Getting Started
Not sure where to start your research? The interdisciplinary databases are good places to search for information on any topic, and have lots of full-text material available.
- Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
- JSTOR This link opens in a new window
- OmniFile Full Text Select This link opens in a new window
- Project MUSE This link opens in a new window
Relevant Databases
- Sociological Abstracts This link opens in a new window Abstracts and indexes from international journals in sociology, social psychology, and behavioral sciences. Coverage: 1952 - current.
- Black Studies Center This link opens in a new window Scholarly articles, periodicals, and primary sources related to African Studies and the African Diaspora. Coverage: 1827 - 2003
- Hispanic American Periodical Index This link opens in a new window Index of scholarly journals published around the world on Latin America and the Caribbean, including the political, economic, and social issues to the arts and humanities. Coverage: late 1960s - present.
- Criminal Justice Abstracts This link opens in a new window Full-text articles covering criminal law, corrections, policing, forensics, and other essential areas related to criminal justice and criminology. Coverage: 1910 - present.
- Project MUSE This link opens in a new window Full-text journals covering literature, history, visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, and gender studies. Coverage: 1993 - present.
- Sage Knowledge (Sage Reference Online) This link opens in a new window Full-text encyclopedic entries covering topics in social sciences.
Journals
- Contemporary readings in law and social justice Covers a range of topics relating to legal issues surrounding the impact of globalization on social development.
- Education, Citizenship and Social Justice Education, Citizenship and Social Justice provides a strategic forum for international and multi-disciplinary dialogue for all academic educators and educational policy-makers concerned with the meanings and form of citizenship and social justice as these are realised throughout the time spent in educational institutions.
- Social Justice Research Acts as an multidisciplinary forum for the publication of original papers that have broad implications for social scientists investigating the origins, structures, & consequences of justice in human affairs.
- Studies in Social Justice Studies in Social Justice publishes articles on issues dealing with the social, cultural, economic, political, and philosophical problems associated with struggles for social justice. This interdisciplinary journal aims to publish work that links theory to social change and the analysis of substantive issues. The journal welcomes heterodox contributions that are critical of established paradigms of inquiry.
Open Books (OER)
Arguing about justice by This book brings together fifty of today’s finest thinkers. They were asked to let their imaginations run free to advance new ideas on a wide range of social and political issues. They did so as friends, on the occasion of Philippe Van Parijs’s sixtieth birthday.
Call Number: Online AccessPublication Date: 2011Wellbeing, Freedom and Social Justice: The Capability Approach Re-Examined by How do we evaluate ambiguous concepts such as wellbeing, freedom, and social justice? How do we develop policies that offer everyone the best chance to achieve what they want from life? The capability approach, a theoretical framework pioneered by the philosopher and economist Amartya Sen in the 1980s, has become an increasingly influential way to think about these issues.
Call Number: Online AccessISBN: 9781783744237Publication Date: 2017Migration, Gender and Social Justice by This book is the product of a collaborative effort involving partners from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America who were funded by the International Development Research Centre Programme on Women and Migration (2006-2011). The International Institute of Social Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam spearheaded a project intended to distill and refine the research findings, connecting them to broader literatures and interdisciplinary themes. The book examines commonalities and differences in the operation of various structures of power (gender, class, race/ethnicity, generation) and their interactions within the institutional domains of intra-national and especially inter-national migration that produce context-specific forms of social injustice.
Call Number: Online AccessPublication Date: 2014
Current Issues
- Access World News -- Special Reports NewsBank's Special Reports focus on topics of current interest. They include content from sources throughout the world to provide a global perspective, current and background information, statistics, maps, images, websites, and suggested search terms. New
- Opposing Viewpoints This link opens in a new window Comprehensive information on social issues with different perspectives.
Online Video Resources
- Alexander Street Press Streaming Video This link opens in a new window
- Black Studies in Video This link opens in a new window
- Ethnographic Video Online This link opens in a new window
- Filmakers Library Online II This link opens in a new window
- Kanopy Streaming Video This link opens in a new window
- LGBT Studies in Video This link opens in a new window
- New World Cinema: Independent Features and Shorts This link opens in a new window
- Theatre in Video This link opens in a new windowVideos covering performances of the world's leading plays as well as documentaries on productions, experimental performances and interviews by hundreds of leading playwrights, actors and directors. Coverage: 1930s - present.
Social Justice
E-books
Class, Race, Gender, and Crime by
Class, Race, Gender, and Crime is a popular and provocative introduction to crime and the criminal justice system through the lens of class, race, gender, and their intersections.
Call Number: Online AcessISBN: 9781442220744Publication Date: 2014-07-24
Disability and Disadvantage by
This book offers a much-needed investigation of moral and political issues concerning disability, and explores how the experiences of people with disabilities can lead to reconsideration of prominent positions on normative issues. Thirteen new essays examine such topics as the concept of disability, the conditions of justice, the nature of autonomy, healthcare distribution, and reproductive choices.
Call Number: Online AccessISBN: 0191569968Publication Date: 2009-01-01
Promoting Diversity and Social Justice by
This book offers educational and psychological perspectives to inform practice and increase options in addressing conflict situations. The first part of the book helps the educator understand the reasons for resistance and ways to prevent it. The second part explains how educators motivate dominant groups to support social justice. This book is an excellent resource for group facilitators, counselors, trainers in classrooms and workshops, professors, teachers, higher education personnel, community educators, and other professionals involved with educating others about diversity and equity.
