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Social Work vocabulary · Ethics and Confidentiality

Social justice

Meaning in social work, with examples

nounCore term

In social work, social justice means: The idea that everyone should have fair access to rights, resources and opportunities, and that unfair structures in society should be changed.

In Turkish: sosyal adalet, toplumsal adalet

How it is used

Named in the international definition of social work as a core principle, alongside human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversity. It appears in codes of ethics, policy statements and essays rather than in daily case notes.

Example sentences

  1. For many students, social justice is the reason they chose social work.

  2. The project links individual casework with a wider commitment to social justice.

Common collocations

  • promote social justice
  • commitment to social justice
  • social justice and human rights
  • social justice issues
  • anti-oppressive practiceAn approach that recognises how power, discrimination and inequality affect people's lives and works to challenge them, both in the system and in the worker's own practice.
  • code of ethicsA written set of values and principles that guides how members of a profession should behave and make decisions.
  • advocacySpeaking up for people, or helping them speak up for themselves, so that their views are heard and their rights are respected.
  • empowermentThe process of helping people gain more control over their own lives, decisions and resources, and the confidence to act for themselves.

More terms: Ethics and Confidentiality

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