‘There is a Reason’: A Call to Re-Consider the Relationship between Charity and Social Justice

Abstract

Contemporary academic discourse on social justice increasingly urges the elision of aspects of ‘charity’ from the concept. Writing in the context of liberation theology discourse in particular, the author agrees with the need to prioritize social-justice-centred frameworks but argues for an explicit theorization of (true) charity as a vital element within them. The argument is informed by ethnographic engagement with a group of young, low-income Zimbabwean migrants in Johannesburg. It is inspired in particular by attending to how charitable action features in their narratives as a source of dignity and motivation that enables them to work towards a bright future, as well as contributing towards their day-to-day survival.