Social Justice in Local Systems of Interpersonal Influence

Abstract

The enlargement of the public sphere of visible local events has increased the demand for social justice, which penetrates into social life as a superordinate evaluative dimension of all action. Issues of social justice are increasingly included in the domain of common objects of interest and arousal for collectivities of individuals. The evolving culture of social justice is manifested in individuals’ displayed positions on whether particular actions are justified, their definition and meaning, and what punitive or compensatory responses, if any, are called for. This chapter is focused on the social process of interpersonal influence that may alter individuals’ positions on particular issues of social justice, and the implications of interpersonal influences unfolding on social network structures.