Call Number: Online AccessISBN: 9781452221908Publication Date: 2000-01-01
Religion and Social Justice for Immigrants by
Religion has jumped into the sphere of global and domestic politics in ways that few would have imagined a century ago. Some expected that religion would die as modernity flourished. Instead, it now stares at us almost daily from the front pages of newspapers and television broadcasts. Although it is usually stories about the Christian Right or conservative Islam that grab headlines, there are many religious activists of other political persuasions that are working quietly for social justice. This book examines how religious immigrants and religious activists are working for equitable treatment
Call Number: Online AccessISBN: 1280947209Publication Date: 2006-01-01
Sexual Inequalities and Social Justice by
This pioneering collection of ten ethnographically rich essays signals the emergence of a new paradigm of social analysis committed to understanding and analyzing social oppression in the context of sexuality and gender. The contributors, an interdisciplinary group of social scientists representing anthropology, sociology, public health, and psychology, illuminate the role of sexuality in producing and reproducing inequality, difference, and structural violence among a range of populations in various geographic, historical, and cultural arenas. In particular, the essays consider racial minorities.
Call Number: Online AccessISBN: 052093914XPublication Date: 2006-12-05
Social Injustice and Public Health by
This text defines social injustice as the active denial or violation based on the perception of the inferiority of specific groups. These groups are socially defined in terms of racial or ethnic status, language, country of origin, gender, sexual orientation or other perceived group characteristic.
Call Number: Online AccessISBN: 1280427930Publication Date: 2006-01-01
Social Justice theories, issues, and movements by
An eye for an eye, the balance of scales--for centuries, these and other traditional concepts exemplified the public's perception of justice. Today, popular culture, including television shows like Law and Order, informs the public's vision. But do age-old symbols, portrayals in the media, and existing systems truly represent justice in all of its nuanced forms, or do we need to think beyond these notions? In Social Justice: Theories, Issues, and Movements, Loretta Capeheart and Dragan Milovanovic respond to the need for a comprehensive introduction to this topic.
Call Number: Online AccessISBN: 0813541689Publication Date: 2007-05-30
Websites
- American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union advocates on behalf of citizens to ensure their rights are protected and social work students can use this page to see what it’s like to be involved in social justice upon graduation. The ACLU is one of the most prominent organizations in the country when it comes to addressing American rights, so it’s a great place to start.
- Amnesty International USA Focused solely on promoting social justice, Amnesty International USA keeps viewers updated on human rights developments and sets up fundraisers to advocate for issues.
- Human Rights Watch The Human Rights Watch passionately defends and works towards increased human rights by shining a light on international issues, which helps prompt action by other organizations. They’re active in preventing discrimination and helping to protect political freedom globally.
- International Organization for Migration The International Organization for Migration equips migrants or those wishing to migrate with the resources to go about to process in the right way. They also advocate on behalf of migrant rights and are very involved on many social issues.
- National Council of La Raza The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) is a civil rights and advocacy organization that works to improve opportunities for the fastest growing demographic in the United States- Hispanics. As the largest national civil rights organization for Hispanics, they promote a Latino perspective on issues such as immigration, education, employment, and many other areas.
- National Urban League National Urban League develops policies that allow African Americans to have equal rights and access to economic self-reliance. The organization has existed in various forms since 1910 and has done an impressive amount of work to improve the lives of individuals across the country.
- Native American Rights Fund The Native American Rights Fund is a nonprofit organization that serves to protect the rights of Native Americans by providing legal and technical assistance to others. They’ve been a crucial piece to protecting the sovereignty of tribes, voting rights of Native Americans, and more.
- Race Forward Race Forward was founded in 1981 with an intent focus on advocating for racial justice and using their forward-thinking approach to handling racial equality. They conduct racial research and emphasize the significance of social and economic outcomes on race.
- Southern Poverty Law Center Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has been around since 1971 and is regarded for their ability to confront hate groups and represent the most vulnerable members of society. Those involved in social work will have much to take away from this top-tier organization, since they specialize in helping those who lack the ability or resources to tackle these issues alone.
Background Information
Encyclopedia of Activism and Social Justice by Call Number: Online AccessISBN: 9781412918121Publication Date: 2007-04-13
Encyclopedia of American Social Movements by Call Number: Online AccessISBN: 0765680459Publication Date: 2004-08-31
Encyclopedia of Diversity and Social Justice - A-H by Call Number: Online AccessISBN: 1442216069Publication Date: 2014-12-18
Encyclopedia of Gender and Society by Call Number: Online AccessISBN: 9781412964517Publication Date: 2008-12-01
Encyclopedia of Race and Racism by Call Number: Online AccessISBN: 9780028661162Publication Date: 2007-11-01
Relevant Research Guides
- Institute of Pastoral Studies: Social Justice
- Social Work
- Child Trafficking
- Criminal Justice & Criminology
- Environmental Sciences
- Black World Studies
- International Studies
- Islamic World Studies
- Latin American Studies
- News & Current Events
- Peace Studies
- Political Science
- Women's Studies & Gender Studies
- Women and Leadership Archives
- Theology and Religious Studies
TEDx Talks: Social Justice
Social justice -- is it still relevant in the 21st century?
This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Pervasive injustice has society at a turning point. Every individual has a choice to make - you can either stand with me and fight for social justice, or you can stay on the sidelines silently supporting the systems that perpetuate the inequality, violence, and poverty that plague our world. This talk highlights some of the most critical social justice issues of our time and calls on everyone to stand up and play a part in changing the world.
TED Talks
Check out other TED talks to help you understand social justice (Click for the Playlist)