While clearly related, the concept of social justice must be defined separately from the practice of teaching for social justice. In its most basic form, social justice focuses on the idea that unequal hierarchies in social systems result in a social group’s different levels of access to power and privilege (Lewis, 2001). Because of these inequitable levels of access, certain groups gain advantage over others. This leads to a society based on domination and oppression (Young, 1990). To develop more socially just societies, these hierarchical systems must be exposed and torn down, allowing all groups equal access. 

Teachers who teach for social justice work to develop students who recognize the social hierarchies and look for ways to challenge unjust social norms. A curriculum centered around social justice is, by nature, socially reconstructivist: it confirms diversity, fosters equal opportunities, and challenges social stratification (McCall, 2004). In a large sense, according to John Rawls, an American political philosopher, socially just classrooms (and societies) enable citizens to define the concept of good and enact it even in circumstances where they are not directly affected by evil (Bull, 1998). For example, students who have not directly been affected by violence in school still work for non-violence because they believe all students should have the right to live and learn securely.