Social Justice: Territory and Ethnicity Affecting a City - Coursework Example

Social Justice: Territory and Ethni Affecting a Introduction Advantages of globalisation are also counted on the grounds of territorial and ethnic diversities in the 21st century context. As it has widened greater scope towards social advancement, it has also imposed pressure on societies. One of these pressure points can be identified with reference to social justice systems as they have developed, altered and transformed to suffice current social conditions. Moreover, due to the advent of globalisation, the territorial compartments were facing several changes in its structure and on the social justice system. Globalisation has also led to the increase in migration and created a notion regarding borderless world. This has further created a pressure with regard to social justice system. The territorial concept is reducing currently due to the changing world affair and affecting the justice system. This has a major impact on the sovereignty, great-power politics and universalistic society (Kitching, 2010). With regard to globalisation, it is worth mentioning that migration increased and affected the growth and expansion of the economy in the 21st century. People today in the present day context are more aware regarding different cultures and ethnicity for a better development. Globalisation led to diversification, which led to various changes in the policies and social status of people. This affected the social justice conditions both in a positive and negative manner. People today are also aware of varied cultures and try to implement the best from every culture to make the world a better place to live (Kitching, 2010). This helps in creating a harmonious environment for people and enhances the social justice conditions. However, it is observed that diversity and globalisation sometimes bring in problems for the social justice system. A mix of culture and ethnicity has thus increased with the advent of globalisation, which implies that in a single nation, there are people from various origins and cultures. Every country has its own culture and hence, every nation needs to adhere to these aspects. The concept of social justice is thus based on the aspects of socio-structural inequality and for the social benefits of the people (Kitching, 2010). The aim of the paper is to elaborate on the impact of territory and ethnicity on social justice. A Theoretical Elaboration Social justice is a crucial aspect for the better health of nation, people and economy. Social justice affects the community for the enhancement of education, eradication of poverty and social well-being. Contextually, it is worth mentioning that social justice well suits the aspect of globalisation by changing different ideologies of people with respect to diversification and not by altering the society. Changing the ideas and basic mindsets of people is also important for the welfare of the society. This is possible by making people culturally aware for the benefit of the society and the economy at large. Social justice was the basic theme with reference to human geography ever since the explanation of David Harvey. Marxism and the liberal egalitarianism are the elements that influenced Harvey to focus on the aspect of social justice. In this regard, it is important to elaborate on the various theories that affect the aspect of social theory with regard to territory and ethnicity affecting the city (Shelby, 2004). Marxist View on Social Justice The concept of social justice was pioneered by Karl Marx to eradicate the aspect of injustice as well as exploitation in the world. The main objective of the theory of Marx emphasized the influence of social system of justice with reference to the human activity. Contextually, it is important to understand the basic concept of social justice and its vitality in the life of people. The term ‘social justice’ refers to the economic equality of every individual in a society. This implies that no individual will be discriminated, or face poverty as wealth will be evenly distributed amid people in the society for the overall well-being. However, as in the real life scenario, wealth cannot be equally divided due to various barriers persistent in the social domain, social justice is reflected through communism, as stated in Marxist theories (Commers, 1984). The idea of Marxist also emphasizes that a personal property and the owner of the property have few responsibilities towards the society. The rightful owner of the property might make enough money by following social injustice. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the wealthier people in the economy to follow certain guidelines so that the class welfare is maintained. The theory of Marxist was therefore to eradicate the concept of rich and poor where the rich is in a position to discriminate or oppress the poor. Moreover, Marxist was of the approach that money is a collective asset, which does not belong to any particular person or ethnic group but to every individual in a society. The concept of power can be evaluated when stating about social justice and the city. With reference to the aspect of power, it is evident that due to political urbanization and unequal distribution of money, people become homeless and lead a life of poverty (Mitchell, 2012). Therefore, it can be stated as per Marxist theory that territorial division, which might give rise to the concept of poor and rich, might affect the social justice of a city considerably. For instance, if a territory or a city with high population of one ethnic group dominates other, then it will affect the social justice system of a city considerably in a negative manner. This will further give rise to inequality and discrimination affecting the society in a negative way (Commers, 1984). The theory of Marxist thus expressed that the wealth of rich is due to the hard work of the poor. This implies a social distinction within