how to write a social justice research paper

150 Social Justice Essay Topics & Examples

⭐ top 10 social justice issues to write about, 🏆 best social justice topic ideas & essay examples, ⭐ simple & easy social justice essay titles, 📌 most interesting social justice topics to write about, 👍 good social justice research topics, ❓ research questions about social justice.

Social justice essays are an excellent tool for demonstrating your awareness of the current issues in society.

Inequality in society should be addressed, and social justice advocates are at the forefront of such initiatives. Everyone should be able to achieve their goals and dreams if they put in the effort, assuming of course that reaching that target is at all possible.

To that end, you should ask various social justice essay questions and investigate different situations, particularly those that surround marginalized communities.

While the civil rights movement has succeeded in eliminating discriminatory policies and gender segregation, people should remain vigilant so that inequality again.

There are many topics you can discuss in your essay, but is better to focus on something specific and conduct a detailed investigation. It is easy to take some examples of data that shows a situation that seems unequal and declare that the system is flawed.

However, the data may be inaccurate, and the causes may be different from what you initially perceive them to be. Many fields will be too small for statistic laws to apply, and so there will be a temporary prevalence of people with a specific trait.

Declarations of premature conclusions and calls to action based on these conjectures are not productive and will generally lead to harm.

Be sure to consider evidence from both sides when discussing the topic of injustice, especially in its sensitive applications.

The case of police officers and the racial disparity in arrests is a prominent example, as there is significant disagreement, and neither side can be considered entirely correct.

At other times, unequal treatments may be explained by racial and gender differences without the application of discriminatory practices, particularly with regards to cultural practices.

The importance of justice is above debate, but it is not always about declaring one side correct while the other is wrong and at fault. Humanity operates best when it is unified and follows the same purpose of fairness.

Lastly, try to avoid confusing equality with equity, as the two social justice essay topics are significantly different. The former involves similar starting conditions and opportunities for all people, though they will likely achieve varying successes in life.

The latter means equality of outcomes, meaning that the unsuccessful receive support, which logically has to come at the expense of those who succeed.

You may support either position, with equality being a more traditional concept that seems logical to many people and equity being considered effective at improving the conditions of marginalized communities. However, make your position clear, as the difference is critical and informs your personal concept of social justice.

Here are some additional tips for your paper:

• Separate the points you make in your essay with social justice essay titles. These titles will help the reader navigate the paper and understand your main claims.
• Try to introduce original ideas instead of contributing to ongoing debates. An essay does not allow enough space to let you add something that will change the situation to such discussions.
• The topic of social justice is inherently political, as most suggestions will involve policy-level changes. However, you should try to distance yourself from politics and work with factual information.

Visit IvyPanda to find more social justice essay examples and other useful paper samples to boost your creative process!

• Unemployment.
• Global Warming.
• School Shooting.
• Income Inequality.
• Global Pandemic.
• Social Security.
• Racial & LGBTQ Discrimination.
• Mental Health Stigma.
• Famine and Starvation.
• Discrimination in Voting.
• Social Justice in Education With a clear distinction between justice taught in class and justice allowed to thrive in the school environments, teachers can be able to observe how their students perceive and response to social injustices in the […]
• Advocating for Social Justice in Healthcare However, health care is also often related to the idea of social justice a term that describes the allocation of resources and benefits to people according to their needs and abilities.
• Jay-Z’s Contribution to Hip-Hop and Fight for Social Justice One should admit that the crime rate among black people in some poor areas is really quite high, and that is another problem Jay-Z covers in his music.
• Social Justice: The Catholic’s Social Teachings on Justice The church also seeks to instill value in the prisoners’ lives through teachings and practices that accept prisoners as people who deserve to be treated with dignity.
• Social Justice From the Biblical Point of View Furthermore, all oppressed and poor people are considered to be “righteous” in the Bible because it “is a reflection of God’s faithful love in action and his desire for justice and righteousness in this world”.
• Promoting Social Justice Through Serving God Therefore, serving God in action correlates with the promotion of social justice and reflects the importance of Christian teachings about kindness towards others.
• Freedom and Social Justice Through Technology These two remarkable minds have made significant contributions to the debates on technology and how it relates to liberty and social justice.
• Factors of Strategic Management of Social Justice Starting to talk about economic and technological changes that affect the sector of social justice, it is possible to observe tendencies of the level of development of the country from social policy.
• Social Justice from a Philosophical Perspective Although their theories of justice were significant, they would not have existed without Plato’s influence and the contribution that their ideas of justice have made to political philosophy.
• Social Justice in the Modern World The main link in social relations is a measure of social justice, a derivative of the equality of people’s opportunities to realize their potential.
• Social Justice Quotes from “The Wife’s Lament” by Beck “never worse than now ever I suffer the torment of my exile”.”that man’s kinsmen began to think in secret that they would separate us” “so we would live far apart in the world” “My lord […]
• Social Justice in Counseling Psychology The other barrier which is likely to arise in the process of integrating social justice in the workplace is legal and ethical issues.
• Social Justice and Vulnerability Theories When the country’s economic analyzers assess the status of the economy, the older people are regarded as the first group of the population that is pulling the economy backward because they are entirely dependent.
• Social Justice in Social Work Practice The moral approach of social work is fundamentally based on the idea of social justice. Despite the numerous risks associated with advocating for social justice, criticizing injustice is one of the few courageous ways to […]
• Researching the Concept of Social Justice A special kind of justice is social justice, the subjects of which are large social groups, society as a whole, and humanity.
• Social Justice and Importing Foreign Nurses Evaluation Given the lag between the submission of the article and its publication, it means that these sources most likely reflect the situation with the recruitment of foreign-educated nurses by the end of the 2000s.
• Promoting Social Justice With Head Start Program This essay will discuss the role of the Head Start program in the promotion of social justice in the US, focusing on the values taught to the children and the activities that constitute the program.
• Social Justice and Mental Health However, it is difficult to imagine the U.S.taking nationwide action on mental health due to the absence of healthcare for physical health, which is widely accepted as a serious issue.
• Religion, Politics, and Social Justice Organized religions want to change and implement rebranding to fit the new trend, concentrating on social justice in general rather than the individual spiritual aspirations of a person or a family.
• Social Justice and Its Relevance in This Century To put the issue in perspective, he references the civil rights movement of the 1960s and juxtaposes it against the fact that the US had a black president.
• Social Justice Arts as a Remedy for People The work led to the formation of the movement called Black Lives Matter which calls for an end to oppressing black people through law enforcement.
• Social Justice, Diversity and Workplace Discrimination It also includes the fair distribution of the national wealth and resources among all citizens and the unbiased treatment of all individuals.
• Social Justice: Why Do Violations Happen? If there is social inequality in a society, it must be corrected to serve the interests of the most oppressed groups of the population.
• Definition of Social Justice and Social Justice in Leadership They should evaluate the situation, identify areas that need improvement and develop a plan to support the achievement of social justice.
• Social Justice Leadership and Supervision While the concepts of leadership and supervision tend to be referenced within the clinical contend and primarily apply to the responsibilities of the professionals in mental institutions, the issues articulated in the article and chapters […]
• Uganda’s Economic Planning and Social Justice On the eastern, it borders Kenya, North is Southern Sudan, to the west is DRC and to the southwest is Rwanda, while to the South is Tanzania.
• Rise of Mental Social Justice It relates to the social justice leadership in clinical and supervisory practice in mental health settings by challenging the modern tenets of managerialism and neoliberalism.
• Social Justice in the US Healthcare System Social justice is a relatively broad concept, the interpretation of which often depends on the political and economic views of an individual.
• Conceptualizing Supervision in Search of Social Justice Based on these findings, it could be concluded that Social justice leadership is meant to become the remedy and the ideological, political, and medical opponent of the dominant positivist biomedical paradigm.
• Researching HIV, AIDS and Social Justice Disney claims that poverty and social injustice lead to the spread of HIV/AIDS among underprivileged people in all countries. The disease was a kind of stigma and infected people were subjected to discrimination and alienation.
• Equal Pay Convention Ratified by New Zealand and Ensuring Social Justice This paper seeks to identify whether the ratification of the International Labour Organisation equal pay for an equal value of work Convention by New Zealand delivered social justice to the women in the New Zealand […]
• Influence of Socioeconomic Status and Social Justice on Health in the US In the video, Richard David and James Collins have determined that racism, inappropriate social policies, and chronic stress are major social factors that lead to the delivery of low-weight babies among African American women.
• Social Justice Perspective Thus public health deals not only with the guarantee of a long healthy life but also regulate and control the death rate, try to expand the life interval, and other things that the policy of […]
• Deaf Youth: Social Justice Through Media and Activism The Deaf Youth USA for instance strives to educate, inspire, and empower the deaf youth to make difference in the communities.
• Re-Examining Criminal and Social Justice Systems: Reducing Incarceration Rates in the US The changes in criminal justice policy over the past decades and the alteration of the same from one of rehabilitative and social justice to one of retributive justice and increasing reliance on imprisonment as a […]
• Social Justice and Ethics: Beneficiaries of U.S. Welfare Programs In United States the beneficiaries include the poor, the old, the disabled, survivors, farmers, corporations and any other individual who may be eligible.
• Social Justice and Feminism in America So as to make a change in this situation, the feminists in America took efforts to improve the condition of women.
• Equality of Opportunity and Social Justice: Affirmative Action If this is the situation in advanced nations of the world, the plight in the newly emerging states in Africa, Asia, and Latin America can easily be imagined as to how difficult would it be […]
• Christianity Religion and Asian World: Social Justice It was also said that the greatest botched opportunity in all church history was in the 1260s the court of the great Kublai Khan asked the Polos when they returned to Italy in 1269 to […]
• Social Justice for Indigenous Women in Canada However, the problem of social justice or, to be more accurate, the lack thereof becomes especially poignant when considering criminal issues and their management, as well as the factors that contribute to reducing the rates […]
• Social Justice in Quality Health Care The provision of accessible health services is necessary to minimize the health risks of the low-income households and improve their quality of life.
• What Is Social Justice? To my mind, the two most important principles of justice that should be used to govern within a just society are the selection of highly virtuous state leaders and government representatives to put in charge […]
• Social Justice: Philosophy of Employment The philosophy of empowerment supports dignity and self-worth; as such, value to all people, regardless of their status or race is an important rule of empowerment.
• American Women’s Movements for Social Justice Like Alice Walker, Deborah Gray, and Collins, Tyra Banks continues the legacy of black women since she is ready to campaign against racism, sexism, and discrimination.
• Social Justice Group Work for Homeless Young Mothers The group discussed in the article was started for the purpose of assisting residents address the problem of homelessness especially in aspects of parenting and during pregnancy periods.
• Readings for Diversity and Social Justice: An Anthology In that way, the authors noted that racial and ethnic differences tend to produce impact on lives of communities in the entirety of their aspects, and thus can aggravate other social justice issues.
• Health Care Services: Social Justice Analysis For instance, the level of poverty in the USA is on the rise, and many people simply have no funds to purchase their health insurance. In conclusion, it is possible to note that social justice […]
• Social Justice Issues: Elderly Minority Groups Students should know the peculiarities of the populations in question and should be aware of practices and services available to those patients.
• Black Lives Matter and Social Justice Social media is a new public platform that has proved to be extremely effective in fighting against the normalization of violence against African-Americans.
• Ethics and Social Justice in Education Policies The real-life problem that contributes to those controversies is the multicultural genuineness of the community that was exposed to the federal and state standard reforms that transpired throughout the last ten years.
• Administrative Constitutionalism and Social Justice The current point of view at the crimes and violence is predestined by the commercial pressure applied to the mass media sources. In the majority of the cases, popular media becomes the viral source of […]
• Counselors as Social Justice Advocates The compelling vision of social justice is to achieve “free, full, and equal participation” of all groups in society to realize their aspirations and mutual needs.
• U.S. Postal Service’s Ethics and Social Justice In spite of the fact that the current agency was organized in 1971, the background of the organization is related to the development of the first postal service in the country based on the U.S.
• David Miller’s Theory of Desert in Social Justice The dependence of rewards on the variety of external and conditional factors makes the public and scholars question the idea of the desert and its use for justice.
• Ethics Issues: Social Justice In other words, it is observed that an individual has a duty of ensuring that the law is followed while the government is expected to provide the basic rights and freedoms.
• Education and Social Justice The society should also reduce the gap between the poor and the rich. The current level of inequality explains why “every school should reinvent itself in order to deal with social injustice”.
• Social justice and the black – white achievement gap From a national perspective, the achievement gap between the Black and White is reported to have narrowed down in 2007 as compared to the same gap in 1990.
• Setting an Agenda for Social Justice According to Wilkinson, Brundrett is a professor of Educational Research in the Faculty of Education, Community, and Leisure and the head of the Centre for Research and Evaluation, in the Liverpool John Moores University.
• Prosperity and Social Justice The short story was also the subject of debate when it was first written because it failed to fit in any particular genre at the time.”The Yellow Wallpaper” was mostly considered a horror story when […]
• Social Justice: Wray’s Essential Aspects of Biblical Law and Justice Wray has conducted an extensive study on the subject of social justice and suggests that students taking any course on law or social justice must go back to the origins of these laws and justice, […]
• Social and Criminal Justice Responses to Sex Work The negative attitude of the community and the criminalization of sex works made workers of his industry vulnerable and susceptible for the physical assaults of men in the street, their customers and even policemen.
• Social Justice and the Australian Indigenous People The main idea behind the formation of the social justice commission was to give the indigenous Australian people choice by empowering them to stand up for their rights.
• Is Social Justice the Same Thing as Political Egalitarianism? An Analysis from a Theory of Justice Perspective This is the question that is likely to arise when one is analyzing social justice in the context of political developments in the society.
• Social Justice and Gay Rights This perception of gays was radically reformed thanks to the efforts of gay rights movements which trace their roots to the 1960s and the Stonewall Riots of 1969 which marked the birth of the gay […]
• The People Demand Social Justice: The Social Protest in Israel as an Agoral Gathering
• The Woman Who Spoke of Love and Social Justice
• Peace and Eco-Social Justice: Failed Distributive Justice, Violence and Militancy in India
• Spirituality, Women ‘s Issues, Sustainability, and Social Justice
• Multicultural Counseling Social Justice and Advocacy Reaction
• The Paradox of Dominate Ideologies in The Fight of Social Justice
• Letter from Birmingham Jail’ by Martin Luther King Jr. and Social Justice
• Richard Spencer and the Issues of Social Justice and White Nationalism
• The Moving Beyond Pity and Inspiration: Disability as a social Justice Issue by Eli Clare
• The Importance of Human Rights and Social Justice
• Social Justice: The Role of Higher Education, Criminality and Race
• Turning Points in the Lives of Chinese and Indian Women Leaders Working Toward Social Justice
• Paulo Freire’s Social Justice Idea
• Producing and Practicing Social Justice in Education
• Urban Social Justice: The Gentrification Debate
• The Role of Education in Society as Explained in Conell’s Social Justice in Education
• The Issues of the Canadian Social Services and Social Justice Domain
• Wellbeing, Freedom, and Social Justice: The Capability Approach
• The Principle of Social Justice and Advocacy Support
• The Biblical Prophets’ Teachings on the Love of God in Social Justice
• The Relationship Between Free Market and Social Justice
• Uneasy Bedfellows: Social Justice and Neo-Liberal Practice in the Housing Market
• The Ethics of Pricing and Access to Health Care: A Social Justice Issue
• Measuring Attitudes Toward Distributive Justice: The Basic Social Justice Orientations Scale
• The Importance of the Covenant House as a Symbol of Christian Social Justice
• Social Justice Orientation and Multicultural Environment
• The New Political Economy of J. S. Mill: The Means to Social Justice
• The ‘s Coat of Arms Are Trust, Empathy, and Social Justice
• The Vietnam War and Its Impact on The Creation of Social Justice
• Race Relations and Social Justice Problems
• Poverty, Inequality and Social Justice in Nonmetropolitan America
• Rape Culture, Rapth, and the Cycles of Social Justice
• The Three Social Justice Issues That Fires Me Up as a Citizen in the United States
• Reading Baldwin After Harvey: Why Climate Change Is a Social Justice Issue
• The Importance of Social Justice Is Universal Across
• Effective Practice During The Social Justice System
• The Issue of Social Justice Activism in Various Social Media Networks
• Sustainable Development and Social Justice: Expanding the Rawlsian Framework of Global Justice
• Once Upon Today: Teaching for Social Justice with Postmodern Picturebook
• The Congressional Black Caucus Use of Social Media for Social Justice Issues
• The Effective Teaching Techniques of Lisa Espinosa in Providing Information on the Topic of Cultural Relevance and Social Justice
• Reading Baldwin After Harvey: Why Climate Change Is a Social Justice Issue?
• How Does Social Justice Highlight the Relationship Between Social Welfare and Crime Control?
• Social Justice and Academic Success: Is Individual Effort Enough?
• Rawls’s Theory of Social Justice: How Decisions Are Made?
• Are Consultation and Social Justice Advocacy Similar Exploring the Perceptions?
• How Arc Advances Social Justice?
• What Are the Different Factors Affect Social Justice?
• What Does the Information Society Mean for Social Justice and Civil Society?
• What Is the Connection Between Curricular Practices, Social Justice and Democratic Purpose in the United States Education System?
• How the United States Has Both Market and Social Justice?
• What Is the Impact of Social Justice on The United States?
• What Is the Impact of Social Justice on Human Development?
• How Does Social Justice Actions Project?
• When High Pressure, System Constraints, and a Social Justice Mission Collide?
• What Is the Concept of Social Justice Social Work?
• What Is the Connection Between Free Market and Social Justice?
• What Is the Goal of Social Justice Education?
• What Social Justice Issues Are You Most Passionate About?
• What Is Consist Social Justice Western Perspectives?
• How Social Justice Course Changed My Outlook?
• What Are the Three Social Justice Issues That Fires Up as a Citizen in the United States?
• What Has Limited the Impact of UK Disability Equality Law on Social Justice?
• What Is Rawls’ Expanding Framework for Global Justice?
• How Does the Film “Lord of Flies” Relate to Social Justice?
• Does the Legal System Promote Social Justice?
• Are the People Demand Social Justice?
• Social Justice and the University Community: Does Campus?
• What Does “Social Justice” Mean?
• What Does Teaching for Social Justice Mean for Teachers?
• Why Is Education a Social Justice and Right for Each Child?
• Children’s Rights Research Ideas
• Women’s Rights Titles
• Socioeconomic Status Paper Topics
• Human Rights Essay Ideas
• Sociological Perspectives Titles
• Idealism Paper Topics
• Respect Essay Topics
• Libertarianism Research Topics
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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8 Tips For Writing A Social Justice Essay

