Social justice covers a variety of issues involving race, gender, age, sexual orientation, income equality and much more. How do you write an essay on a social justice issue that\u2019s engaging, informative and memorable? Here are eight tips you should take to heart when writing:<\/p>\n
When writing a social justice essay, you should brainstorm for ideas, sharpen your focus, identify your purpose, find a story, use a variety of sources, define your terms, provide specific evidence and acknowledge opposing views. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Before you start writing your social justice essay, you need a topic. Don\u2019t hesitate to look far and wide for inspiration. Read other social justice essays, look at recent news stories, watch movies and talk to people who are also interested in social justice. At this stage, don\u2019t worry about the \u201ctrendiness\u201d of your idea or whether a lot of people are already writing about it. Your topic will evolve in response to your research and the arguments you develop. At the brainstorming stage, you\u2019re focused on generating as many ideas as possible, thinking outside the box and identifying what interests you the most. Take a free online course<\/a> to get a better understanding of social justice.<\/p>\n You can take a creative brainstorming approach! A blog on Hubspot offers 15 creative ideas<\/a> such as storyboarding, which involves laying out ideas in a narrative form with terms, images and other elements. You can also try freewriting, which is when you choose something you\u2019re interested in. Next, write down everything you already know, what you need to know but don\u2019t already, why the topic matters and anything else that comes to mind. Freewriting is a good exercise because it helps you decide if there\u2019s any substance to a topic or if it\u2019s clear there\u2019s not enough material for a full essay.<\/p>\n The best essays narrow on a specific social justice topic and sharpen its focus, so it says something meaningful and interesting. This is often challenging, but wrestling with what exactly you want your essay to say is worth the effort. Why? An essay with a narrow, sharp focus has a clearer message. You\u2019re also able to dig deeper into your topic and provide better analysis. If your topic is too broad, you\u2019re forced to skim the surface, which produces a less interesting essay.<\/p>\n How do you sharpen your essay\u2019s focus? Grace Fleming provides several tips on ThoughtCatalog<\/a>. First, you can tell your topic is too broad if it can be summarized in just 1-2 words. As an example, \u201chealth inequity\u201d is way too broad. Fleming suggests applying the questions, \u201cWho, what, where, when, why and how,\u201d to your topic to narrow it down. So, instead of just \u201chealth inequity,\u201d you might end up with something like \u201cThe impact of health inequity in maternal healthcare systems on Indigenous women.\u201d Your topic\u2019s focus may shift or narrow even further depending on the research you find.<\/p>\n Writing a human rights topic research paper? Here are <\/em>five of the most useful tips<\/em><\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n As you unearth your topic and narrow its focus, it\u2019s important to think about what you want your essay to accomplish. If you\u2019re only thinking about your essay as an assignment, you\u2019ll most likely end up with a product that\u2019s unfocused or unclear. Vague sentiments like \u201cEveryone is writing about social justice\u201d and \u201cSocial justice is important\u201d are also not going to produce an essay with a clear purpose. Why are you writing this essay? Are you wanting to raise awareness of a topic that\u2019s been historically ignored? Or do you want to inspire people to take action and change something by giving them concrete how-to strategies? Identifying your purpose as soon as possible directs your research, your essay structure and how you style your writing.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not sure how to find your purpose, think about who you\u2019re writing for. An essay written for a university class has a different audience than an essay written for a social justice organization\u2019s social media page. If there are specific instructions for your essay (professors often have requirements they\u2019re looking for), always follow them closely. Once you\u2019ve identified your purpose, keep it at the front of your mind. You\u2019ll produce an essay that\u2019s clear, focused and effective.<\/p>\n The best social justice essays don\u2019t only provide compelling arguments and accurate statistics; they show your topic’s real-world impact. Harvard\u2019s Kennedy School\u2019s communications program describes this process as \u201cfinding a character.\u201d<\/a> It\u2019s especially useful when you\u2019re writing something persuasive. Whatever your topic, try to find the human stories behind the ideas and the data. How you do that depends on the nature of your essay. As an example, if you\u2019re writing something more academic, focusing too much on the emotional side of a story may not be appropriate. However, if you\u2019re writing an essay for an NGO\u2019s fundraising campaign, focusing on a few people\u2019s stories helps your reader connect to the topic more deeply.