Personal Reflection on Social Justice

The social justice aspect of the portfolio was originally described to me as volunteering at
or participating in a local charity event that was designed to benefit a specific population.
Although this basic definition is to some degree accurate, it does not fully encompass the
intended purpose behind students involvement with these events. A more thorough explanation
of what social justice is and our role with these populations as future occupational therapy
practitioners during first semester would, in my opinion, help students approach these events
with a different mindset.
During each of the social justice opportunities I completed, I knew I was helping
someone who, in some way, had less than me. Whether it be less money, poorer health, or
fewer people to support and love them, I viewed them has being less fortunate than I was. I
found that these populations did not always view themselves as less privileged, but were rather
very thankful for the opportunities, resources, and health they did have. They displayed the
resiliency and determination we also discussed during our social justice class.
Although I feel like my experiences in the community helped me understand social
justice, it was not until OCCT 655 with Professor Wrightsman during fifth semester that I really
began to understand what this concept meant. My eyes were opened to the frequency and reality
of marginalization and oppression. I was made aware of the advantage some individuals have
because of their skin color and the significant disadvantage others are at because their parents are
in jail or are addicted to drugs. It is hard to target one artifact within this portfolio that best
highlights my growth and understanding of the topic because all of them together, in conjunction
with the Social Justice and Occupational Therapy course, have shaped my views and opinions of
the subject matter.

One of the biggest things I learned about social justice over the course of the last two
years is that providing people with equal opportunities does not guarantee success for
everyone. The picture below depicts this concept perfectly, in my opinion. One of the challenges
with social justice is identifying and determining what different populations need in order to help
them achieve what they define as successful.

Being aware of the presence of marginalization and oppression, as well as, the message
depicted in this picture will guide me as a practitioner to treat all individuals with respect
regardless of their differences, advocate for them while teaching them how to advocate for
themselves, and help them establish and access the resources they need to participate in all
desired occupations.