What are careers in social justice?

Victim advocacy, journalism, and social work are careers in social justice. Here is a more detailed look at these careers and others in social justice:

• Victim advocate

  Victim advocates seek to give support to victims of human rights violations, domestic violence, and other forms of abuse. They may also help witnesses of certain kinds of crimes. Some of the services they offer include financial, emotional, and legal assistance.

  Victims advocates often know the areas of housing, counseling, filing legal documents and claims, and searching for employment.

  A bachelor's degree in social work is needed to be a victim advocate. Bachelor's degrees in psychology, forensic psychology, sociology, and criminal justice, are also acceptable. Many also choose to get an advanced degree, such as a master's, in any of these areas to increase their expertise and job opportunities.

  Certifications are also not required but are recommended, as this will lead to higher paying roles. There are different opportunities for certification, one is the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA).

• Journalist

  A journalist may work in print journalism, broadcast journalism, online journalism, or another form. The main tasks of a journalist include interviewing people relevant to a news story, researching, and writing or broadcasting stories that inform the public on current affairs. Journalism has the advantage of putting a spotlight on issues and events connected to social justice.

  Social justice journalists may choose to focus on issues, such as human rights, race equality, sex and gender equality, and other minority populations. Their main objective is to share the stories of these communities to advance awareness and help propel initiatives that would be of benefit to these communities.

  A bachelor's degree in journalism is needed for most positions in social justice journalism. Degrees in communications, broadcasting, women's studies, and other relevant areas may also be acceptable.

  In the case of an independent journalist, a degree may not even be necessary, as they can start a blog, YouTube channel, or similar online resource that displays their journalistic efforts. However, while a degree may not be a requirement in some of these cases, skills in writing, and journalism as a whole, should be obtained.

• Social worker

  There are two kinds of social workers: a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).

  An LMSW works professionally to coordinate services and forms of therapy for individuals, groups, families, and communities as a whole. They may also provide specific types of therapy, such as psychotherapy, under the supervision of a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist. Some common situations they work to resolve for people or groups are domestic conflicts, substance abuse, PTSD, and medical or mental illness.

  An LMSW normally has at least a bachelor's degree in social work or a related field.

  An LCSW shares the same responsibilities as an LMSW, but they have specialized knowledge of social work in clinical application. This allows them to provide therapy independently, without a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist supervising them. An LCSW may also supervise an LMSW when the latter is providing certain types of therapy.

  An LCSW will typically have a bachelor's degree in social work and may also have a master's degree specific to their specialization.

• Human rights advocate.

  This is an exciting position as it mostly entails traveling throughout the world to help communities of women that are not given the same rights as those in the United States. You can break into the field through volunteer and internship positions, and then advance in the career from there.

  Human rights advocates usually have at least a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, women's studies, international politics, political science, or another related field.

• Lawyer

  There are many different kinds of lawyers that are involved in social justice. Some choose to allocate part-time resources and work on these issues, while others take it on as their main legal focus. Some examples are social justice, government, immigration, civil rights, prisoners' rights, and human rights lawyers.

  Lawyers in social justice tend to work long hours and often have to travel to interview clients or other pertinent individuals. They can have a massively positive impact on the issues regarding social justice because they deal in the legal arena.

  To become a social justice lawyer, you must obtain a bachelor's degree in criminal justice or another related field and then, graduate from law school. Afterward, you must pass the bar exam in the state where you want to be a social justice attorney.

• Community developer

  This profession entails working with underprivileged communities. Community developers serve these communities by creating initiatives and programs that benefit these areas. They may seek to allocate funding or spread awareness of specific issues that affect these marginalized populations.

  Other duties of a community developer are assessing a specific community's needs, obtaining data on local trends, working with stakeholders in community programs and projects, and understanding local, state, and federal regulations concerning development proposals.

  They often work for nonprofit organizations, government agencies, small companies, and large corporations.

  To be a community developer you need at least a bachelor's degree in either social work, economics, or community development. Some community developers choose to further their education by getting a master's degree in economic development, public planning, urban planning, or another related area.