Social justice covers a variety of issues involving race, gender, age, sexual orientation, income equality and much more. How do you write an essay on a social justice issue that’s engaging, informative and memorable? Here are eight tips you should take to heart when writing:

When writing a social justice essay, you should brainstorm for ideas, sharpen your focus, identify your purpose, find a story, use a variety of sources, define your terms, provide specific evidence and acknowledge opposing views.

#1. Brainstorm creatively

Before you start writing your social justice essay, you need a topic. Don’t hesitate to look far and wide for inspiration. Read other social justice essays, look at recent news stories, watch movies and talk to people who are also interested in social justice. At this stage, don’t worry about the “trendiness” of your idea or whether a lot of people are already writing about it. Your topic will evolve in response to your research and the arguments you develop. At the brainstorming stage, you’re focused on generating as many ideas as possible, thinking outside the box and identifying what interests you the most. Take a free online course to get a better understanding of social justice.

You can take a creative brainstorming approach! A blog on Hubspot offers 15 creative ideas such as storyboarding, which involves laying out ideas in a narrative form with terms, images and other elements. You can also try freewriting, which is when you choose something you’re interested in. Next, write down everything you already know, what you need to know but don’t already, why the topic matters and anything else that comes to mind. Freewriting is a good exercise because it helps you decide if there’s any substance to a topic or if it’s clear there’s not enough material for a full essay.

#2. Sharpen your topic’s focus

The best essays narrow on a specific social justice topic and sharpen its focus, so it says something meaningful and interesting. This is often challenging, but wrestling with what exactly you want your essay to say is worth the effort. Why? An essay with a narrow, sharp focus has a clearer message. You’re also able to dig deeper into your topic and provide better analysis. If your topic is too broad, you’re forced to skim the surface, which produces a less interesting essay.

How do you sharpen your essay’s focus? Grace Fleming provides several tips on ThoughtCatalog . First, you can tell your topic is too broad if it can be summarized in just 1-2 words. As an example, “health inequity” is way too broad. Fleming suggests applying the questions, “Who, what, where, when, why and how,” to your topic to narrow it down. So, instead of just “health inequity,” you might end up with something like “The impact of health inequity in maternal healthcare systems on Indigenous women.” Your topic’s focus may shift or narrow even further depending on the research you find.

Writing a human rights topic research paper? Here are five of the most useful tips .

#3. Identify your purpose

As you unearth your topic and narrow its focus, it’s important to think about what you want your essay to accomplish. If you’re only thinking about your essay as an assignment, you’ll most likely end up with a product that’s unfocused or unclear. Vague sentiments like “Everyone is writing about social justice” and “Social justice is important” are also not going to produce an essay with a clear purpose. Why are you writing this essay? Are you wanting to raise awareness of a topic that’s been historically ignored? Or do you want to inspire people to take action and change something by giving them concrete how-to strategies? Identifying your purpose as soon as possible directs your research, your essay structure and how you style your writing.

If you’re not sure how to find your purpose, think about who you’re writing for. An essay written for a university class has a different audience than an essay written for a social justice organization’s social media page. If there are specific instructions for your essay (professors often have requirements they’re looking for), always follow them closely. Once you’ve identified your purpose, keep it at the front of your mind. You’ll produce an essay that’s clear, focused and effective.

#4. Find a human story

The best social justice essays don’t only provide compelling arguments and accurate statistics; they show your topic’s real-world impact. Harvard’s Kennedy School’s communications program describes this process as “finding a character.” It’s especially useful when you’re writing something persuasive. Whatever your topic, try to find the human stories behind the ideas and the data. How you do that depends on the nature of your essay. As an example, if you’re writing something more academic, focusing too much on the emotional side of a story may not be appropriate. However, if you’re writing an essay for an NGO’s fundraising campaign, focusing on a few people’s stories helps your reader connect to the topic more deeply.

How do you choose what stories to feature? Harvard suggests choosing someone you have access to either through your research or as an interview subject. If you get the opportunity to interview people, make sure you ask interesting questions that dig beneath the surface. Your subject has a unique perspective; you want to find the information and stories only they can provide.

#5. Rely on a variety of sources

Depending on your essay’s purpose and audience, there might be certain sources you’re required to use. In a piece for Inside Higher Ed, Stephanie Y. Evans describes how her students must use at least 10 source types in their final paper assignment. Most of the time, you’ll have a lot of freedom when it comes to research and choosing your sources. For best results, you want to use a wide variety. There are a few reasons why. The first is that a variety of sources gives you more material for your essay. You’ll access different perspectives you wouldn’t have found if you stuck to just a few books or papers. Reading more sources also helps you ensure your information is accurate; you’re fact-checking sources against one another. Expanding your research helps you address bias, as well. If you rely only on sources that reflect your existing views, your essay will be much less interesting.

While we’re talking about sources, let’s touch on citations. If you’re writing an essay for school, your teacher will most likely tell you what citation method they want you to use. There are several depending on the discipline. As an example, in the United States, social science disciplines like sociology and education tend to use the American Psychological Association (APA) style. Some places are very rigid about citation styles, while others are more relaxed. If you’re writing an essay where your citation won’t be checked, you still need to give credit to any ideas, thoughts, or research that’s not yours. Proper citation builds trust with your reader and boosts your credibility.

Here are more tips on writing a human rights essay!

#6. Define your key terms

To make your essay as clear and effective as possible, you want every reader on the same page right at the beginning. Defining your key terms is an important step. As Ian Johnston writes, creating an effective argument requires “the establishment of clear, precise, and effective definitions for key terms in the arguments.” You may have to adapt an existing definition or write your own. Johnston offers principles such as adjusting a definition based on the knowledge of who you’re writing for, focusing on what a term is and not just on its effects, and expanding a definition so it covers everything a reader needs to know.

How do you decide which terms are important in your essay? First, never assume a reader understands a term because it’s “obvious.” The most obvious terms are often the ones that need the clearest definitions. If your reader doesn’t know exactly what you’re talking about when you use a term like “health equity,” your essay won’t be as effective. In general, you want to define any terms relevant to your topic, terms that are used frequently and terms with distinct meanings in the context of your essay.

#7. Provide specific evidence and examples

Social justice issues are grounded in reality, so an essay should reflect that. Don’t spend your whole paper being philosophical or hypothetical. As an example, let’s say you’re writing an essay about desertification in Mali. Don’t discuss desertification as an abstract concept. Include real statistics and case studies on desertification in Mali, who it’s affecting the most and what is being done about it. For every argument you make, present supporting evidence and examples.

The strength of your evidence determines the strength of your arguments. How do you find strong evidence? Cite This For Me lists a handful of examples , such as studies, statistics, quotes from subject matter experts and/or reports, and case studies. Good evidence also needs to be accurate and in support of your argument. Depending on your essay topic, how current a piece of evidence is also matters. If you’re not relying on the most current evidence available, it can weaken your overall argument. Evidence should also be as specific as possible to your topic. Referring back to our desertification in Mali essay, that means locating examples of how desertification affects people in Mali , not in Chad or Russia.

