Social Justice Activism

philosophy and the social sciences. Distributive justice is fundamental to the Catholic
Church's social teaching, inspiring such figures as Dorothy Day and Pope John Paul II.
In social psychology, distributive justice is defined as perceived fairness of how rewards
and costs are shared by (distributed across) group members. For example, when some
workers work more hours but receive the same pay, group members may feel that
distributive justice has not occurred.
To determine whether distributive justice has taken place, individuals often turn to
the behavioral expectations of their group. If rewards and costs are allocated according
to the designated distributive norms of the group, distributive justice has occurred.
Types of Distributive Norms
Five types of distributive norm are defined by Donelson R. Forsyth:
1. Equality: Regardless of their inputs, all group members should be given an
equal share of the rewards/costs. Equality supports that someone who
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