Social criticism feeds on social problems, it’s its fuel. In a completely just and perfect society, such criticism would have no place. It aims to attack these problems and injustices and revoke them, making society more equitable. Although social criticism is a very broad term due to its coverage, it is worth highlighting its intensity in relation to the power relationships between the elite and the citizenry.
The origin and history of social criticism
Social criticism has been around for as long as human history in society. Since human beings, by nature, established the first societies, there have always been dissenting voices and criticism against the order and functioning of relationships among humans.
The first texts of this social criticism in the West can be found in ancient Greece. Philosophers such as Plato or Aristotle had works that criticized the society they lived in and proposed new social orders. These, according to their criteria, would be the most just and ideal.
Over the centuries, in each era, philosophers and dissenting voices have suggested a change in the status quo. Although there is a paradigm shift in the 19th century with the outbreak of revolutionary Marxist ideas, which would forever change the social distribution.
Types of social criticism
We can briefly distinguish social criticism according to its object. Thus, on the one hand, we have criticism of power; and on the other, criticism of the rest of society:
Criticism of power: This focuses, as mentioned earlier, on the relationships between, on the one hand, the government, elites, and the powers that be. On the other hand, the rest of citizens. Traditionally, these elites have always been seen as removed from the everyday problems of the rest of the world, and also dictate and oblige the rest of the world how they should live and think. For this reason, subversive voices have always opted for a decrease in power by these groups. This criticism has traditionally come from leftist and liberal ideas.
Criticism of society: On the other hand, this is carried out to refer to the customs and practices of the people themselves. The religion they believe in or practice, their ideas about work, leisure, culture, traditions, vices, trends, morality, etc.
Contemporary social criticism has a number of pillars it focuses on. Although it is important to note that not all critical groups emphasize the same thing, nor are all cultures the same. The demands of a Westerner, a Muslim, or an Easterner are not the same, they are different cultures and their demands can also be different.
Even so, we can see some criticisms and demands that can become common:
Equality between men and women.
Respect for the rights of all people regardless of their sexual orientation.
Dignified labor rights.
Freedoms for all citizens.
Economic conditions for a dignified life.
Respect for the safety and integrity of people.
Respect for all religious or spiritual beliefs.
