on a social issue and express their perspectives is through impromptu speech activities. It also enables a free flow of ideas without the usual preparation on the subject. Individuals can express their pragmatic opinions.
For this activity, prepare a list of impromptu speech topics relating to social issues. Now, write them on chits and put these chits in a bowl. As an individual picks a chit, he/she has to begin sharing opinions. The topics could be racism, gender discrimination, rights of the underprivileged, and so on.
2. Spread the Word
Taking care of society is not just about raising a voice or protesting. It is important for individuals to know that spreading the good word and creating awareness also leads to the social well-being of people around them. Hence, this activity helps individuals understand the concerns of society and act accordingly. For this activity, ask individuals to pick a topic that bothers them as a member of society.
It could be the usage of social media by teenagers, fund collection for the homeless, or doing something for the LGBTQ community. After choosing their topic, they need to make posters, visit the nearby areas, and start spreading the word. For example, if it is about social media, individuals could simply approach children and make them aware of the ill effects of social media. After all, it begins with a small action!
3. Spot It
Social injustice is a broad term and it could include anything from troubling street dogs to ill-treating someone who does not know the same language as others. However, everyone views social injustice differently. Hence, this activity allows individuals to better understand the topic and take suitable actions to make society a better place. Situational awareness activities like this one help individuals stay alert too.
For this activity, every individual needs to spot an act of injustice in their everyday life. They need to take note of it and record everything clearly. For example, it could be a lady being scammed for a higher price of a product simply because her eyesight is weak enough to see the discount running on the product. This case of cheating could also be one of the forms of social injustice. Invite an open discussion after everyone has their incidents ready.
4. The Ultimate Classification
To understand the topic of social injustice, it is significant for individuals to know who is right, who is wrong, who is the witness, and so on. However, all these people can be categorized into terms – Target, Perpetrator, Bystander, and Ally. Make 4 quadrants on paper and showcase different situations with the help of a projector. For this activity, give a blank paper and let individuals draw the four quadrants.
After watching the situation, they need to analyze which person suits in which quadrant. For example, Ms. Braganza goes to a coffee shop with her friends and gets insulted for her accent by the barista. The other barista helps Ms. Braganza with the order and shows empathy. Here, Ms. Braganza is the Target, Barista is the Perpetrator, her friends are Bystanders and the other Barista is Ally. As individuals better understand the concept, they can easily become socially responsible and accurate with their actions.
5. Group Discussion
To better understand social justice, it is crucial to learn about it from different perspectives. While there can be many incidents that certain individuals see as injustice others don’t. Hence, this activity helps them filter their thoughts and receive clarity in conversations.
For this activity, divide participants into teams of 3 members each. Both teams participate in the group discussion together. Take any issue of social injustice and team members need to share their opinions. Similarly, if their opinions are not accepted by the other team, they can present their disagreement through smart discussions. You can also consider different group discussion topics that best match the subject.
6. Read and Share
Being responsible citizens and society members, It is important for individuals to learn and be aware of various types of social injustices and they can best know about it through books. For this activity, individuals need to select any history or fictional book that highlights a social cause or injustice. They can also go for any other book which showcases the history of injustice in any country.
After individuals have read these books, they are required to share their learning in creative forms. Let’s say one of the individuals read the book – Black Lives Matter then he/she can use prompts, presentations, or other cases that relate to the injustice. The individual is then responsible for making everyone aware of the injustice along with its time frame, solution, and impact in today’s world.
7. Mega Rally!
Awareness of society is one of the important factors for understanding social justice as a concept. A society progresses well when all members have equal opportunities, rights, and privileges without any discrimination. However, there is a possibility that many people might be unaware of this. Hence, this activity taps into spreading the word and making society progressive.
For this activity, every individual needs to think of slogans for the rally. Here, what matters is the uniqueness of slogans and how each one represents a different social aspect. Let’s say a group of individuals draft slogans on voting rights while the other group drafts about human rights. After this, everyone uses these slogans and goes around the city to educate people through a bustling rally.
8. Posters are Here
Creativity goes beyond just thoughts and words. At times, individuals can best express themselves through art. Art also allows the freedom to draw, paint, sketch, or simply doodle to showcase an important message. Hence, this activity helps individuals display their idea of social justice.
For this activity, provide a sheet of blank paper to all individuals. They are free to use any form of colors, stickers, or even decorative materials to show their creativity. They need to make interesting posters tapping on the subject of social justice. Let’s say some individuals can make posters on gender equality, discrimination, voting rights, or civil rights.
Wrapping up
Just as individuals engage in their social skills activities, it is significant to understand social justice as a part of learning. It not only helps prevent injustice with others but also increases awareness among individuals of their rights. Knowledge about social justice helps individuals decide the right course of action for themselves too. With the help of activities, individuals can easily deepen their understanding and get all the inspiration to be a part of rallies, discussions, and protests that aim towards the better of society.
I am Shweta Sharma. I am a final year Masters student of Clinical Psychology and have been working closely in the field of psycho-education and child development. I have served in various organisations and NGOs with the purpose of helping children with disabilities learn and adapt better to both, academic and social challenges. I am keen on writing about learning difficulties, the science behind them and potential strategies to deal with them. My areas of expertise include putting forward the cognitive and behavioural aspects of disabilities for better awareness, as well as efficient intervention. Follow me on LinkedIn