Social Justice Reform and the State

Social Justice Reform and the State

States periodically concede to social justice reforms in response to organizing by historically oppressed groups to annihilate systems of domination—such as those based on race, caste, indigeneity, ethnicity, gender and sexuality, religion, and class. Yet, in the aftermath of such concessions, political leaders and bureaucracies often stall, block, or limit the effectiveness of intended policies or programs. How and why do bureaucracies play a role in limiting the reach and reparation of social justice reforms? What are the specific mechanisms by which policy makers and/or implementers shift reform efforts away from the demands of social movements, such that well-intended policies and programs are forced to flounder or fail? And, what and how do other institutions play an important role during the implementation stage of the reform process? In line with the theme of the 5th ISA Forum of Sociology, “Knowing Justice in the Anthropocene,” this session will examine historic or contemporary cases of social justice reform—with preference given to policies aimed at creating new forms of knowledge and/or supporting the inclusion of historically excluded groups into knowledge-producing institutions— to understand how and why efforts to challenge systems of domination fall short during the design and implementation stage of new policies by state actors.