Exploring multiple meanings and pursuits of social justice: a reflection on modern, interpretive, and postmodern possibilities

With the hope of facilitating discussions of social justice among educators, the intent of this essay is to sensitize readers to the multiple meanings of social justice at play within the educational community by comparing and contrasting its use across modernist, interpretive and postmodern perspectives. Much confusion exists among educators as to what these theoretical perspectives are and the implications they have for social justice. It is argued that one's questions about social justice are informed by one's epistemological commitments and theoretical preferences and that these preferences lead to differing foci and concerns about social justice. It is also argued that educational leaders who recognize and make use of multiple perspectives to make sense of discussions of social justice are in a better position to reflectively engage in productive discussions of the concept than those who do not.