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How social justice warriors ensure political legitimacy in contemporary times?
Congratulations Shane! Final Year Undergraduate 2018-2019, Shane Moriarty, Regional Winner for his essay for the Island of Ireland in the category of Social Science: Sociology and Social Policy! Shane contacted his supervisor, Dr. Amin Sharifi Isaloo, to thank him and all lecturers in Department of Sociiology And Criminology.
Read his story below:
How social justice warriors ensure political legitimacy in contemporary times?
At my time at University College Cork I studied a BA in Psychology and Sociology, minoring in psychology and majoring in Sociology. In my final year I was given the opportunity to conduct a research essay in any sociological topic that interested me. I found this very beneficial as instead of adjusting to a supervisor’s schedule and interests, I was given the chance to explore any of my own sociological interests and develop any ideas I had with my supervisor. I had a great interest in political sociology at the time. This was just a year after Trump’s election and the decision for a British exit from the EU, so I began to contemplate how such significant political occurrences come to manifest. I realized within the political narrative, at least in the west, there appeared to be political polarization among theories of freedom of speech and political correctness.
The term ‘Social Justice Warrior’ was just gaining traction at the time and was representative, at least on the internet, of the individuals who sought to pursue and enforce political correctness culture. And furthermore, to great success. The political jargon of the internet was saturated with PC culture; people’s right to feel good or safe seemed to overshadow any form of a fair or controversial conversation or debate. So, I began to ask myself: “How do Social Justice Warriors ensure political legitimacy in contemporary times?”.
I was advised to submit my essay for review by the Global Undergraduate Awards 2019, where my work would be evaluated and scored by professionals and judges within the field of sociology and social policy. I was then privileged enough to receive Regional Winner for my essay for the Island of Ireland in the category of Social Science: Sociology and Social Policy. To this I owe immense credit to my supervisor Dr. Amin Sharifi Isaloo, as well as my lecturers, and the Department of Sociology within University College Cork who stemmed my interest in the social sciences and brought clarity to my ideas. I am now currently studying a Master’s in psychology in the University of Limerick and I am grateful for the help I received at University College Cork, equipping me with the tools I needed for my Master studies.