Academic essay writing requires specific skills. Here’s an online introductory course on academic writing .

#8. Acknowledge your critics

Not every social justice essay requires an acknowledgment of opposing viewpoints, but addressing critics can strengthen your essay. How? It lets you confront your critics head-on and refute their arguments. It also shows you’ve researched your topic from every angle and you’re willing to be open-minded. Some people worry that introducing counterarguments will weaken the essay, but when you do the work to truly dissect your critic’s views and reaffirm your own, it makes your essay stronger.

The University of Pittsburgh offers a four-step strategy for refuting an argument. First, you need to identify the claim you’re responding to. This is often the trickiest part. Some writers misrepresent the claims of their critics to make them easier to refute, but that’s an intellectually dishonest method. Do your best to understand what exactly the opposing argument is claiming. Next, make your claim. You might need to provide specific evidence, which you may or may not have already included in your essay. Depending on the claim, your own thoughts may be a strong enough argument. Lastly, summarize what your claim implies about your critics, so your reader is left with a clear understanding of why your argument is the stronger one.

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About the author, emmaline soken-huberty.

Emmaline Soken-Huberty is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon. She started to become interested in human rights while attending college, eventually getting a concentration in human rights and humanitarianism. LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and climate change are of special concern to her. In her spare time, she can be found reading or enjoying Oregon’s natural beauty with her husband and dog.

good research paper writing is our form of justice

25 Interesting Social Justice Research Paper Topics

Through a social justice research paper, you get to demonstrate your awareness as per the current or trending issues in society. Through these research papers, you get to address issues such as inequalities in society while acting as an advocate of social justice. With that in mind, you have to choose an appropriate topic for your research paper, one that will bring you out as a great advocate of social justice. However, with the vastness of social justice, choosing a topic for your research paper can be challenging. But you do not have to worry about that anymore. In this article, we shall outline 25 of the best social justice paper topics in the 21 st century. They are well researched and grouped into categories for ease of selection and comparison. So when your professor asks, are you ready to write your research paper on social justice? You will be prepared because we have got you covered.

What is a social justice research paper?

A social justice research paper is whereby the writer discusses the human thoughts that people should receive equal access to privileges and opportunities within their society. It is a tricky paper but one that is exciting to handle.

List of 25 research topics for paper on social justice

Best social justice research paper topics.

Well, the topics under this “best” category are great topics to use for your research paper. They have excellent research sources, they are current and trending issues in society, and they are fun to venture into. These topics include:

• Gay rights and social justice

Under this topic, you can focus on:

• The history of gay people
• The history of the gay rights movement
• How the perception of gays was reformed radically due to the efforts of the gay rights movements
• Is political Egalitarianism the same as social justice

If you like analyzing social justice in a societies’ political development context, this topic can be thrilling.

• The indigenous people of Australia and social justice relationship

The commission of social justice was formed to provide indigenous people of Australia with a choice. A choice to stand up and push for their rights.

• Criminal and social justice responses to the act of sex working

Criminalization and the negative attitude shown to the sex working community has made sex workers susceptible and vulnerable to physical assault by:

• Men when in streets
• Even policemen
• Catholic teaching on social justice

Churches also want to instill some values in prisoners’ lives via practices and teachings. These teachings lead up to the acceptance of prisoners as individuals who should be treated with dignity.

Interesting topics for a social justice research paper

Now let us look at some interesting topics that you can utilize to broaden your imagination.

Interesting civil rights topics for a research paper on social justice

• The voting right act
• The act representing individuals with disabilities in America
• The BLM(Black lives matter) movement
• Affirmative action

Interesting criminal justice and law enforcement topics for a research paper about social justice

• Mandatory minimums
• Mass incarceration
• Wrongful conviction
• Police brutality

Immigration topics for a college paper about social justice

• Deportation
• Immigration labor
• Border security
• Migrant workers

These interesting topics are bound to develop a pretty thrilling and exciting research paper. Through these topics, you experience social justice and its importance in a whole new way.

Good social justice paper topics on gender minority, cultural, ethnic, and other issues

Under this category, we shall go through some topics that are trending in the world. They are exciting topics and great options to have:

• Cultural appropriation
• Unequal government representation
• Portrayal in popular cultures and media
• Targeted assaults, for example, hate crimes

As per social justice research paper examples, you can find them on the internet by simply searching for the best social justice research paper example. You can then use these examples to master the art of writing a perfect social justice research paper.

The social justice sector is of great importance to society, considering all the injustices that occur every day. We hope this article has helped you choose the perfect social justice research paper topic to express your understanding of society.

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50 Social Justice Topics | Best Essay Writing Ideas

The phrase social justice may sound simple, but it covers a pretty diverse scope of issues affecting our society. These include religion, income equality, race, sexual orientation, and gender, among many others. Since these are issues we encounter every day, you will, on countless times in your student life, get assigned a social justice project. Note, this is regardless of what course you may be taking. Therefore, it’s wise to equip yourself with a selection of great social justice topics, and also know how to go about the writing process beforehand. Fortunately, you happen to be at the right place. Check out the roundup of great social justice research topics, as well as a few tips to guide you through the process below.

A List of Social Justice Topics

The key to writing an exemplary social justice research paper is equipping with a list of good social justice topics you are both interested in and that have plenty of information sources. On that note, check out the list below

General Social Justice Topic Ideas

• What impact does diversity have on social justice?
• Define social justice
• How a corporate policy can affect the staff’s mental health
• What is your take on fundraisers? Are they real charities or money laundering projects?
• Explain the background and reasons that often lead to employee riots
• What should immigrating foreigners expect? A better life or condemnation?
• Explain the connection between globalization and the increase in substance abuse rates
• Describe the political side of most modern wars.
• Obesity as an obstacle to one’s social life
• Increasing unemployment as the direct consequence of economic recessions
• The impact of global warming on small island nations such as the Maldives
• History and the progression of the idea in Western political thought
• Globalization on international hospitality and tourism and how it impacts the local population
• Non-governmental organizations, are they positive activists of change?
• LGBTQ + pride movement
• Describe the negative impact of societal beauty standards
• What is the extent of abuse and neglect in orphanages, care homes, and orphanages

Good Social Justice Debate Topics

• Can peace exist without war?
• Define the relationship between social media and the increased cases of suicide
• Reverse discrimination- a myth or reality?
• A world of peace- is it real, or is it just a far-fetched fantasy?
• Is the issuing of green cards a privilege or a necessity?
• Should we perceive it as sex work or paid rape?
• The church and the state- is it possible for them to remain separate?
• Will gun control laws help reduce mass shootings?
• Is consent a valid concept in the porn industry?
• Building a wall between the US and Mexico? Logical or racist?
• The immunization debate; should vaccination be mandatory?

Social Justice Speech Topics

• Who pays the price of war and terrorism?
• Talk about white privilege in the media
• Can social media help society overcome the problem of illiteracy?
• Talk about child abuse prevention strategies in the US
• The societal impact on teenage smoking
• Dating violence among university and college students
• The effect of TV on infant child development
• The issue of discrimination; do existing policies adequately protect citizens?
• Problems brought about by illiteracy
• Economic issues in developing countries and their link to the US economy
• Address discrimination in sports

Social Justice Topics in Education

• Why is peace education rare than shooting classes
• Describe the mistreatment or abuse of autistic kids in elementary schools
• Should our educational system be flexible enough to accommodate the evolving world, or is it a much wiser idea to retain the old standards?
• Discrimination against the female gender or non-citizens in our education system
• The impact of illiteracy on our community today
• The impact of bullying and anxiety development in teenagers
• Social media as the new form of bullying
• How accessible is our educational system, the poor, migrant works, refugees, and other minority groups?
• Mandatory uniform as a means to wipe out student identity
• Can social media help our society overcome the problem of illiteracy?
• Free education for everyone, will it ever become a reality

Thoughts On Social Justice Essay Writing

Writing an essay on social justice is not only a regular part of your student life but is meant to train you into a functioning adult in society. Writing on different social justice research topics will also help you keep up with the trends and changes taking place in our society. Therefore, to write the perfect social justice essay ensure you

Choose Social Justice Topics Wisely

When it comes to writing on social justice, it’s wise to choose a topic relevant to the community at that time. For instance, all social justice topics on our list directly impact society today. Therefore, choosing to write on any of them will cause controversy because not everyone has the same opinion as you. Hence, your audience, in this case, your professor, will be curious to see how you handle a particular social justice issue.

But other than being relevant, good social justice topics usually have plenty of research material. So apart from choosing a topic related to 2023, make sure whatever you opt to write about won’t leave you all drained.

Invest in Research

Social justice topics such as bullying in school usually have plenty of press. In that breath, you want to make your essay on social justice as unique and as memorable as possible. Therefore, instead of writing what everyone knows, go the extra mile in doing your research. For instance, if your social justice topic of choice is bullying, choose to address the psychological part of it, instead of the regular effects most students do.

Support Your Stance with Examples

As noted earlier, social justice mainly focuses on issues that affect our everyday lives. It is all about things that take place in our community regularly. Therefore, read the relevant college essay examples to help your audience relate to the social justice topic you’ve chosen to write about on a personal level. For instance, if you are talking about climate change, use examples that will hit close to home, such as increased energy costs. This way, your audience understands just how critical climate change is and why they should take action!

Keep your social justice essay very simple. Once you are done, revise and edit it to confirm that it is flawless. To make sure you submit a plagiarism-free paper and excellent grades, we advise you to hire our essay writers .

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Social Justice - Essay Samples And Topic Ideas For Free

Social justice is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political, and social rights and opportunities. Essays could explore the various theories of social justice, historical and contemporary social justice movements, and the ongoing challenges in achieving social justice globally. They might also discuss the role of individuals, communities, and nations in promoting social justice and addressing systemic inequalities. We’ve gathered an extensive assortment of free essay samples on the topic of Social Justice you can find at Papersowl. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

How to Achieve Social Justice

We are all one in this world. There is no race, sexual orientation, gender, rich or poor, or even prejudice against all. But that would give the world a utopian atmosphere, and quite frankly, we are not there yet. This would be best defined as social justice. Social Justice is a concept of a society in which every human being is treated fair and equal, without any form of discrimination. It is in my belief, that how the system is […]

Catholic Social Justice Community Service Reflection

Catholic Social Justice is the call to help one another as well as the world in general. It is a commitment that arises from experiencing Christ in the Eucharist. These catholic social justices that we all must commit to are as follows: life and dignity of the human person, call to family, community, and participation, rights and responsibilities, option for the poor and vulnerable, the dignity of work and the right of workers, solidarity, and care for God’s creation. All […]

The Era of Social Injustice

"Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children" (King 1). Back during the Civil Rights Movement African Americans were penalized due to their skin color and were not offered the same rights as people with white skin. African Americans were treated with no respect and were given the impression that they had no place […]

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Social Justice System

Most of the complaints have different applications of the death penalty, police brutality, racial profiling, sentencing disparity, and different treatment of minorities by the Criminal justice system. Everything that happens in court is suppose to be lawful and took into consideration, that your life could be on the line and how many years being spent could affect you and the people around you. The color of someone skin shouldn't be a reason to put them in jail but the supreme […]

Understanding of the Social Justice

When people hear social justice, they may not really understand what the term means and may assume it is just a form of freedom and our rights. According to the Oxford dictionary, Social Justice is justice regarding the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. However, I do not believe that definition is completely correct. What it fails to acknowledge is that the distribution should be equal among individuals of a society. If it is not equal for […]

Michael Walzer’s Theory of Justice

Promp: Michael Walzer's theory of justice provides us with the means of greatly reducing domination within, as well as between, the spheres of life upon which he focuses? Michael Walzer is a prominent American political theorist and a pioneer of moral philosophy. He has written many influential essays and books on which are all-encompassing to many prevalent issues. His questions are centered around the ethics of distributive justice within particular frames of social reference. Most notably, his book Spheres of Justice […]

A Problem of Social Justice in World

Multiple people are discriminated for their race, their religion, or their sexuality. The idea of entitlement has been an issue in the United States for centuries. Even before the United States became a country in 1776, racial prejudice existed. At first it was the Native Americans' who were looked down on and forced to do the new white settlers dirty work. Then it became African Americans. Whites have been seen to be superior to African Americans for many years, more […]

Social Justice for African American Women

Are African American women not being treated fairly? Are Black women being discriminated against more without holding a high school diploma or some degree? Does slavery play a part in how Black women are treated today? Racial discrimination plays a part in the crime and social justice of gender inequality on African American women. Since slavery is over, African American women have the same rights as White people. However, discrimination still takes place today. Authors such as Areva Martin, Guest […]

