Real-World Examples

Abstract

This chapter utilizes four examples to highlight the characteristic features of structural injustice in a variety of settings around the world. The first section examines how structural injustice operates in environmental “sacrifice zones” both in the US and in low- and middle-income countries. The primary focus of this discussion is the impact on children and future generations. The second section provides a portrait of the kinds of mutually reinforcing mechanisms of structural injustice at work both in US cities and in the rapidly growing urban centers of low- and middle-income countries. The US urban context is examined primarily through the experience of communities of color, especially in areas of concentrated poverty. The experience of women is the centerpiece of the discussion of the slums of low- and middle-income countries. Each example emphasizes experiences and insights of social movement activists, investigative journalists, and non-governmental organizations.