Reinvesting in social justice: A capital idea for public health nursing?

Social justice is a core ethical principle of public health nursing; yet, n urses' work as social activists has largely diminished over the past centur y. Reengagement in social justice activities is essential to change the cur rent social, economic, and health differentials perpetuated by market justi ce ideologies. Social capital has emerged in the public health literature a s a promising concept for developing community interventions that diminish disparities. Public health nurses, however, must be wary of uncritically ad opting social capital as a panacea for inequalities; advocating for interve ntions seeking to build social capital may be as harmful as the inequalitie s themselves.