ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 addresses the question, “What is the social justice turn in technical and professional communication (TPC), and why does it matter?” In so doing, this chapter describes the kairotic moment in TPC for this book, establishing the book’s exigence not only in a scholarly context but also in a broader social context. It uses political theorist Iris Marion Young’s five faces of oppression to structure a discussion of oppression: what it is, the forms it takes, and its effects on people’s lives. This discussion draws from Black feminist scholars, social and political theorists, and others to describe oppression and continually relates back to TPC to convey our field’s complicity. This exploration of oppression raises the question of what we can do to eradicate oppression and what we seek in its place: justice.
