Intersectional Social Justice: Pathways to Systemic Equity

Linnea Borgstram^*
*Correspondence: Linnea Borgstram, Department of Cultural Studies,, Lund University, Lund, Sweden, Email:

Introduction

This review highlights the critical role of intersectional approaches in public health research and practice, emphasizing how overlapping social identities and systems of power shape health outcomes.[1]

This article explores how transformative learning theory can significantly enhance social justice education by fostering critical consciousness among learners. It argues that by engaging students in deep reflection and challenging their preconceived notions, educators can empower them to recognize and address systemic injustices, ultimately promoting more equitable and inclusive educational environments.[2]

This scoping review synthesizes the application of Critical Race Theory (CRT) within health research, revealing its potential to expose and challenge systemic racism in healthcare. It emphasizes how CRT provides a robust framework for understanding racial health disparities, advocating for approaches that address the root causes of inequity rather than merely surface-level symptoms.[3]

This article advocates for integrating a social justice framework into public health nutrition, emphasizing the systemic factors that contribute to food insecurity and diet-related health disparities. It urges practitioners and policymakers to address structural inequities, rather than solely individual behaviors, to achieve true health equity.[4]

This article proposes a conceptual framework that integrates restorative justice principles into transformative social work practice, aiming to move beyond punitive approaches toward healing and community building. It argues that by focusing on repairing harm, fostering dialogue, and empowering affected parties, social workers can effectively address root causes of conflict and injustice.[5]

This article underscores the critical role of universities in promoting global health equity and social justice by adopting a human rights framework. It argues that academic institutions have a responsibility to not only conduct research and educate but also to advocate for policies and practices that address systemic inequalities.[6] This article presents a comprehensive framework for embedding equity principles directly into health policy development, providing practical guidance for policymakers. It highlights the importance of using an equity lens throughout the entire policy cycle, from agenda setting to evaluation, to ensure that policies actively reduce health disparities.[7]

This article emphasizes the critical need to reclaim and re-center Indigenous knowledges as foundational frameworks for social justice in education. It argues that by integrating Indigenous perspectives, pedagogies, and epistemologies, educational systems can challenge colonial legacies, foster culturally responsive learning environments.[8]

This scoping review examines the application of social justice theories within health promotion, highlighting a gap between theoretical conceptualization and practical implementation. It calls for more explicit integration of social justice frameworks to address health inequities, urging researchers and practitioners to move beyond descriptive analyses toward interventions that actively challenge structural determinants of health.[9]

This article proposes a framework for nursing practice that explicitly positions disability as a social justice issue, moving beyond a medical model to address systemic barriers and inequities faced by individuals with disabilities. It emphasizes the nurse's role in advocacy, policy change, and promoting inclusive care environments.[10]

Description

This set of articles delves into the critical role of social justice and equity frameworks across diverse fields, with a significant focus on public health. For instance, intersectional approaches are vital in public health research, underscoring how overlapping social identities shape health outcomes and advocating for comprehensive frameworks to understand vulnerability and resilience [1]. Similarly, Critical Race Theory (CRT) is explored within health research, revealing its potential to expose systemic racism in healthcare and providing a robust framework to understand racial health disparities, advocating for approaches that address root causes rather than just symptoms [3]. Integrating a social justice framework into public health nutrition is also advocated, emphasizing systemic factors contributing to food insecurity and health disparities. This calls for practitioners and policymakers to address structural inequities for true health equity [4]. Additionally, a scoping review highlights the application of social justice theories in health promotion, noting a gap between theory and practice, and urging for explicit integration of these frameworks to challenge structural determinants of health [9].

In the realm of education, transformative learning theory is presented as a means to enhance social justice education. This involves fostering critical consciousness among learners through deep reflection, challenging preconceived notions, and empowering students to recognize and address systemic injustices, thereby promoting equitable educational environments [2]. A crucial call is made to reclaim and re-center Indigenous knowledges as foundational for social justice in education. This integration of Indigenous perspectives, pedagogies, and epistemologies helps challenge colonial legacies, fosters culturally responsive learning environments, and empowers Indigenous students and communities towards genuine equity [8].

Social work practice also sees the integration of justice principles. A conceptual framework proposes integrating restorative justice principles into transformative social work practice. This approach moves beyond punitive measures towards healing and community building, focusing on repairing harm, fostering dialogue, and empowering affected parties to address root causes of conflict and injustice, contributing to more resilient communities [5].

Regarding broader policy and institutional roles, universities are seen to have a critical role in promoting global health equity and social justice through a human rights framework. Academic institutions are tasked with conducting research, educating, and advocating for policies that address systemic inequalities and integrate human rights principles into their curricula [6]. Furthermore, a comprehensive framework is presented for embedding equity principles directly into health policy development. This guidance for policymakers emphasizes using an equity lens throughout the entire policy cycle, ensuring policies actively reduce health disparities and address social determinants of health [7].

Finally, a framework for nursing practice is proposed that explicitly positions disability as a social justice issue. This moves beyond a purely medical model to address systemic barriers and inequities faced by individuals with disabilities. It highlights the nurse's role in advocacy, policy change, and promoting inclusive care environments, asserting that true disability inclusion demands challenging ableist assumptions and addressing societal structures [10].

Conclusion

This collection of articles emphasizes the multifaceted nature of social justice and equity across various fields, particularly in public health and education. Key themes involve moving beyond single-axis analyses to adopt intersectional approaches, recognizing how overlapping social identities shape health outcomes. Several pieces advocate for integrating critical theories like Critical Race Theory (CRT) to expose systemic injustices and racial disparities in healthcare and education. The role of transformative learning is highlighted in fostering critical consciousness for social justice education, empowering learners to challenge preconceived notions and address systemic inequities. There is a strong call for embedding social justice frameworks into public health nutrition, focusing on systemic factors causing food insecurity rather than individual behaviors. This body of work also explores integrating restorative justice principles into social work to foster healing and community building, shifting from punitive to restorative practices. Universities are urged to adopt human rights frameworks to promote global health equity, advocating for policies that address systemic inequalities and integrate human rights principles into curricula. Furthermore, practical guidance is provided for policymakers to embed equity principles directly into health policy development, ensuring policies reduce disparities. The importance of reclaiming Indigenous knowledges as foundational for social justice in education is also emphasized, challenging colonial legacies and promoting self-determination. Finally, the texts call for more explicit integration of social justice theories in health promotion to challenge structural determinants of health and advocate for positioning disability as a social justice issue within nursing practice, moving beyond medical models to address systemic barriers.

Acknowledgement

None

Conflict of Interest

None

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