A Social Workers in the United States

On February 14th 2011, twins Nubia and Victor Barahona fell victim to their abusive father. The children were found locked in their father’s truck in West Palm Beach, Florida. Nubia was dead and Victor has severe chemical burns all over his tiny body. An anonymous tip was called into the child abuse hotline but the social worker Andrea Fleary was so backlogged with cases that it took her 4 days to conduct a welfare check. That was precious time taken […]

Mental Illness and Social Justice

Mental illness has a history in the United States since colonial times, possibly even before. The first hospital specializing in mental health opened in 1773 in the United States. Prior to 1773, individuals were left to care for themselves or be cared for by family members or they were placed in jail for criminal behavior. In the mid-1800s, Dorothea Dix noticed the inhumane treatment of prisoners and the mentally ill in prisons and institutions. Patients were often living in deplorable […]

Crime and Social Justice on Gender Inequality

I'm using these five sources to talk about crime and social justice on gender inequality. Gender inequality is more of a social injustice because gender inequality is an unfair practice between men and women being carried out in the society. Within discussing this topic, I talk about racism and sexism. My topic is towards African Americans and women in the workplace. How come African American women or women, in general, are not seen as an equal to men? Cheeks, Maura. […]

A Problem of Social Injustices

There have been many unjust systems when it comes to the law providing help for the people and social injustice throughout times when it came to gender for many years, women have come along way throughout the years to become a significant role in what goes on in the law system and empowering women to be able to be in most careers that were thought before to not be suitable for women. And, an issue we still in America is […]

Social Justice, Race, and Gender Issues in American Society

Although known for its ancient history, large population, and incredible beauty; Africa also holds record numbers for its staggering amounts of child slavery and poverty stricken lands. Aside from AIDS, one of Africa’s major social problems is in fact, child labor and slavery. At the heart of Africa’s economic boom, the need for youth to actively become laborers on farms, in fields, workshops and factories is prevalent. Africa, being successful in producing rich, delicious cocoa, seeks young boys whose ages […]

Social Justice in Public Schools

Principals leading for social justice in 21st Century public schools will require a change in their preparation programs from that of a traditional role to one that is ready to lead diverse schools. It is projected that by 2025, 55% of all students enrolled in United States public schools will be a member of today's minority racial/ethnic group (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017). The enrollment in Texas public schools today is represented with 52% Hispanic, 13% Black, 29% White, […]

Social Justice in Healthcare: Bridging Disparities and Fostering Equity

Relevance and Meaning Social justice in healthcare refer to the equitable distribution of medical resources that ensures everyone has fair access to medical care regardless of financial background, color, or ethnicity. It stands for the notion that everyone is naturally entitled to the highest physical and mental health levels. The importance of this justice stretches beyond the immediate health implications. When healthcare is distributed equitably, it provides the following points: Societies flourish when every member can contribute productively. Economic burdens […]

What does Social Justice Mean to You: Personal Reflections

Feminism and social justice have been a sidestream topic for as long as I’ve known about it. I have always heard different things from different people and was never sure which was the right assumption. I originally came to this course with the premise that feminism was working to actively change the traditional roles placed on women and replace patriarchy with equality for all. But because of this, I also saw feminism as a violent act towards men. This assumption […]

The Role of Education and Critical Literacy

The role of education in a democracy is that an education can provide someone with the knowledge of past occurrences of oppression that can be used to fight current social injustices, while the role of critical literacy is that it can help one recognize social issues that continue to affect society. If someone lacks an education or critical literacy skills, than he or she may be unaware that injustices are occurring, or will lack knowledge on how these injustices can […]

Female Comics and Social Justice

"In a similar vein, ideas expressed by women who identify as feminists are often dismissed under the idea that they are angry and unable to take a joke. Thus, the stand-up stage is a space where homophobic, sexist, and all together insensitive jokes not only occur, but thrive. The comedy business is hard and unforgiving to queer audiences, fueling anxiety and self-hatred, as has been pointed out by queer comedians such as Hannah Gatsby. In her standup special Nanette, Gatsby […]

Marxism is the Arrangement of Communism

Karl Max is a German philosopher and socialist. He work has everlastingly affected the field of human science in that his perspectives opened the way to the investigation of how one's social class impacts one's beneficial encounters and life shots. His work additionally opened the entryway for some contrasting points of view on the issue of the well off and the poor in the public eye. Karl is the man behind the theory Marxism. Marxism is the focus on social […]

Catholic School and the Common Good

Statement of the Problem Social justice is not voluntary; it is essential so that students learn to understand that particular rights are inalienable and exist within oneself and within others (Denig, 2014). Catholic education shapes boys and girls to be good citizens, loving God and neighbor and impacting society with Gospel values (Miller, 2006). Unfortunately, this mission of Catholic school has become an endangered species in the 21st century. Declining enrollments, increasing financial pressures, and church scandals are threatening the […]

Importance of the Elderly Community

The Community Meeting Paper: Core Principles and the Council on Aging Meeting Due to COVID -19 the Tewksbury council on aging meeting was hold on virtually to present via video conference and via telephone. The council on aging community in Tewksbury is to provide and identify the senior needs. The national council on aging is a nonprofit organization that to help senior and elderly people get benefit to improve they retired life and get them to involve the local senior […]

Understanding Equal Educational Opportunity

In “Understanding Equal Educational Opportunity; Social Justice, Democracy, and Schooling”, Howe (1997) Dug deeply into the complex idea of equality of educational opportunity. He revealed many restraints and problems that need to be understood if that basic democratic principle is to serve us in our quest to provide an education that keeps the future open for our kids. He argued for the necessity of distributing justice and democracy. Where, justice gives everyone an active voice in looking for their needs. […]

Understanding of Responsibility for Social and Economic Justice

Barbara Ehrenreich, a prolific writer, found herself having wandered into the topic of poverty during lunch with an editor. The topic was especially current. In 1996, Congress passed, and President Bill Clinton signed into law, the "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act," welfare-reform legislation that radically restructured welfare programs, reduced federal spending on welfare, and required many to work in order to receive limited social benefits (Kirst-Ashman, 205). Ehrenreich, challenged by of her own idea that "someone ought to […]

Should Capital Punishment be Reintroduced in the UK: a Deep Dive into the Moral Labyrinth and Societal Repercussions

Imagine this: the eerie chamber of death, where whispers mingle with the resonant thud of a gavel against the wood. Capital punishment, the solemn act of ending human life as retribution for heinous crimes, is a complex puzzle that has sparked debate over centuries. The United Kingdom, once entangled in this extreme penal practice, abolished capital punishment in 1965. However, the vexing question of its potential revival lingers in society's corridors. The essay embarks on a journey through the intricate […]

What does the Constitution Mean to Me? a Deep Dive into its Complex Tapestry

The Constitution - those words etched upon the pages of history, a beacon of governance transcending time and guiding nations. In my contemplation, I invite you to delve into the intricate corridors of this foundational document. Throughout this journey, we'll ponder its nuances and decipher the threads of thought it weaves across the tapestry of our society. As I traverse its provisions, I invite you to join me in solving the echoes of the Constitution's wisdom, as its words, like […]

Thurgood Marshall: a Champion for Justice and Equality

Thurgood Marshall emerges as a resonant figure in the annals of American history, particularly concerning civil liberties and the apex court. Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, born on July 2, 1908, Marshall's odyssey from a lad confronting racial bias to assuming the mantle of the premier African American Supreme Court Justice stands as a narrative of unparalleled distinction. His trajectory epitomized an unyielding commitment to equity and impartiality, a legacy that endures, shaping the legal and societal landscape of the United […]

Illustrative Cases of Segregation in History and Society

The enforced division of different racial, ethnic, or social groups, known as segregation, has profoundly influenced societies worldwide. While the most infamous examples often originate from the United States, segregation has appeared in various guises across different nations and historical epochs, each leaving distinct impacts and legacies. Understanding these instances offers a broader perspective on the deeply entrenched and detrimental nature of segregation. Among the most renowned examples is the Jim Crow era in the United States. Spanning from the […]

What does Justice Mean? an Examination of Fairness and Equity Across Different Societies

Justice, serving as the bedrock of societal balance, is an elaborate mosaic rich in varying shades and textures worldwide. Although its core principles are universally acknowledged, justice adapts uniquely within each cultural context, reflecting distinct historical, cultural, and ideological underpinnings. In Western legal systems, justice is revered as the protector of individual liberties, enshrined within the framework of legal statutes and rights. The principles of due process, presumption of innocence, and impartial trials are paramount, ensuring fairness is maintained. Yet, […]

The Enduring Strength of Ruby Bridges’ Family

Ruby Bridges, a luminary of the civil rights crusade, is widely lauded for her valiant deed at the tender age of six when she became the inaugural African American child to integrate an all-white primary school in the Southern region. The dauntlessness exhibited by young Ruby in 1960 amidst formidable societal pressures stands as an enduring testament to her family's resolve and fortitude. This discourse delves into the pivotal role of Ruby Bridges' familial unit in buttressing her during this […]

Martin Luther King Jr.: a Timeless Icon of Hope and Justice

Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most significant figures in American history, spearheaded the civil rights movement and devoted his life to fostering greater inclusivity in the nation. His influence is not only historical; it is still felt in discussions about justice, equality, and civil rights today, demonstrating the ongoing influence of his ideas and strategies. King's strategy of using civil disobedience and nonviolence to bring about social change was groundbreaking at the time and is still incredibly important […]

Additional Example Essays

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• Why Gun Control Won’t Work
• Why Are the Army Values Important
• A Dream To Become A Lawyer
• Two main strengths and weaknesses of international law
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How to Write an Essay About Social Justice

Understanding social justice.

Before you start writing an essay about social justice, it's essential to have a clear understanding of what social justice entails. Social justice refers to the fair and just relation between the individual and society, measured by the distribution of wealth, opportunities for personal activity, and social privileges. It involves a focus on the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. Begin your essay by defining social justice and its importance in modern society. Discuss the various dimensions of social justice, which may include issues like racial equality, gender equity, economic fairness, LGBTQ rights, and more.

Developing a Thesis Statement

Your essay on social justice should be centered around a clear, concise thesis statement. This statement should present a specific viewpoint or argument about social justice. For instance, you might explore the effectiveness of current social justice movements, analyze historical social justice issues and their resolution, or argue the need for a specific approach to achieve social justice in a particular context. Your thesis will guide the direction of your essay and provide a structured approach to your analysis.

Gathering Supporting Evidence

To support your thesis, gather evidence from a range of sources, including academic research, case studies, historical examples, or current events. This might include data on social inequality, examples of successful social justice initiatives, or testimonies from individuals or groups affected by social injustice. Use this evidence to support your thesis and build a persuasive argument. It's important to consider different perspectives and address potential counterarguments to your thesis.

Analyzing Social Justice Issues

Dedicate a section of your essay to analyzing specific social justice issues. Discuss the causes and impacts of these issues, the challenges in addressing them, and the strategies employed to overcome these challenges. Consider both the successes and the ongoing struggles in the realm of social justice. This analysis will help illustrate the complexities involved in achieving social justice and the various factors that influence it.

Concluding the Essay

Conclude your essay by summarizing the main points of your discussion and restating your thesis in light of the evidence provided. Your conclusion should tie together your analysis and emphasize the importance of striving for social justice. You might also want to reflect on the broader implications of your findings or suggest future directions for social justice activism or policy.

Reviewing and Refining Your Essay

After completing your essay, take time to review and refine it. Ensure that your arguments are clearly articulated and supported by evidence. Check for grammatical accuracy and ensure that your essay flows logically from one point to the next. Consider seeking feedback from peers, educators, or experts in social justice to further improve your essay. A well-written essay on social justice will not only demonstrate your understanding of the topic but also your ability to engage critically with complex ethical and societal issues.

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• October 17, 2021
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• 1,629 views

By Nora Lessersohn, A.M.

In the past few years, social, political, environmental, financial, and medical crises have made it abundantly clear that one’s race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or disability status directly affect/s their health, finances, work, education, and ability to live life itself. In response, colleges have started to ask their applicants to reflect on how they themselves have contributed to creating equitable and just outcomes for all. The following three prompts are exemplary:

Villanova : St. Augustine states that well-being is “not concerned with myself alone, but with my neighbor’s good as well.” How have you advocated for equity and justice in your communities?

Princeton : Princeton has a longstanding commitment to service and civic engagement. Tell us how your story intersects (or will intersect) with these ideals.

University of Richmond : Please share one idea for actions or policies that you think would begin to address an issue of racial or social injustice.

Such prompts may feel difficult for students who don’t consider themselves “political” (or those who simply understand how massive these problems are). But working towards equity and justice doesn’t begin and end with a protest or a social media post. In fact, you’ve probably worked towards these goals without even realizing it! Here are three questions to ask yourself to help you write a social justice essay.

