Introduction

Structural injustice is a central feature of twenty-first-century politics, and yet, despite its prevalence in academic arguments as well as in common parlance, its meaning is subject to many different theoretical and empirical interpretations and a great deal of confusion. What is structural injustice? What causes structural injustice? How does structural injustice relate to other forms of injustice such as epistemic injustice or discrimination? Is structural injustice the same as structural harm? What role do power relations play in structural injustices? Is there one kind of structural injustice or multiple kinds? Who is responsible for structural injustice and how could structural injustice be overcome? Drawing together new work with key texts, the authors of this book, from the broad fields of politics, philosophy, and law, set out to answer these questions. In so doing, they break new ground on the theorization of structural injustice, as well as offering up practical tools with which it can be considered and addressed. Common themes emerge throughout, including the relationship between structure and agency, the responsibility for structural change, the function of epistemology, and the role of the state. The authors’ different approaches to conceptualizing structural injustice push them to alternative conclusions on what structural injustice is and how to approach it. This Introduction is written to act as a brief summary guide to each chapter, using plain language and highlighting the many synergies and differences between the various perspectives on structural injustice explored across the volume.