Lesson 6.

Social Justice & Human Rights

I. Social Justice – the treatment of fellow human beings regardless of race, sex, gender, social class,
age, religion, political affiliation, creed, or other characteristic of background or group characteristics.

 The access and allocation of community resources and goods such as basic needs, and the
giving of opportunity structures and life chances so that people can live meaningful lives and
achieve well-being.

Duty of State to promote social justice – Article XIII, Section 1-2

1. Aims of policy to promote social justice – The Constitution mandates the State to promote social
justice in all phases of national development (Art. II, Sec. 10) – social, economic, political and
cultural – to ensure the dignity, welfare and security of all the people.
More specifically, the aims of the policy to promote social justice are:
a. To protect and enhance the right of all the people to human dignity;
b. To reduce social, economic and political inequality; and
c. To remove cultural inequalities (Article XIV, Sec. 18).
2. Measures to achieve aims – These aims are to be achieved by the enactment of measures
which Congress shall give the highest priority, that seek “equitably wealth and political power for
the common good” (Art. XIII, Secs. 15-16).
3. Commitment to create economic opportunities – A commitment of the State must be included
to create economic opportunities for all citizens based on the freedom on initiative and self-
reliance.

Social Justice primarily address structural defects of the society namely:

1. Poverty – United Nations (2000) defines poverty as “a human condition characterized by the
sustained or chronic deprivation of the resources, capabilities, choices, security and power
necessary for the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living and other civil, cultural,
economic, political, and social rights.”
2. Social Inequality - occurs when resources (opportunities & rewards) in a given society are
distributed unevenly, typically through norms of allocation, that engender specific patterns
along lines of socially defined categories of persons.
Forms of Social Inequality (refer to your previous UCSP lesson on Social Inequality)
a. Classism
b. Racism and Ethnocentrism
c. Sexism and Gender Inequality
d. Ageism
e. Disability bias
f. Ideological bias
3. Predatory Capitalism – refers to the unregulated actions and strategies of corporations to make
profit whenever profit-making conflicts with that of the public interest.
4. Occupational Injustice – occurs in situations when people are exploited, barred, confined,
restricted, segregated, prohibited, undeveloped, disrupted and/or alienated from meaningful
occupations, thereby limiting the achievement of their optimum health, quality of life, and life
satisfaction.
5. Environmental Injustice – is a condition in which those who are least responsible for
environmental problems such as environmental degradation, pollution and climate change
bears negative impacts.

II. Human Rights (refer to your previous lessons on UCSP and PPG)– are natural rights of all human beings
whatever their nationality, religion, ethnicity, sex, language and color. Hence, human rights are
inalienable rights that protect our dignity as human beings.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) - is a milestone document in the history of human
rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the
world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December
1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all
nations.

Bill of Rights - A declaration and enumeration of a person’s rights and privileges which the Constitution is
designed to protect against violations by the government, or by an individual or groups of individuals.
The purpose is to provide specific freedoms to citizens and limit the power of the government.
II. Classification of rights:

1. Natural rights – are inherent rights given to an individual at the moment of birth.
(e.g. right to live, right to love)

2. Constitutional rights – those rights which are conferred and protected by the Constitution.
– Since they are part of the fundamental law they cannot be modified or taken away by the law-
making body.

3. Statutory rights – those rights which are promulgated by the law-making body and consequently may
abolished by the same body.
4. Civil rights - They are rights enjoyed by an individual by virtue of his citizenship in a state or community.
5. Social or Economic Rights - Rights to property, whether personal, real or intellectual.
6. Political Rights - These are rights of an individual enjoys as a consequence of being a member of a body
politic.

Reference

 Abenir, M. (2017) Community Engagement, Solidarity, and Citizenship. Makati City: Diwa
Learning System Inc.
 De Leon, H., Textbook on the Philippine Constitution, Quezon City: Rex Bookstore. 2014
 http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/
 Macionis, J. (2012) Sociology. 14th Edition. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc
 Rowell, K. (2006) Essentials of Sociology. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc
 Taguibao, J. (2017) Community Engagement, Solidarity, and Citizenship. Quezon City: Vibal
Group Inc.