What is Social Justice? An Important Approach to Public Health Research, Practice, and Health Care Solutions.

To advance social justice across research, public health, and clinical practice settings, the Center for Research, Health, and Social Justice (CRHS) conducted a participatory concept mapping exercise with a diverse group of collaborators to define the term. The CRHS research team used data from the concept mapping exercise to inform a comprehensive definition of social justice to guide various disciplines, inform future research, practice, and health care solutions. We outline several components of the social justice definition, explain a process for integrating a social justice mandate (i.e., social justice charge) into organizations and institutions, and provide examples of how we applied the definition to develop and strengthen the professional development infrastructure for Center staff and our partners. Our findings and processes offer a model for other research centers to use a health equity lens to address health disparities and to help organizations to develop their own social justice charge that embodies their vision, mission, and goals.