the group of people. With respect to globalisation, it can be stated that due to the emergence of the borderless world, people are free to move around. This implies that every individual is provided with equal opportunity to enhance the level of social justice. However, this is not the truth in the present day context as people face discrimination even today due to the creation of territorial differences. It is thus observed that people in the rural area or people of the seemingly backward origins in the present day context, face discrimination from the powerful race of that particular region at often instances. This trend further has been examined to affect the social justice and the city to a considerable extent (Commers, 1984). Considering the view of Marxist, it was believed that the capitalist provided lower wages to the workers and exploited them, which reflects social unjust. As per the view of Marxists, money earned by workers was held back by rich in the form of rent and by other means, expressing social discrimination or exploitation. However, social Justice is important for the development of economy. Eradicate exploitation for the social well being of people is another vital aspect for social justice referring to the notion that justice as per the views of Marxist indicates economic equality and it can be gained by proper wealth distribution amid every section of people irrespective of caste and creed (Commers, 1984). In this context, it can be stated that the society is often informally divided on the basis of ethnic groups due to lack of education and wealth distribution. According to Vincent (2003), justice can be provided by assuring proper education to people irrespective of the caste and creed. This will have a positive impact on the economy and the society. The standard of life and correspondingly, the social services of individuals also affect the society. It is evident that due to differences in the culture, people tend to draw geographic boundaries, which affect the society’s well being if equality is not maintained. John Rawls’s Theory of Justice “Justice as fairness” is the theory defined by Rawls, where he states that justice is vital for every society and its welfare. Rawls did not believe in the ‘utilitarian form of justice’ but argued on the principle of fair justice. This implies that Rawls’ theory of justice intended to bring or enhance social goods. He stated that justice should not be based on gender, culture or ethnicity but should be equal for the well-being of people. For instance, in a city with diversified culture the social justice should not be based on gender but should be the same without any discrimination. On the other hand, this aspect can be countered with the fact that different cultures or origins have its root ideas and therefore, the justice might differ in few cases based on the justice system. The theory of Rawls hence empowers equal rights and liberties irrespective of territorial division or gender inequality. For the well-being of the society and to improve the conditions of the city it is vital to have freedom of thought but in respect with equal justice. In this regard, it can be stated that culture sometimes affect social justice, but it should be implemented for the benefit of people to provide positive rights (Iowa State University Department of Economics, n.d.). The theory focuses on providing equal opportunity to every individual of nation by eradicating economic inequalities. Due to the impact of globalization, people from diverse culture work together and help in creating a better economic condition. Respecting diverse culture will help in providing proper justice that would in turn help the city to improve its status in social terms. Moreover, keeping in view the justice theory, it is identifiable that people in the society possess negative rights. The theory of Rawls also stated that social justice and equality is to be maintained in order to eradicate social unjust and discrimination. In this regard, it can be stated that understanding diversified culture and no territorial boundaries can be effective in providing a better social justice (Harvey, 1993). This will help people in attaining equal opportunity and achieve progress without any discrimination amid the ethnic group of people. Social justice herewith refers to equal distribution of wealth, taxes system and race ethnicity justice. However, the concept and theory of justice of Rawls is sometimes criticized, as it states freedom and basic liberty for people, which might affect the society largely. In this respect, as mentioned earlier, social justice sometimes might differ on the basis of culture differences amid people but without any financial or gender biases. The theory is further criticized on the fact that “fairness” in justice is important but this does not reflect a positive attitude of respect towards other civilizations (Shelby, 2004). The main objective of Rawls was to establish a society, which is well organized, and have a proper justice system. Rawls thus states that racial discrimination is an unjust act and affects the society and its justice in a negative manner. According to Mitchell (2012), social justice is a concept, which has its existence in both the city and rural environments. It is accordingly observed that when an ethnic group divides itself as a different geographical territory, the aspect of social justice is hampered to a considerable extent. The reason for such statement is that a group of people with similar culture might have the same basic understanding. People coming into that territory from a different culture or origin might therefore face issues and social unjust due to discrimination. In this regard, it is vital to state that the motive of Rawls was to create social justice through fairness (Mitchell, 2012). Mill’s utilitarian theory of justice The primary focus of utilitarian theorists is not only on justice but also on mortality, as they do not