1) How and when have I tried to be inclusive of others? Inclusion is an important element of working towards equitable social outcomes, whether it happens at a policy level, or at school with your peers. Have you made an effort to incorporate people from different backgrounds into an activity or conversation, whether in a sport, a club, or a social setting? This act could form the basis of a solid social justice essay in which you talk about the value of inclusion to your community.

2) How and when have I tried to help others? While not all assistance relates to issues of equity and justice, thinking about the times you have worked to help people will help you reflect on how your actions may have contributed to these goals. Have you worked as a tutor or mentor? Have you volunteered at a hospital? Have you organized a food drive? While you may not have thought about the macro effects of your service at the time, thinking now through the lens of equity and justice, how do you understand the work that you did? Is there something you could have done better (and will do in the future)?

3) How and when have I tried to ask difficult questions? For many, the first step in working for equity and justice is developing the awareness that there is systemic and racial inequality everywhere we look. When have you been most aware of these issues in society, and what questions did this awareness prompt you to ask? Who did you ask, or did you keep those questions to yourself (and why)? Reflecting on your own process of understanding could be a powerful way to engage with the topic of social justice, and a jumping off point for discussing how you would work towards a more equitable social world in college and beyond.

Hopefully, asking yourself these questions will help you realize that, even if you’ve never protested, posted, or even just “talked politics,” you may still have made an important effort to make the world a better place to live. 

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Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Individual and Society — Social Justice

Essays on Social Justice

Prompt samples for crafting a social justice essay.

Starting with the right prompt can set the tone for a powerful social justice essay. Prompts such as "Analyze the impact of systemic racism on education" or "Explore the role of social media in social justice movements" encourage critical thinking and provide a clear direction for your research and argumentation.

Brainstorming and Selecting a Compelling Social Justice Essay Topic

Choosing an impactful topic is crucial for writing an engaging social justice essay. Consider the following points during your brainstorming session:

• Relevance: Select a topic that is timely and resonates with current social justice issues.
• Passion: Choose an issue you are passionate about. Authentic interest will enhance your writing.
• Originality: Aim for a unique angle or perspective to stand out.
• Researchability: Ensure there are ample resources and research available on your chosen topic.

Innovative Social Justice Essay Topics

Avoid common and broad topics by focusing on specific issues. Here are several thought-provoking essay topics:

• The Intersectionality of Gender, Race, and Class in Education Disparities
• Critical Analysis of Environmental Justice in Urban Planning
• The Influence of Art and Culture in Propagating Social Justice Movements
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Restorative Justice in Criminal Justice Reform
• The Role of Technology in Enhancing Accessibility and Advocacy

Inspirational Phrases and Paragraph Samples for Your Social Justice Essay

Here are examples of paragraphs and phrases to inspire your writing and help structure your essay:

Analyzing the Role of Social Media in Amplifying Social Justice Movements

Social media platforms have emerged as powerful tools for social justice advocacy, enabling grassroots movements to gain global attention. This section explores how digital activism transforms public discourse and mobilizes support for social justice causes.

The Critical Impact of Environmental Injustice on Marginalized Communities

Environmental injustice perpetuates inequality, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. This analysis delves into case studies where environmental policies have failed these communities and proposes solutions for equitable environmental governance.

Exploring Intersectionality as a Framework for Social Justice

Intersectionality provides a comprehensive approach to understanding the multifaceted nature of oppression. By examining the intersections of race, gender, and class, this essay highlights the importance of an inclusive social justice movement.

The Controversy of Banning The Catcher in The Rye

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Food Inc: Summary of The Truth Behind The American Food Industry

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Death Penalty and Social Justice in The United States

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The Biblical Prophets' Teachings on The Love of God in Social Justice

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Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society.

In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fulfill their societal roles and receive what was their due from society. In the current movements for social justice, the emphasis has been on the breaking of barriers for social mobility, the creation of safety nets, and economic justice. Social justice assigns rights and duties in the institutions of society, which enables people to receive the basic benefits and burdens of cooperation.

The relevant institutions often include taxation, social insurance, public health, public school, public services, labor law and regulation of markets, to ensure distribution of wealth, and equal opportunity.

The five main principles of social justice include access to resources, equity, participation, diversity, and human rights.

1. Tyler, T. R. (2000). Social justice: Outcome and procedure. International journal of psychology, 35(2), 117-125. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1080/002075900399411) 2. Zajda, J., Majhanovich, S., & Rust, V. (2006). Introduction: Education and social justice. International Review of Education/Internationale Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft/Revue Internationale de l'Education, 9-22. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/29737064) 3. Capper, C. A., Theoharis, G., & Sebastian, J. (2006). Toward a framework for preparing leaders for social justice. Journal of educational administration. (https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/09578230610664814/full/html) 4. Leach, M., Stirling, A. C., & Scoones, I. (2010). Dynamic sustainabilities: technology, environment, social justice (p. 232). Taylor & Francis. (https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/52748) 5. Kluegel, J. R., Mason, D. S., & Wegener, B. (1995). Social justice and political change. De Gruyter.. (https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110868944/html) 6. Duff, W. M., Flinn, A., Suurtamm, K. E., & Wallace, D. A. (2013). Social justice impact of archives: a preliminary investigation. Archival Science, 13, 317-348. (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10502-012-9198-x) 7. McKenzie, K. B., Christman, D. E., Hernandez, F., Fierro, E., Capper, C. A., Dantley, M., ... & Scheurich, J. J. (2008). From the field: A proposal for educating leaders for social justice. Educational administration quarterly, 44(1), 111-138. (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0013161X07309470?journalCode=eaqa) 8. Nussbaum, M. (2002). Capabilities and social justice. International Studies Review, 4(2), 123-135. (https://academic.oup.com/isr/article-abstract/4/2/123/1794864) 9. Apple, M. W. (2009). Global crises, social justice, and education. In Global crises, social justice, and education (pp. 9-32). Routledge. (https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203861448-5/global-crises-social-justice-education-michael-apple) 10. Jost, J. T., & Kay, A. C. (2010). Social justice: History, theory, and research. (https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-03506-030)

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• Discourse Community
• Cultural Appropriation
• Social Media
• Sociological Imagination
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• American Identity
• Media Analysis
• Sex, Gender and Sexuality

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• Social Justice
• Social Justice Syllabus Statement
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• Honors Students

Type of Information You Need

Where to look for research.

• Voter Education

What kind of information will you need?

By  using various kinds of information,  you can develop a good picture of your topic and  write about it convincingly . 

• Definitions of words or concepts
• Historical information 
• Biographical data (e.g. dates of birth & death, parents' names)
• Demographic data or population statistics 
• Experimental data & studies 
• Book or film reviews
• Essays or opinion pieces
• Literature reviews 
• Academic/ scholarly articles

As the subject of social justice is very large, you will probably have more success researching it if you focus on a narrower topic within it. Below are a few ideas for focusing your research.

Civil Rights:

• Affirmative Action
• Brown v. Board of Education
• Housing Policy
• Voting Rights Act 
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Black Lives Matter Movement 

Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice:

• Adult Sentencing for Juveniles 
• Police Brutality
• Wrongful Conviction
• Mass Incarceration
• Mandatory Minimums

Immigration:

• Amnesty / Refugees
• Border Security
• Immigrant Labor
• Migrant Workers / Farm Workers
• Deportation 

Income Inequality:

• Homeless Rights
• Social Welfare Reform
• Minimum Wage (Federal or State)
• Affordable Care Act / Health Care Reform
• Student Debt Crisis 
• Labor Unions

Gender Inequality:

• Pay Gap  
• Women's Health Care
• Roe v Wade 
• Maternity Leave (or Paternity Leave)
• Online Harassment (example: Gamergate) 

LGBT Rights:

• Marriage Equality 
• Same Sex Adoption
• Obergefell v. Hodges
• Transgender Discrimination
• Conversion Camps 
• Violence Against Transgender Persons 

Other Cultural, Ethnic, & Gender Minority Issues:

• Portrayal in Media & Popular Culture
• Unequal Representation in Government
• Cultural Appropriation 
• Erasure from History 
• Targeted Assaults (i.e. Hate Crimes) 

Reference books

• Include  encyclopedias, dictionaries, almanacs, biographies, directories, and atlases .
• Great for setting a foundation for your understanding of a topic.
• These are usually reliable sources of widely accepted, factual data. 

Academic Journals  

• Collections of research articles, case studies, literature reviews, reports, experimental studies, and other writing. 
• Released primarily in print, but are usually available on electronic databases .
• Come out periodically - usually annually, quarterly, or monthly.
• They usually rely heavily on research or experimentation , and are written for academic communities. 
• Contain what are widely referred to as " scholarly articles ."

Newspapers and Magazines

• Information that is  current or topical  can be found in news or magazine articles. 
• Published in  magazines, newspapers, or websites , and are read by a wide variety of readers. 
• Employ a system of fact-checking and editorial review  before going to press.
• Professional journalists investigate stories and write articles. 
• No subject-area expertise is required to write and publish  these articles.

The Internet 

...and about ebooks.

• Electronic versions of books , sometimes created as online versions only and, other times, digital versions of books already in print.
• The "e" part of "eBook" only describes the way the material is presented, or format, but not the value of the content. 
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Another Word

From the writing center at the university of wisconsin-madison.

Writing for Social Justice: Writer-Activists Share Their Work

By mia alafaireet and nancy linh karls, featuring jesus galvan, erica kanesaka kalnay, tiffany lee, and amy salinas westmoreland –.

What kinds of power do words really have? What does it mean to be a writer-activist? How can each of us use our writing to push for social change?  These are the questions that fuel the UW-Madison Writing Center’s newest workshop series: “Writing for Social Justice.”

In the time since UW-Madison released the results of a 2016 Campus Climate survey, we at the Writing Center have confronted questions of diversity and inclusion with renewed vigor. [1] As we contemplated the survey’s results and how our programs might play into students’ overall experience of campus life, we began to wonder:  What actions can we take to signal our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and social change? What can we do to foster a sense of belonging for students who may otherwise feel unwelcome on campus?

While we knew there were no easy answers, we decided to start with a series of social justice-oriented workshops designed to spark conversations about the power of writing to elicit equity, inclusion, and change. We hoped that inviting speakers from across the campus community would draw a wide audience and range of perspectives.

We coordinated our first event, “Writing as Activism,” in collaboration with our partners at the campus Multicultural Student Center (MSC) . Amy Salinas Westmoreland and Tiffany Lee, who coordinate the MSC’s social justice programming, collaborated with us to brainstorm approaches, reach out to speakers, and host the event in April of 2018. The event featured four writer-activists, each of whom shared an excerpt from their work and prompted us all to reconsider the intersections between our individual lives as writers and our engagement in broader communities.

“It was a beautiful sight,” says Amy Salinas Westmoreland, Assistant Director of Social Justice programs for the MSC. “All the chairs were filled with students that were engaged, and wanted to know what they could do to make a difference.”

During the course of the session, the panelists presented and shared writing that spanned a wide range of genres.

Jesus Galvan, a senior undergraduate Writing Fellow , shared an outline proposal that he and the former Chair of Associated Students of Madison had collaboratively drafted. As Jesus explained to those gathered in the MSC that day, the objective for this outline was to provide more opportunities for discussion and reflection among incoming first-year students participating in the Our Wisconsin program.

“My piece was a bit different,” Jesus writes, “because it was more of a pedagogical piece, which may be more cut and dry but also very valuable from a systemic standpoint. Personally, I tend to have a knack for thinking about how things are done systematically, and it was awesome to have the opportunity to talk about this collaborative effort.” Although Jesus noted that he and his colleague fell short of their goal to facilitate four pilot discussions, he believes that “this process of trying to instill systemic changes to Our Wisconsin was insightful.”

In terms of presenting his work at the panel, Jesus recalls, “I remember feeling humbled and excited to share this piece – to both the audience as well as the people I presented with. From my experiences in college, I understand that sometimes it can be difficult to get a good turnout with events like this. I was pleasantly surprised to see the number of individuals in attendance that day. It really shows the intrinsic value that students hold in regards to social justice topics and discussions.”

Since graduating from UW-Madison, Jesus continues to work toward social justice by beginning an AmeriCorps fellowship and working at a residential high school in Estes Park, Colorado. Jesus writes, “Although my opportunities to produce creative, social-justice-oriented pieces of writing are limited, I have ample opportunities to help students here in their college admissions essays – something I consider to be social justice work in and of itself.”

Another panelist, Erica Kanesaka Kalnay, a Ph.D. candidate in English, shared one of her short stories, “Duck, Duck, Goose.” Erica writes, “A few months later, what sticks with me about this conversation is how inspired I felt by the level of political engagement among undergraduate writers of color at the UW. When I was an undergraduate student, I went to a predominantly-white institution and did not have a community of writers of color. In workshops, many of my peers and professors regarded writing that was too overtly ‘emotional’ or ‘political’ as substandard, and I internalized many of these beliefs by cloaking my struggles with identity and mental illness under a veil of obfuscation.”

