Unequal social goods undermine both process legitimacy and distributive outcomes

Evidence

Distributional patterns and decision-making processes are intricately intertwined in important ways. As we have said, distributive patterns are a crucial entry point for exploring the justice of the social processes that underlie those patterns, including environmental decision-making processes. Evaluating decision-making processes, in turn, also requires an evaluation of distributions. For instance, a legitimate decision-making process often depends upon an adequate distribution of various social goods, or rights, that are crucial to participation in that process. In the environmental justice context, for instance, some social groups approach environmental decision-making processes with fewer social goods (e.g., time, money, education, information, specialized knowledge, access, and influence) than more privileged groups. Not surprisingly, these same groups remain disadvantaged in the distribution of goods by those processes. — Luke W. Cole and Sheila R. Foster, From the Ground Up, 382

Categorization

• XREF: Strong cross-polyad bridge: the ‘social goods needed for meaningful participation’ framing speaks directly to power-conscious pedagogy and deliberative-democracy theory. — connects to: Understanding status mechanisms is a precondition for reducing inequality; Stereotypes function to make existing social inequalities seem legitimate and natural — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2909; Formal citizenship equality coexists with inequality that provokes social conflict — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 824 (+3 more)
• SEED: The reciprocal dependence of fair process on fair distribution is a usable analytical frame connecting this book to course readings on participatory institutions.

Broader Connections

• Understanding status mechanisms is a precondition for reducing inequality #expands (0.78)
• Formal citizenship equality coexists with inequality that provokes social conflict #expands (0.75) — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 824
• Status congruence across capital forms entrenches inequality despite meritocracy #corroborates (0.75) — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 90
• Stereotypes function to make existing social inequalities seem legitimate and natural #exemplifies (0.72) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2909
• Institutionalized disrespect blocks participation as fully as unequal resource distribution does #expands (0.72) — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice, 119
• Distributive-only justice theory fails to address recognition and capability concerns #expands (0.70) — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice, 415