Video Library » Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Social Justice

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Social justice and food production

Coffee is the second most traded commodity on earth but most consumers have no idea or interest in how it is produced. The following videos are about the realities of coffee production for the millions of people who depend on this global commodity for their livelihood.

A Shot of Milk, Sugar, and Reality – Coffee Farmer Exploitation

The Fair Trade Story

Discussion questions:

• Discuss the links between consuming your daily coffee and the livelihoods of small-scale coffee farmers?
• Who benefits most from coffee?
• Is the current free-market system for coffee production fair?
• What social justice issues and risks are evident in the shift towards a market model for coffee?
• What are your thoughts about fair trade as a social justice approach? How can fair trade be expanded?

Martin Luther King discusses modern psychology

The quote below is featured in Chapter 10. It is a segment from Dr. Martin Luther King's speech at Western Michigan University (Dec 18th, 1963).

" Modern psychology has a word that is probably used more than any other word in psychology. It is the word the “maladjusted”. It is the ringing cry of the new child, psychology — maladjusted. Now, of course we all want to live the well-adjusted life in order to avoid neurotic and schizophrenic personalities. But, as I move towards my conclusion, I would like to say to you today in a very honest manner that there are some things in our society and in our world for which that I’m proud to be maladjusted. And I call upon all men of good will to be maladjusted to these things until the good society is realized. I most honestly say to you that I never intend to adjust myself to racial segregation and discrimination. I never intend to adjust myself to religious bigotry. I never intend to adjust myself to economic conditions that will take necessity from the many to give luxury to the few. And leave millions of god’s children smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society.

Watch Martin Luther King deliver the segment of his speech above at the following link.

Martin Luther King (1963) - Proud to be maladjusted!

Discussion questions:

• To improve social justice should we focus on racial discrimination or economic inequality, or both? Explain.
• Why did Martin Luther King make his criticisms of modern psychology?
• Do you think that in the current context, psychology is any better or worse at responding to the issues raised by Martin Luther King?

Economic injustice

This clip is a trailer for a film that was made after the 2007-2008 global financial crisis (GFC). This economic crisis was triggered by deregulation in the financial industry that permitted risky, speculative trading by banks and investors. While the GFC happened back in 2007-2008, little has changed. In fact, financial speculation has gained momentum leading to further intensification of wealth inequalities. The richest people on the planet now have more wealth and power than ever before in human history.

Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream

Discussion questions:

• What are your thoughts on this concentration of wealth and political influence? Is it fair?
• How does having such extreme wealth and power concentration affect social justice outcomes?
• What could happen in the near future if the current situation of wealth/power inequality continues? Bear in mind that the last time we had a comparable situation of extreme inequality was in the 1920s.

Racial and geographical injustices

The first video uses humour to comment on the issue of white privilege. The next video is about western tourists visiting Kibera one of the world’s largest slums in Kenya.

White Squad

Discussion questions:

• Can you define the concept of privilege? Why is it an important concept to consider?
• How does the concept of privilege relate to statements such as: the view that people make their own luck; that minorities should receive a hand up not a hand out; and that slavery and colonization happened a long time ago, which means that today we are all as advantaged or disadvantaged as each other?
• Do you think the humour in this video is helpful or unhelpful in getting people to discuss ideas about race in a more open and constructive way? How else might we achieve this?

On tour with the slum tourists in Kenya

Discussion questions:

• Does the growing trend of slum tourism offer sufficient benefit to slum dwellers or should we be thinking more about other ways to address such poverty?
• Do you think the western tourists are being told about the historical and political origins of these slums? Why should they or should they not be told?
• What social justice issues does such slum tourism raise for you?