Erica continues, “In retrospect, I understand the pressure to adhere to a tone of ironic detachment as more than just an aesthetic demand, but a mode of silencing voices that challenge dominant narratives. Our conversation touched upon trauma and pain, and at the very same time, gave me hope that writing can be an act of healing, reclamation, and resistance.” (For more of Erica’s work, please see her website at ericakanesaka.com .)

Two other panelists also shared samples of their writing. Erika Gallagher, a senior undergraduate Writing Fellow and Posse Scholar , shared an abstract of her research project, “I Can’t Speak: Changing Perceptions of Linguistic Variations in Leadership.” Francisco Velazquez provided audience members with a copy of “Cardi B Conquers on the Highly Anticipated Invasion of Privacy ,” a review he’d written and had published in The Daily Cardinal just one week prior to this panel. (Both Erika and Francisco have since graduated from UW-Madison.)

Tiffany Lee, the Director of Crossroads (a collaboration between the MSC and the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center ), served as the panel’s moderator.

As she looks back on the panel, Tiffany writes, “What I appreciated most about this event is listening to different writers talk about how their writing is interwoven with their activism. Even though the writers had very different styles and backgrounds, they shared a common belief that writing has power.”

One of the audience members in attendance that day recalls, “I attended the panel with, what is for me, a perpetual skepticism when it comes to thinking about writing acting for good in world. And despite how well attended the event was, despite knowing almost all of the panelists by name from different work they’ve done around campus, and despite the energy of the MSC, I still waited for the panel to begin by wondering how successful writing can be as activism.”

He continues, “But after listening to each speaker, it became so clear to me how powerful writing can be even when its broader effects aren’t apparent yet. What I saw were several students at a variety of different moments in their academic careers, both empowered by the writing they do and already undertaking the difficult work of communicating injustice in a way that is compassionate and compelling. I think it can be easy to not immediately think of writing as activism because it tends to work slowly like a glacier, but the panelists help showcase that, like a glacier, writing can eventually reshape the world.”

These kinds of reflections underscore the power and the potential of writing for social justice.

As Amy Salinas Westmoreland notes, “Whenever we do a social justice workshop, panel, or bring a social justice speaker, our hope is to have an audience engage with the material and leave with some new information. We want folks to leave knowing that they have the power to create change, and this workshop did just that. I specifically remember all the questions that were asked by the audience. I’m proud of our collaboration with the Writing Center, and I hope that we can continue our partnership in the future.”

We were thrilled to see that “Writing as Activism” drew an even larger crowd than anticipated, and the depth of audience engagement encouraged us to expand the series through the 2018-2019 academic year. Keep an eye out for our Fall kickoff event, “Writing Is Power,” and other exciting social justice programming coming in the future!

[1] See the survey results here: https://diversity.wisc.edu/climate/survey/

2 Replies to “Writing for Social Justice: Writer-Activists Share Their Work”

What most delights me about this piece, as well as gives me hope, is the revival of the term “writer-activist” being used in the context of higher education. Today, in my classes and the articles I read, I notice a small distrust of writing as a force that can carry out the work of social justice. At times, the allure and flashiness of public protests and organizing can detract from the more “quiet” forms of activism– writing. The work of the panelists and writers featured in this post imply that writing is one of the necessary platforms and means to approach social justice aims.

After reading this, I am struck with a line of inquiries about the role of writing in high education: How does the context of writing in higher education position writing as a mere task or skill to learn for the job market? How can writer-activists and writing center communities re-cast writing as a transformative act that produces visible changes in the world? What possibilities can writer-activists produce within the institutional limits of higher education? Lastly, how can writer-activists frame their writing as doing the work of public humanities to engage the wider community outside of UW? Food for thought.

I am really looking forward to continuing to following the work of the social justice writing center collaborations and hopefully getting involved myself.

Thank you so much, Nancy and Mia, for this wonderful post. I am so inspired by the examples of students who have used writing for change. Like Amy, I am constantly trying to think about how we can teach students that writing is about more than sending polished emails on the job. This is the goal of my Writing for Social Justice class, but teaching it has been a continual learning process for me, too! Thank you again for sharing. I would love to get involved with the next workshop.

Comments are closed.

Social Justice Research

Social Justice Research publishes original papers that have broad implications for social scientists investigating the origins, structures, and consequences of justice in human affairs.

The journal encompasses justice-related research work using traditional and novel approaches, and spanning the social sciences and beyond: psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, social policy research, political science, law, management science, and others.

This multidisciplinary approach advances the integration of diverse social science perspectives. In addition to original research papers - theoretical, empirical, and methodological - the journal publishes book reviews and, from time to time, special thematic issues.

Social Justice Research is the official journal of the International Society for Justice Research (ISJR).

This is a transformative journal , you may have access to funding.

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Societies and partnerships

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Latest issue

Volume 37, Issue 1

Latest articles

Effects of event intensity and frequency on judgements of procedural justice in (un)fair situations.

• Hesham F. Gadelrab
• Othman H. Alkhadher
• Salman Alawadi

More Satisfaction, Less Equality: Distributive Effects of Transparent Needs in a Laboratory Experiment

• Bernhard Kittel
• Sabine Neuhofer
• Manuel C. Schwaninger

Is Organizational Justice Relevant for Enhancing Employee’s Commitment: An Empirical Analysis using Perceiver Supervisor Support as a Mediator

• Sweta Srivastava Malla
• Sanjay Malla

Invisible China: How the Urban-Rural Divide Threatens China’s Rise

• Xueli Huang

Can Community Music Contribute to More Equitable Societies? A Critical Interpretive Synthesis

• Brydie-Leigh Bartleet

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Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

• 6. The Methodology
• Purpose of Guide
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The methods section describes actions taken to investigate a research problem and the rationale for the application of specific procedures or techniques used to identify, select, process, and analyze information applied to understanding the problem, thereby, allowing the reader to critically evaluate a study’s overall validity and reliability. The methodology section of a research paper answers two main questions: How was the data collected or generated? And, how was it analyzed? The writing should be direct and precise and always written in the past tense.

Kallet, Richard H. "How to Write the Methods Section of a Research Paper." Respiratory Care 49 (October 2004): 1229-1232.

Importance of a Good Methodology Section

You must explain how you obtained and analyzed your results for the following reasons:

• Readers need to know how the data was obtained because the method you chose affects the results and, by extension, how you interpreted their significance in the discussion section of your paper.
• Methodology is crucial for any branch of scholarship because an unreliable method produces unreliable results and, as a consequence, undermines the value of your analysis of the findings.
• In most cases, there are a variety of different methods you can choose to investigate a research problem. The methodology section of your paper should clearly articulate the reasons why you have chosen a particular procedure or technique.
• The reader wants to know that the data was collected or generated in a way that is consistent with accepted practice in the field of study. For example, if you are using a multiple choice questionnaire, readers need to know that it offered your respondents a reasonable range of answers to choose from.
• The method must be appropriate to fulfilling the overall aims of the study. For example, you need to ensure that you have a large enough sample size to be able to generalize and make recommendations based upon the findings.
• The methodology should discuss the problems that were anticipated and the steps you took to prevent them from occurring. For any problems that do arise, you must describe the ways in which they were minimized or why these problems do not impact in any meaningful way your interpretation of the findings.
• In the social and behavioral sciences, it is important to always provide sufficient information to allow other researchers to adopt or replicate your methodology. This information is particularly important when a new method has been developed or an innovative use of an existing method is utilized.

Bem, Daryl J. Writing the Empirical Journal Article. Psychology Writing Center. University of Washington; Denscombe, Martyn. The Good Research Guide: For Small-Scale Social Research Projects . 5th edition. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press, 2014; Lunenburg, Frederick C. Writing a Successful Thesis or Dissertation: Tips and Strategies for Students in the Social and Behavioral Sciences . Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2008.

Structure and Writing Style

I.  Groups of Research Methods

There are two main groups of research methods in the social sciences:

• The e mpirical-analytical group approaches the study of social sciences in a similar manner that researchers study the natural sciences . This type of research focuses on objective knowledge, research questions that can be answered yes or no, and operational definitions of variables to be measured. The empirical-analytical group employs deductive reasoning that uses existing theory as a foundation for formulating hypotheses that need to be tested. This approach is focused on explanation.
• The i nterpretative group of methods is focused on understanding phenomenon in a comprehensive, holistic way . Interpretive methods focus on analytically disclosing the meaning-making practices of human subjects [the why, how, or by what means people do what they do], while showing how those practices arrange so that it can be used to generate observable outcomes. Interpretive methods allow you to recognize your connection to the phenomena under investigation. However, the interpretative group requires careful examination of variables because it focuses more on subjective knowledge.

II.  Content

The introduction to your methodology section should begin by restating the research problem and underlying assumptions underpinning your study. This is followed by situating the methods you used to gather, analyze, and process information within the overall “tradition” of your field of study and within the particular research design you have chosen to study the problem. If the method you choose lies outside of the tradition of your field [i.e., your review of the literature demonstrates that the method is not commonly used], provide a justification for how your choice of methods specifically addresses the research problem in ways that have not been utilized in prior studies.

The remainder of your methodology section should describe the following:

• Decisions made in selecting the data you have analyzed or, in the case of qualitative research, the subjects and research setting you have examined,
• Tools and methods used to identify and collect information, and how you identified relevant variables,
• The ways in which you processed the data and the procedures you used to analyze that data, and
• The specific research tools or strategies that you utilized to study the underlying hypothesis and research questions.

In addition, an effectively written methodology section should:

• Introduce the overall methodological approach for investigating your research problem . Is your study qualitative or quantitative or a combination of both (mixed method)? Are you going to take a special approach, such as action research, or a more neutral stance?
• Indicate how the approach fits the overall research design . Your methods for gathering data should have a clear connection to your research problem. In other words, make sure that your methods will actually address the problem. One of the most common deficiencies found in research papers is that the proposed methodology is not suitable to achieving the stated objective of your paper.
• Describe the specific methods of data collection you are going to use , such as, surveys, interviews, questionnaires, observation, archival research. If you are analyzing existing data, such as a data set or archival documents, describe how it was originally created or gathered and by whom. Also be sure to explain how older data is still relevant to investigating the current research problem.
• Explain how you intend to analyze your results . Will you use statistical analysis? Will you use specific theoretical perspectives to help you analyze a text or explain observed behaviors? Describe how you plan to obtain an accurate assessment of relationships, patterns, trends, distributions, and possible contradictions found in the data.
• Provide background and a rationale for methodologies that are unfamiliar for your readers . Very often in the social sciences, research problems and the methods for investigating them require more explanation/rationale than widely accepted rules governing the natural and physical sciences. Be clear and concise in your explanation.
• Provide a justification for subject selection and sampling procedure . For instance, if you propose to conduct interviews, how do you intend to select the sample population? If you are analyzing texts, which texts have you chosen, and why? If you are using statistics, why is this set of data being used? If other data sources exist, explain why the data you chose is most appropriate to addressing the research problem.
• Provide a justification for case study selection . A common method of analyzing research problems in the social sciences is to analyze specific cases. These can be a person, place, event, phenomenon, or other type of subject of analysis that are either examined as a singular topic of in-depth investigation or multiple topics of investigation studied for the purpose of comparing or contrasting findings. In either method, you should explain why a case or cases were chosen and how they specifically relate to the research problem.
• Describe potential limitations . Are there any practical limitations that could affect your data collection? How will you attempt to control for potential confounding variables and errors? If your methodology may lead to problems you can anticipate, state this openly and show why pursuing this methodology outweighs the risk of these problems cropping up.

NOTE:   Once you have written all of the elements of the methods section, subsequent revisions should focus on how to present those elements as clearly and as logically as possibly. The description of how you prepared to study the research problem, how you gathered the data, and the protocol for analyzing the data should be organized chronologically. For clarity, when a large amount of detail must be presented, information should be presented in sub-sections according to topic. If necessary, consider using appendices for raw data.

ANOTHER NOTE: If you are conducting a qualitative analysis of a research problem , the methodology section generally requires a more elaborate description of the methods used as well as an explanation of the processes applied to gathering and analyzing of data than is generally required for studies using quantitative methods. Because you are the primary instrument for generating the data [e.g., through interviews or observations], the process for collecting that data has a significantly greater impact on producing the findings. Therefore, qualitative research requires a more detailed description of the methods used.