<\/p>\n How do you choose what stories to feature? Harvard suggests choosing someone you have access to either through your research or as an interview subject. If you get the opportunity to interview people, make sure you ask interesting questions that dig beneath the surface. Your subject has a unique perspective; you want to find the information and stories only they can provide.<\/p>\n Depending on your essay\u2019s purpose and audience, there might be certain sources you\u2019re required to use. In a piece for Inside Higher Ed, Stephanie Y. Evans describes how her students must use at least 10 source types<\/a> in their final paper assignment. Most of the time, you\u2019ll have a lot of freedom when it comes to research and choosing your sources. For best results, you want to use a wide variety. There are a few reasons why. The first is that a variety of sources gives you more material for your essay. You\u2019ll access different perspectives you wouldn\u2019t have found if you stuck to just a few books or papers. Reading more sources also helps you ensure your information is accurate; you\u2019re fact-checking sources against one another. Expanding your research helps you address bias, as well. If you rely only on sources that reflect your existing views, your essay will be much less interesting.<\/p>\n While we\u2019re talking about sources, let\u2019s touch on citations. If you\u2019re writing an essay for school, your teacher will most likely tell you what citation method<\/a> they want you to use. There are several depending on the discipline. As an example, in the United States, social science disciplines like sociology and education tend to use the American Psychological Association (APA) style. Some places are very rigid about citation styles, while others are more relaxed. If you\u2019re writing an essay where your citation won\u2019t be checked, you still need to give credit to any ideas, thoughts, or research that\u2019s not yours. Proper citation builds trust with your reader and boosts your credibility.<\/p>\n Here are <\/em>more tips<\/em><\/a> on writing a human rights essay! <\/em><\/p>\n To make your essay as clear and effective as possible, you want every reader on the same page right at the beginning. Defining your key terms is an important step. As Ian Johnston writes, creating an effective argument requires \u201cthe establishment of clear, precise, and effective definitions for key terms in the arguments.\u201d<\/a> You may have to adapt an existing definition or write your own. Johnston offers principles such as adjusting a definition based on the knowledge of who you\u2019re writing for, focusing on what a term is <\/em>and not just on its effects, and expanding a definition so it covers everything a reader needs to know.<\/p>\n How do you decide which terms are important in your essay? First, never assume a reader understands a term because it\u2019s \u201cobvious.\u201d The most obvious terms are often the ones that need the clearest definitions. If your reader doesn\u2019t know exactly<\/em> what you\u2019re talking about when you use a term like \u201chealth equity,\u201d your essay won\u2019t be as effective. In general, you want to define any terms relevant to your topic, terms that are used frequently and terms with distinct meanings in the context of your essay.<\/p>\n Social justice issues<\/a> are grounded in reality, so an essay should reflect that. Don\u2019t spend your whole paper being philosophical or hypothetical. As an example, let\u2019s say you\u2019re writing an essay about desertification in Mali. Don\u2019t discuss desertification as an abstract concept. Include real statistics and case studies on desertification in Mali, who it\u2019s affecting the most and what is being done about it. For every argument you make, present supporting evidence and examples.<\/p>\n The strength of your evidence determines the strength of your arguments. How do you find strong evidence? Cite This For Me lists a handful of examples<\/a>, such as studies, statistics, quotes from subject matter experts and\/or reports, and case studies. Good evidence also needs to be accurate and in support of your argument. Depending on your essay topic, how current a piece of evidence is also matters. If you\u2019re not relying on the most current evidence available, it can weaken your overall argument. Evidence should also be as specific as possible to your topic. Referring back to our desertification in Mali essay, that means locating examples of how desertification affects people in<\/em> Mali<\/em>, not in Chad or Russia.<\/p>\n#1. Brainstorm creatively<\/strong><\/h2>\n
#2. Sharpen your topic\u2019s focus<\/strong><\/h2>\n
#3. Identify your purpose<\/strong><\/h2>\n
#4. Find a human story<\/strong><\/h2>\n
#5. Rely on a variety of sources<\/strong><\/h2>\n
#6. Define your key terms<\/strong><\/h2>\n
#7. Provide specific evidence and examples<\/strong><\/h2>\n