provide priority to justice in comparison to moral values. The theory of utilitarian was however different from others, as they had the idea that goodness needs to be shared among people for the well-being of the society. The theory of Mills thus stated that social welfare is possible by encouraging moral interests, as it will lead to justice. Mill also advocated on one notion that justice is linked with morality, as injustice means exploitation of rights. According to Mill, “…Justice implies something which is not only right to do, and wrong not to do, but which some individual person can claim from us as his moral right” (Arneson, 2008). He was of the opinion that mortality is above justice and every individual should be provided with happiness to attain satisfaction. The conception of right as per Mill reflected aspects such as the right for education, food and shelter by considering the aspect of society. Moreover, negative rights are the freedom to say and follow any religion, which helps in enhancing the well-being of human in the society. As per the Mill theory of Justice, every individual should have rights and follow the law in order to minimize the suffering and maximize happiness (Arneson, 2008). The right to happiness, as per the Mills theory, is important to bring about social justice. Mills theory of justice thus emphasizes on right to property, which implies that every individual should have property for a better living. It is therefore evident that a satisfied individual leads to greater prosperity and brings social justice, which on the whole, augments social justice scenario. Every individual, as per the Mills theory, have an access to social welfare, which includes medical facilities and educational aspects. For instance, if people are not being provided with proper health and education facilities due to the ethnicity, it leads to social unjust. Right to education is also a vital aspect as education leads to better job opportunity. In this context, education to every individual helps in attaining better job and social status (Harvey, 2010). Education among the people will also help in providing higher opportunity and eradicating inequality by strengthening the finances of people. The main objective of the theory is thus to respect others and provide equal rights to people for the development of a society with social justice. The theory also intends to create a society that has a super structure and provides equal opportunity along with income to people. Contextually, Mill had the philosophy that happiness leads to justice, as the rights of people are based on utility (Harvey, 1993). According to Gleeson and Low (2002), exploring human activities and providing respect to others is the main aspect that helps in mitigating ethical and territorial issues for the development of a better society. Relationship is also an important aspect for the stability of a society and helps in providing not only value but also justice for its welfare. With reference to social justice, it is also important to understand the ‘right of land’ and the geographic divisions. Territories are correspondingly being divided into various segments on the basis of ethnicity and culture. Therefore, the need for justice is becoming a vital issue to avoid racial or social discriminations. It is also important for people to understand that the welfare of a nation depends on self-recognition and by creating a better relationship with others. It can also be evaluated from the theory that social justice is vital for people to have a better standard of living, wherein it is evident that territorial divisions have an impact on the social justice depending on various aspects (Arneson, 2008). Real Life Examples Social justice and the rights of people are linked together for the benefit of the society and economy largely. It is evident from the history that for a better life and standard of living people migrated from their origin country to other nations. However, due to the lack of cultural differences, people faced discrimination, which affected their life. The geographical division hence led people to face the issue of inequality and discrimination, which was hampering the social justice conditions to a considerable extent. The unequal wealth distribution leads to the creation of the concept of rich and poor. According to Knox and Pinch (2014), it is observed that due to resettlement in the historic past, the concept of social structures came into existence. People were divided based on cultures, castes and creeds creating social differences. This form of discrimination or social unjust was observed in the Asian countries during the early and the mid of the 20th century besides few other counties in America and Europe. Due to the unequal distribution of wealth and gender biases people in every city of the country of territory had their own rules affecting the justice system or condition. However, with globalization, the perspective changed to a considerable extent although the roots still exist in the cities, which distorts the justice system at often instances (Bijukumar, 2013). With regard to the United States and its several counties, it is observed that people from various origins and ethnic groups live their livelihood for better life. The people of Hispanic group and the blacks in the county of America are still discriminated and are not being provided with proper justice. They are being avoided equal rights and happiness as stated in Mills and Rawls theory, which are the vital determinants for a better social justice. Due to lack of education and income inequality, the wealth is often not distributed equally within the people, causing dissatisfaction amid them. As identified from Mills theory, happiness leads to better social justice, which in these cases are being hampered (Knox and Pinch, 2014). Moreover, ethnicity and social exclusion can be often observed in the northeastern cities of India. People of northeast face cultural