YET ANOTHER NOTE:   If your study involves interviews, observations, or other qualitative techniques involving human subjects , you may be required to obtain approval from the university's Office for the Protection of Research Subjects before beginning your research. This is not a common procedure for most undergraduate level student research assignments. However, i f your professor states you need approval, you must include a statement in your methods section that you received official endorsement and adequate informed consent from the office and that there was a clear assessment and minimization of risks to participants and to the university. This statement informs the reader that your study was conducted in an ethical and responsible manner. In some cases, the approval notice is included as an appendix to your paper.

III.  Problems to Avoid

Irrelevant Detail The methodology section of your paper should be thorough but concise. Do not provide any background information that does not directly help the reader understand why a particular method was chosen, how the data was gathered or obtained, and how the data was analyzed in relation to the research problem [note: analyzed, not interpreted! Save how you interpreted the findings for the discussion section]. With this in mind, the page length of your methods section will generally be less than any other section of your paper except the conclusion.

Unnecessary Explanation of Basic Procedures Remember that you are not writing a how-to guide about a particular method. You should make the assumption that readers possess a basic understanding of how to investigate the research problem on their own and, therefore, you do not have to go into great detail about specific methodological procedures. The focus should be on how you applied a method , not on the mechanics of doing a method. An exception to this rule is if you select an unconventional methodological approach; if this is the case, be sure to explain why this approach was chosen and how it enhances the overall process of discovery.

Problem Blindness It is almost a given that you will encounter problems when collecting or generating your data, or, gaps will exist in existing data or archival materials. Do not ignore these problems or pretend they did not occur. Often, documenting how you overcame obstacles can form an interesting part of the methodology. It demonstrates to the reader that you can provide a cogent rationale for the decisions you made to minimize the impact of any problems that arose.

Literature Review Just as the literature review section of your paper provides an overview of sources you have examined while researching a particular topic, the methodology section should cite any sources that informed your choice and application of a particular method [i.e., the choice of a survey should include any citations to the works you used to help construct the survey].

It’s More than Sources of Information! A description of a research study's method should not be confused with a description of the sources of information. Such a list of sources is useful in and of itself, especially if it is accompanied by an explanation about the selection and use of the sources. The description of the project's methodology complements a list of sources in that it sets forth the organization and interpretation of information emanating from those sources.

Azevedo, L.F. et al. "How to Write a Scientific Paper: Writing the Methods Section." Revista Portuguesa de Pneumologia 17 (2011): 232-238; Blair Lorrie. “Choosing a Methodology.” In Writing a Graduate Thesis or Dissertation , Teaching Writing Series. (Rotterdam: Sense Publishers 2016), pp. 49-72; Butin, Dan W. The Education Dissertation A Guide for Practitioner Scholars . Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, 2010; Carter, Susan. Structuring Your Research Thesis . New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012; Kallet, Richard H. “How to Write the Methods Section of a Research Paper.” Respiratory Care 49 (October 2004):1229-1232; Lunenburg, Frederick C. Writing a Successful Thesis or Dissertation: Tips and Strategies for Students in the Social and Behavioral Sciences . Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2008. Methods Section. The Writer’s Handbook. Writing Center. University of Wisconsin, Madison; Rudestam, Kjell Erik and Rae R. Newton. “The Method Chapter: Describing Your Research Plan.” In Surviving Your Dissertation: A Comprehensive Guide to Content and Process . (Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications, 2015), pp. 87-115; What is Interpretive Research. Institute of Public and International Affairs, University of Utah; Writing the Experimental Report: Methods, Results, and Discussion. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Methods and Materials. The Structure, Format, Content, and Style of a Journal-Style Scientific Paper. Department of Biology. Bates College.

Writing Tip

Statistical Designs and Tests? Do Not Fear Them!

Don't avoid using a quantitative approach to analyzing your research problem just because you fear the idea of applying statistical designs and tests. A qualitative approach, such as conducting interviews or content analysis of archival texts, can yield exciting new insights about a research problem, but it should not be undertaken simply because you have a disdain for running a simple regression. A well designed quantitative research study can often be accomplished in very clear and direct ways, whereas, a similar study of a qualitative nature usually requires considerable time to analyze large volumes of data and a tremendous burden to create new paths for analysis where previously no path associated with your research problem had existed.

To locate data and statistics, GO HERE .

Another Writing Tip

Knowing the Relationship Between Theories and Methods

There can be multiple meaning associated with the term "theories" and the term "methods" in social sciences research. A helpful way to delineate between them is to understand "theories" as representing different ways of characterizing the social world when you research it and "methods" as representing different ways of generating and analyzing data about that social world. Framed in this way, all empirical social sciences research involves theories and methods, whether they are stated explicitly or not. However, while theories and methods are often related, it is important that, as a researcher, you deliberately separate them in order to avoid your theories playing a disproportionate role in shaping what outcomes your chosen methods produce.

Introspectively engage in an ongoing dialectic between the application of theories and methods to help enable you to use the outcomes from your methods to interrogate and develop new theories, or ways of framing conceptually the research problem. This is how scholarship grows and branches out into new intellectual territory.

Reynolds, R. Larry. Ways of Knowing. Alternative Microeconomics . Part 1, Chapter 3. Boise State University; The Theory-Method Relationship. S-Cool Revision. United Kingdom.

Yet Another Writing Tip

Methods and the Methodology

Do not confuse the terms "methods" and "methodology." As Schneider notes, a method refers to the technical steps taken to do research . Descriptions of methods usually include defining and stating why you have chosen specific techniques to investigate a research problem, followed by an outline of the procedures you used to systematically select, gather, and process the data [remember to always save the interpretation of data for the discussion section of your paper].

The methodology refers to a discussion of the underlying reasoning why particular methods were used . This discussion includes describing the theoretical concepts that inform the choice of methods to be applied, placing the choice of methods within the more general nature of academic work, and reviewing its relevance to examining the research problem. The methodology section also includes a thorough review of the methods other scholars have used to study the topic.

Bryman, Alan. "Of Methods and Methodology." Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal 3 (2008): 159-168; Schneider, Florian. “What's in a Methodology: The Difference between Method, Methodology, and Theory…and How to Get the Balance Right?” PoliticsEastAsia.com. Chinese Department, University of Leiden, Netherlands.

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8 Conclusions and Next Steps in Using Social Justice Research as a Continuous Process of Engagement

• Published: June 2014
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This final chapter discusses several additional issues to consider en route to becoming a social justice researcher. Specifically, it considers social justice theories and models, as well as issues related to social justice measurement, ethics, technology, and challenges in conducting social justice research. Because some aspects of a social justice approach to research are emerging and developing, we think it is important to look for changes in best practice recommendations over time. This chapter ends with some thoughts on how to continue the process of becoming a social justice researcher.

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116 Social Justice Essay Topics

🏆 best essay topics on social justice, 🔎 easy social justice research paper topics, 🎓 most interesting social justice research titles, 💡 simple social justice essay ideas, ❓ social justice research questions.

• The Environment and Social Justice
• Social Justice, Education, and Critical Pedagogy
• Social Justice and Equality in America
• Ethics and Social Justice in Mental Health System
• Social Justice and Civil Rights
• Criminal and Social Justice
• Racial Discrimination as a Social Justice Issue
• Teacher’s Reflection, Liberal Arts and Social Justice The use of reflection by a teacher in the process of writing and thinking enables him/her to reflect on how effective a lesson is.
• Gun Violence as the Social Justice Issue The aim of the paper is to describe the issue of gun violence, analyze the reasons for the problem and propose a possible solution.
• The Principle of Social Justice in World Religions This essay examines the principle of social justice as the subject of a comparative study among the three schools of thought: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism .
• Advocating for Social Justice Nurses should continue advocating for social justice and suggest strategies to fix the system, making the system genuinely fair.
• Gender Equity and Social Justice in Schoolchildren Gender inequality can easily be identified in schools by observing how students tend to micro-interact and aggregate in particular activities or groups.
• The Social Justice and Nutrition in a Family This paper provides a wider understanding of the practical application of social justice and how the social determinants of health can be used in the description of the family.
• Working for Social Justice Instances of social inequality are common in the current century. This paper discusses the different authors who address the topic of social justice.
• Social Justice Protests Regarding Abortions This study aims to understand abortion rights and how they were significant in women’s equality. Roe v. Rode was a case that challenged the rule about abortion.
• Creative Voices as Social Justice Advocates Poetic language presents information in a way that enables readers to relate the message to their personal experiences and make informed decisions.
• Engineering Ethics Education for Social Justice The incident at Morales is a case that provides the reader and the viewers with a moral problem that is arguably confronted at work and home.
• Individual Responsibilities on Definirion of Social Justice Issues Considering divergent opinions from reviews concerning the non-precision or non-existence of the definition of social justice.
• General Definitions of Social Justice It is essential to provide several general definitions of social justice that will allow us to fully understand and appreciate this concept.
• Criminal and Social Justice Intersection: Annotated Bibliography The annotated bibliography of the sources where the criminal and social justice intersection relations are researched.
• How to Promote Social Justice in Nursing Social justice plays an instrumental role in nursing by ensuring that inequalities do not deprive marginalized groups of access to quality healthcare services.
• Social Justice and Barriers in Healthcare One of the most important social justice topics that relate not only to nursing in particular but to healthcare in general, is affordable healthcare.
• The Concept of Social Justice in Nursing Social justice in nursing relates to human rights and equality in the nursing practice and addresses inequalities arising from race, gender, age, religion, etc.
• The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Its Contribution to Social Justice This paper focuses on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, discussing its coverage in scholarly literature, implications for the public, and discussions in Congress.
• Autonomy and Social Justice for African American and Latino Populations These study objectives are formulated so that the findings will promote autonomy and social justice among the study population.
• Social Justice: American Arab, Jewish American, and Africans Jewish Americans have many variations of cultural features depending on the degree of involvement in religion.
• Exploration of Social Justice Aspects One can state that the government should play a significant role in support for families with children while ensuring child welfare measures being taken are fair.
• The Climate of Social Justice, Racism, COVID-19, and Other Issues The paper argues ideas of music, culture and society are contended to be inseparably connected, which can be clarified through the space of ethnomusicology.
• Social Justice in Britain’s Workforce Although racism has been outlawed as a social vice, nonetheless, racial discrimination is still one of the major ethical dilemmas in the modern workplace.
• Female Genital Cutting and Social Justice A female genital cutting is a form of female circumcision extremely detrimental to the natural function of the female body.
• Social Justice and Sustainable Business Practices Corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies are gradually acquiring legal effects as they are integrated into elements such as supply chain contracts and labor law.
• The Black Lives Matter Movement as the Call for Social Justice: Analyzing Available Sources of Information A range of sources shed light on the movement The Black Lives Matter, its goals, and the accomplishments that it has achieved so far. This paper analyses some of them.
• American Policing and Social Justice Social justice is a phenomenon that reflects the economic, political, legal, and moral conditions of life and the development of society.
• Catholic Moral Teaching on Charity and Social Justice This paper discusses why Catholic moral teaching is so concerned with charity and social justice and how it can influence the rate of immorality that goes on in this world.
• Social Justice to Maintain Democracy in Australia This essay will look into the impact of social justice concepts in maintaining democracy in Australian society.
• Reconciliation, Australian Aborigines, and Social Justice The objective of the paper is to discuss the relevance of the policy of reconciliation and relevance of the policy of reconciliation to social justice for Australian Aborigines.
• Narrative for Advancing a Social Justice Agenda Gender parity in education is changing, but gender inequality continues to exist in favor for boys in Los Angles.
• Social Justice and Books: Educational Aspects Sherman Alexie’s quote is quite harsh, but true: young adult fiction should not become milder or sweeter just because some of the critics see is as too daunting.
• Getting Involved in Advocacy Practice for Social Justice Analyzing the main factors influencing the willingness of people to get involved in advocacy efforts is the key to figuring out how to boost the activity of the workers.
• Social Justice and Pregnant Addicted Mothers When a pregnant mother is addicted to alcohol and drug, she may end up causing irreparable damage to the unborn child.
• The Social Justice Concept Definition In this article, it is argued that the concept of social justice represents entanglements between policy arenas of social welfare and crime control.
• Social Justice Towards War Veterans
• Freedom, Capitalism, and Institutions for Delivering Social Justice
• Social Justice, Utilitarianism, and Indigenous Australians
• Public Health and Social Justice in the Age of Chadwick
• Social Justice, Free Market Style
• Self-Ownership and Social Justice among Libertarians
• Special Education, Social Justice, and Effective Learning
• Old and New Testament Views on Social Justice Religion
• Criminal Justice, Social Justice, and Morality
• Social Justice Reformers and the Progressive Era
• How Social Justice Is Taught in Elementary School?
• Social Justice Orientation and Multicultural Environment
• Hispanic Social Justice Issue
• Social Justice and the LGBT Community
• The Social Justice Issue in the United States
• 19th Century Jihads and Social Justice, Security, and Prosperity
• Human Morality and Social Justice
• Justice and the Moral Code of Social Justice
• Social Justice and the Performing Arts in Appalachia
• Technology and the Advancement of Social Justice
• Ottawa Charter Social Justice Principles
• Relationship Between Education and Social Justice
• Legal and Social Justice for Hispanics and Women
• Criminal and Social Justice Issues
• Natural Resources, Economic Rents, and Social Justice in Contemporary Africa
• Social Justice and Adult Education
• Health and Social Justice Issues in Saharan Country
• Social Justice Movement and Social Work
• Residential Segregation and Social Justice
• Social Justice Towards Students with Disabilities
• Racial Discrimination, the Complete Opposite of Social Justice
• Parental Participation for Social Justice in Education
• Social Justice and Its Impact on the United States
• The Vietnam War and Its Impact on the Creation of Social Justice
• Social Justice Historic Marxist Classical Writers Believe
• How the Congressional Black Caucus Uses Social Media to Address Social Justice Issues
• Social Justice and Injustice in Kenya
• Race, Medicine, and Social Justice: Pharmacogenetics, Diversity, and the Case of Bid
• Social Justice and the Canadian Correctional System
• The Biblical Prophets’ Teachings on the Love of God in Social Justice
• Social Justice: The Role of Higher Education, Criminality and Race
• Multicultural Education and Social Justice Education
• Globalization and Social Justice in OECD Countries
• Social Justice and Special Needs Students
• Income Disparity and Social Justice Based on Graph
• Social Justice and Different Views of Natural Law among XIX Century Economics
• Producing and Practicing Social Justice in Education
• What Does Teaching for Social Justice Mean for Teacher?
• Nations and Social Classes as the Greatest Barriers to Social Justice
• Anthropology and Social Justice Convergence
• What Does Social Justice Mean?
• Are Consultation and Social Justice Advocacy Similar?
• What Are the Principles of Social Justice and Inclusion?
• Does Perceiving the Poor as Warm and the Rich as Cold Enhance Perceived Social Justice?
• What Has Limited the Impact of UK Disability Equality Law on Social Justice?
• How Does the Film “Lord of the Flies” Relate to Social Justice?
• Why Are Diversity and Inclusion Important for Social Justice?
• How Can Social Justice Be Achieved in Our Society Today?
• What Is the Most Important Issue in Social Justice?
• Does Social Justice Highlight the Relationship Between Social Welfare and Crime Control?
• What Is Needed to Achieve Social Justice?
• Is Social Justice Just About Equality?
• What Is the Relationship Between Equality and Social Justice?
• Is Social Justice a Reasonable Relationship Between the Individual and Society?
• What Is the Main Focus of Social Justice?
• How Does Social Justice Impact Society?
• What Is the Role of Social Justice in Social Work?
• Is Inclusion a Part of Social Justice?
• How Can We Promote Social Justice in the Community?
• Who Is Responsible for Social Justice and Why?
• How Can Social Justice Be Maintained in the Society?
• What Would Happen to the World Without Social Justice?
• Does Social Justice Apply to Everyone?
• What Is the Golden Rule of Social Justice?
• Are Human Rights Based on the Concept of Social Justice?

