Why Social Justice is Important?

Social Justice is defined as “justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society” (Oxford). It is based on the concepts of equality and human rights where people have been fighting to achieve social justice in our society. Social justice is important because it helps us work towards making our society how we want it to be. While these terms may seem simple, the net they cast over society can be truly overwhelming. Whether it’s LGBTQ+ rights, citizenship, income inequality, or even the basic human dignities of life and self-ownership, social justice is the broad term for what it is to bring light and right into these societal wrongs.

How it Relates to E-Literature 

Electronic Literature is an effective medium to convey messages relating to social justice and activism. The use of new media implies that the author of the work is willing to use more modern forms of literature and communication, giving them a better ability to connect with the audience. The broad range of media works that can be created electronically allows for authors to produce works in many different formats, expanding their ability to connect with different people in trying to convey their message. This can be seen in the works, My Hands/Wishful Thinking by Mendi and Keith Obadike in 2000, Motions by Hazel Smith in 2014, Public Secret by Sharon Daniels and Erik Loyer in 2007, and In Absentia by J.R. Carpenter in June 28 2008, which describe the need for social justice in various different situations. Through these works, we look to uncover how these authors utilize this new media to capture and expose their messages, whether it be a message of change or rather a matter of awareness.

This book can be navigated by clicking on the next page which will bring you to the table of contents. From there you can click on a title, which is created by a different student. Each student has set up a similar design just like the whole book, where after clicking onto a title on the original table of contents, you can continue on and see a new set of a table of contents for their “chapter” of the scalar book.