Advocating For Social Justice

Advocating for Social Justice

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What does social justice mean to you?

Social justice is an idea that is associated with equality, freedom as well as society’s common good. Many people believe social justice has lost its meaning and this is why it has become a buzz word for activists as well as campaigners (Drevdahl, 2001). However, to me, there is more to social justice than thinking about what it's not. Social justice to me is the possibility of accessing quality healthcare for every individual. Social justice is consistent, everyday activities that aim at making things accessible for all people.

Is social justice the same as socialized medicine or even communism?

Socialized medicine, communism as well as social justice are entirely different ideologies that many people tend to confuse. For starters, social justice is majorly about the ownership and accountability by the people for advocating equality (Stanhope, 2015). Socialized medicine, on the other hand, focuses on government-owned and controlled healthcare system where services as well goods are offered and catered by the government thus promoting equal access. Communism is a political system whereby the government is responsible for owning and distributing resources regardless of their contribution to promote equality.

The notion of social justice is fairness so that everyone can achieve a certain level of health and wellness. After all, the Constitution guarantees everyone the right to pursue happiness. Is the health care system fair?

The healthcare system cannot be termed as fair as many people are still not accessing healthcare despite it being a basic need. The stakeholders overseeing the system have become too hungry to a point of focusing more on the profits rather than the service being offered. Citizens are still not being able to access quality healthcare and for some, they cannot access healthcare at all (Wendt, 2009).

If you could wave a magic wand and fix the health care system, what is the first thing you would notice indicating that it had changed? Or, in your opinion, do you think it needs to be changed at all.

For starters, the government should make healthcare free. I believe by doing this, many people from all corners of the nation despite their social class will access proper healthcare. Secondly, the government should initiate policies that govern all healthcare system regardless of private or public. This will help ensure the services being offered are appropriate and up to standard. Lastly, people should learn to put their trust in the government as there is no way we can heal the ailing and expect to uplift our healthcare system if we the people distrust our government.

Reference

Drevdahl, D., Kneipp, S. M., Canales, M. K., & Dorcy, K. S. (2001). Reinvesting in social justice: A capital idea for public health nursing?. Advances in Nursing Science, 24(2), 19-31.

Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2015). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Wendt, C., Frisina, L., & Rothgang, H. (2009). Healthcare system types: a conceptual framework for comparison. Social Policy & Administration, 43(1), 70-90.