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StudyCorgi . "116 Social Justice Essay Topics." October 26, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/social-justice-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2022. "116 Social Justice Essay Topics." October 26, 2022. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/social-justice-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on Social Justice were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on January 9, 2024 .

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64 Examples of Social Issues Topics for 2024

May 21, 2024

Writing assignments asking students to engage with social justice/social issues topics target skills vitally important to success in college and beyond. They require writers to demonstrate critical, ethical, and dynamic thinking around demanding topics that present no quick and easy solution. Often, they will call for some amount of research, building textual and media literacy and awareness of the research process. In other words, these kinds of essays can be valuable in teaching students how to think and learn for themselves. But another, underappreciated learning outcome of these essays has to do with their function as communication.

This last feature can be easy to overlook in the context of writing assignments. Questions of audience, authority, and impact seem less significant when you know your teacher must read your essay. However, taking these questions seriously can not only enhance your odds of writing an excellent essay, but could also foster skills instrumental to real-world writing situations.

This article provides a list of social justice topics carefully selected to demonstrate the range and scale of available subjects. It also explains how you might approach writing about these issues with an eye for defining them and understanding the audience. Identifying a great topic that interests you enough to write about is an important early step. But what’s equally or even more important is to understand how to write about it clearly, directly, and persuasively.

How to Write a Successful Essay Grappling with Social Issues Topics

Writing about social issues topics is best improved through asking questions about purpose, context, and outcome. Why this topic and not another? Who is the audience, what do they know, and where might they stand on an issue? What are the typical ways others address the issue? What knowledge, perspective, or plan of action has been missing from that conversation? Why is this topic important to think about? Why is this essay important to read? These questions are crucial to delimiting which social justice topics to focus on and the strategy for writing about them. Answering them in the process of selecting a topic and developing a writing plan can help achieve the following components of good essays:

1) Defining the Issue

A frequent problem with student writing involves tackling questions or issues that are overly broad or vaguely defined. When selecting from social issues topics, it’s actually a smart strategy to think small. Rather than purporting to solve world peace, essays work better when drilling down into more localized and easily defined issues. This will help to communicate clearly what the issue is, convince the reader of its relevance, and successfully indicate that a short piece of writing could meaningfully contribute to the conversation around the issue.

2) Finding and Using Evidence

In many cases, essays on social issues topics will require some amount of research. When incorporating secondary evidence, it’s vital to find sources that are relevant to the topic and signal their credibility. However, even if research is not formally required, it can help toward establishing the purpose of a piece of writing within a larger discussion. Looking toward how others typically address an issue can help toward understanding whether an essay should aim to fill a gap in knowledge, supply a missing perspective, or outline actions that have not been proposed.

Successful Essay Grappling with Social Issues Topics (Cont.)

3) understanding audience.

Student essayists are not overly incentivized to think about questions of audience. However, understanding audience can help toward both defining an issue and acknowledging the purpose of writing. The most important thing to reflect on is the audience’s reason for reading a piece of writing. Why should they care about this social issue and what the essay will say about it? Understanding the reason for reading will help toward envisioning the ideal reader. Then, the essay’s language and arguments can be tailored to what that ideal reader already knows about the topic and their likely attitudes and beliefs.

4) Making an argument

This step follows the others and builds upon each. After clearly defining an issue that is appropriate in scope, an essay should clearly state its purpose or position. It should then interpret relevant evidence to support that position or fulfill its purpose. Then, it should aim to convince the audience by organizing evidence and reasoning into paragraphs structured around topic sentences that support the purpose or position. As these steps make clear, the argument is the essay. Making an argument entails justifying the act of writing itself, as well as the reader’s decision to follow the writer in focusing on an issue from a unique vantage point.

The following list of examples indicates some of the range of social issue essay topics. When considering these or other examples, writers should consider how they can foster purposive essays that understand how they are entering and changing the conversation around the issue.

Example Social Issues Topics – Tech and Labor

Artificial intelligence and digital technology.

• The environmental impact of emerging AI technologies and industries.
• Whether AI is a paradigm-shifting revolution or part of a long, gradual history of technology-assisted creative or technical work.
• The biases that exist in AI systems and data and ways of redressing them.
• The emergent use of AI tools in modern warfare.
• How a specific political movement or group of activists has embraced digital communication technologies to advance a cause.
• How digital self-publishing has affected trends and systems in the publishing industry.
• How social media algorithms promote addictive behaviors and their effect on minors.
• A surprising or disturbing effect of government and corporate digital surveillance practices.

Social Issues Topics (Continued)

Economic and labor issues.

• Causes and effects of unionization in industries connected to the gig economy.
• Disparities in wages between men and women affecting a key industry like tech.
• How changes in minimum wage policies affect other wage earners.
• The impact of globalization on labor rights and standards in the film industry.
• Comparing the outcomes of universal basic income and guaranteed minimum income as novel social welfare programs.
• How faculty and graduate student unionization movements respond to shifting labor and ideological conditions at universities.
• What geographical factors and/or trends in property ownership shape income inequality within a select area?
• Job fields under threat by automation and AI and strategic responses to the prospect of job replacement.

Example Social Issues Topics –Education and the Environment

• The effects of the COVID pandemic on textual and media literacy in children and young adults.
• How educators are responding to the challenges and opportunities of generative AI.
• Areas of learning affected by bans on “critical race theory” and LGBTQ-related topics in schools.
• How digital culture has affected the attention spans of young learners.
• The sources of increased student debt and its effects on the culture of higher education.
• The history and educational role of political protest on college campuses.
• How the end of affirmative action could affect the role colleges have played in promoting wide social mobility.
• The source of debates around “school choice” and how it is changing the face of education.

Environment and Sustainability

• Geopolitical tensions salient to the transnational effort to combat climate change.
• Protest and advocacy strategies adopted by environmental advocates and different ways of measuring their effectiveness.
• Solutions for the disproportionate environmental burdens on marginalized communities.
• Whether mass consumer behavior or the practices of the economic elite are most responsible for climate crises.
• Comparing the effectiveness of political optimism and pessimism in efforts to redress climate change.
• Environmental challenges that result from destructive practices of modern warfare including ecocide.
• Global meat consumption, its contribution to climate change , and proposed solutions.
• The benefits and drawbacks of green capitalist and “de-growth” movements as radically contrasting approaches to combatting climate change.

Example Social Justice Topics – Human Rights and Geopolitics

Human rights and equality.

• How the end of Roe v. Wade has changed the political landscape around women’s reproductive rights.
• Whether cultural or legal solutions could work best to prevent violence against women.
• The alliance between feminists and political conservatives that has emerged in the clash over LGBTQ rights.
• How news media outlets have influenced widespread political efforts to curtail the rights of transgender people.
• Tensions between private corporations and governments around diversity and inclusion efforts.
• The effect of enhanced police oversight by civilians on the disproportionate use of force against minority communities.
• Barriers to housing, employment, or health services faced by people with disabilities.
• How exploitative work practices affecting minors exist despite legal efforts to curtail them.

International and Geopolitical Issues

• How migrant crises have influenced new border and immigration policies.
• How contemporary proxy wars differ from earlier methods of international conflict.
• Tensions that exist between global humanitarian aid agencies and actors in Global South countries that receive aid.
• How efforts to ensure affordable access to medicines across the world were affected by the COVID pandemic.
• How globalization has changed the world distribution of wealth inequality.
• Weighing the humanitarian costs of solar and electric energy production against those of the oil industry.
• How cultural differences around gender and sexuality influence global movements for women’s equality and LGBTQ rights.
• How authoritarian and/or religious political movements have become internationalized.

Example Social Justice Topics – The Legal System and Government

Justice and legal system.

• Restorative justice alternatives to traditional carceral approaches in the legal system.
• Efforts to eliminate cash bail and their potential effect on disparities in pretrial detention and bail practices.
• Legal challenges that new technologies have created in terms of defining or prosecuting crime.
• Methods of preventing and prosecuting police brutality and harassment.
• How the locations of prisons affect local communities and economies.
• Ways to combat mass incarceration through rethinking policing and sentencing standards.
• Academic, professional, and legal services in prisons and their effect on imprisoned populations.
• Mental health challenges present in the legal and carceral systems.

Politics and Governance

• Methods of global governance that have emerged to address transnational challenges like climate change and public health.
• Questions related to freedom of speech principles that have emerged in the digital age.
• Mutual aid efforts that address areas of public need that have been unaddressed through traditional political methods.
• How participatory media encourages broader civic engagement and government transparency.
• Political solutions for addressing the phenomena of food deserts or food apartheid.
• Responses of local governments to sharp increases in homelessness after the COVID pandemic.
• The internationalization of culture wars and political polarization around issues relating to race/ethnicity, gender, and sexuality.
• Philosophies about the conflict between ideals of multicultural openness and respect for cultural differences.

Final Thoughts – Social Issues Topics

The above social justice topics provide a sense of the large range of urgent issues an essay might topic. However, it’s best to reflect on how a piece of writing can define an issue so as to make clear that it is capable of doing something meaningful with it. That could entail looking for similar, more niche issues to address. Or it could mean deeper thought about an issue for which the writer anticipates they could provide missing information, perspectives, or plans of action. While many readers care about many topics, it’s vital to understand how an essay can create a tangible relationship with an ideal reader. Only then can a writer spur others to think or act in novel and potentially transformative ways.

Additional Resources

• Good Persuasive Speech Topics
• Debate Topics
• Argumentative Essay Topics
• 60 Senior Project Ideas for High Schoolers
• 101 Topics for the Science Fair 
• 100 Creative Writing Prompts 
• High School Success

Tyler Talbott

Tyler holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Missouri and two Master of Arts degrees in English, one from the University of Maryland and another from Northwestern University. Currently, he is a PhD candidate in English at Northwestern University, where he also works as a graduate writing fellow.

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