Social Activism: Bringing Social Change

Hello students today we will be learning about social activism, specifically Native American activis Social activism is an intentional action with the goal of bringing about social change. If you feel strongly about a cause and are working towards a change, you too could be considered an activist. An activist is anyone who is fighting for change in society. An activist can be a student attending a rally against tuition increase, a politician fighting against international human rights abuses or a mother of a child killed by a drunk driver talking to students about drinking and driving. Social activists consider the larger picture – how can they find ways to end injustice and to create strong communities which encourage economic, social and psychological health.

While social services work addresses the needs of individuals, social action looks more at the root causes of those needs and tries to find ways to eliminate them. For example, rather than working directly with the homeless, a social activist might work to uncover the conditions that are making it difficult for people to work and afford a place to live. Instead of serving in a clinic that sees a high incidence of leukemia, the social activist works to uncover the source of toxic chemicals and to hold polluters accountable for the increased health risks to a neighborhood.

If we define social justice as the belief in an equitable, compassionate world where difference is understood, valued and respected, then we can see that social activism and social justice are flip sides of the same coin. Social action work is a way to meet the goal of social justice