differences within the nation due to the linguistic as well as ethnic identities. The territorial boundary is also affecting and creating identity crisis for people in the city (Bijukumar, 2013). This implies that justice is not equally provided to individuals irrespective of their caste and creed. However, when considering the aspect of globalization, it is observed that rules and legislations are so framed that every individual are treated equally to maintain the justice system. Due to globalization, as mentioned above, people are aware of different cultures and have equal opportunities to enhance the standard of living, which affects the ethnicity of people, thus affecting the justice system (Lee & Smith, 2004). According to Vincent (2003), education is important for people to understand the culture and ethnicity of other groups for better social identity. This will help people to maintain a strong mutual relation within every section affecting the city, having a positive impact on the social justice. Justice is also linked with various elements and attributes such as exploitation of people of an ethnic group, economic marginalization as well as deprivation. Social justice is related to equality, proper wealth distribution and maintaining human rights as it affects the social condition of a city. Cultural domination is another aspect that affects people living in a city and thus affects the social justice system. For instance, people with white origin or culture think themselves to be superior; hence dominate people from other ethnic groups (Vincent, 2003). This leads to unequal distribution of wealth and cultural domination and a feeling of oppression. This in turn ignites social discrimination in the cities affecting the justice system. Theorists have often argued that it is thus that people of different cultures should respect each other without considering the territorial boundaries. Diversity due to globalization has also affected people at large and helped to identify the multicultural concepts for social well being (Gregory, Johnston, Pratt, Watts & Whatmore, 2011). As per the Marxist theory, the concept of rich and poor saw its existence affecting society. It is evident that people of minor ethnic group face the issue of poverty, where the rich, due to the excess power, dominate or suppress people of other groups causing discrimination. This further leads to social inequality affecting the life of people in a city (Harvey, 1993). It is thus suggestive that justice should be equal for every individual, irrespective of culture and ethnicity. Social policies implemented thereafter also affect the social objective of a city and social well-being. Today in the present day context, developed countries have strong social policies, for aiding poor and reducing the inter-regional income inequality. For instance, France and Sweden can be considered regarding such aspects. However, in countries such as the US and the UK spatial mitigation of cultural differences in income does not occur (Mitchell, 2012). Conclusion From the above analysis, regarding globalisation and territorial boundaries, it can be comprehended that it is important for people to maintain diversity in culture by valuing every culture. This will help in the enhancement of economy and socio culture. Therefore, the main concern of the geographers is to provide welfare benefits to the society by maintaining the scope of equality and human rights for a better social justice. It is also evident from the fact that people living in small territories face more discrimination as compared to the urban development due to the lack of education and cultural awareness. Cultural diversity might affect the social justice system due to various factors, such as income inequality and discrimination. Therefore, the main concern of the geographers is to provide welfare benefits to the society by maintaining the scope of equality and human rights for a better social justice. It is also observed that various theories of Marxist, Rawls and Mills present their views regarding justice and its vitality. These theorists are commonly focused on the concept of equality and happiness to enhance social justice. Thus, it can be stated that education and cultural awareness helps in creating a well-developed social justice system. References Arneson, D. (2008). Mill On Justice: Chapter 5 Of Utilitarianism. Retrieved from http://philosophyfaculty.ucsd.edu/faculty/rarneson/Courses/13MILLONJUSTICE.pdf Bijukumar, V. (2013). Social Exclusion and Ethnicity in Northeast India. The NEHU Journal, 11(2),19-35. Commers, R. (1984). Marxs Concept Of Justice And The Two Traditions In European Political Thought. Philosophica, 33 (1), 107-129. Gregory, D., Johnston, R., Pratt, G., Watts, M., & Whatmore, S. (2011). The Dictionary of Human Geography. USA: John Wiley & Sons. Gleeson, B., & Low, N. (2002). Justice, Society and Nature: An Exploration of Political Ecology. UK: Routledge. Harvey, D. (1993). Social justice and the city. UK: Blackwell publisher. Harvey, D. (2010). Social Justice and the City. UK: University of Georgia Press. Iowa State University Department of Economics. (n.d.). A theory of justice. Retrieved from http://www2.econ.iastate.edu/classes/econ362/hallam/Readings/Rawl_Justice.pdf Knox, P., & Pinch, S. (2014).Urban Social Geography: An Introduction. US: Routledge. Kitching, G. (2010). Seeking Social Justice Through Globalization: Escaping a Nationalist Perspective. USA : Penn State Press. Lee, R. & Smith, D.M. (2004). Moral Geographies of Distribution: Justice, Welfare and Rights. Geographies and Moralities: International Perspectives on Development, Justice and Place, 79-81. Mitchell, D. (2012). Right to the City: Social Justice and the Fight for Public Space. UK: Guilford Press. Shelby, T. (2004). Race and Ethnicity, Race and Social Justice: Rawlins Considerations. Fordham Law Review, 72(5), 1697-1714. Vincent, C. (2003). 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