WEEK 8 - social justice Flashcards
What is social justice
Based on the idea that society gives individuals and
groups fair treatment and an equal share of benefits,
resources and opportunities
How is social justice related with power
people in positions of power can perpetuate social injustices, intentionally or unintentionally, if they are intolerant, hold
prejudicial beliefs, harbor a desire to maintain the status quo or lack awareness or understanding about racial, ethnic and cultural differences.
What was the Martin Luther King speech to APA
- He made a speech to the American Psychologogical associating
- He called the APA to action and said that psychologists should be playing a bigger role in addressing social inequalities
- Challenged APA to expand scope beyond traditional work
settings to have a wider impact - anted social scientists to study and support specific
structural changes, such as strategies to reduce earnings, health and educational disparities – to enhance psychological well-being of large groups of people
Tension (history)
- Counselling & Psychotherapy is rooted in socio-political reform movements. Its mission has been to enhance the well-being and human dignity of many as well as to increase human rights, justice, and equal access to quality education, vocations, and health care.
BUT
lots of the theories have come from traditional Western counselling theories and practices viewed individuals primarily through an intrapsychic and apolitical lens; client problems and challenges were assumed to be a function of biological, psychodynamic, emotional, cognitive, and/or behavioural deficits. (meaning we have privileged approaches that involve the individual and not the greater context)
- Growth in research showing that human development is linked to social, political, cultural & economical context
- Focus on assisting clients to create meaningful lives for themselves while they remained in an unjust social environment
History of social justice and counseling
- counsellors may be inadvertently perpetuating systemic
oppression of their clients by providing one-on-one remediation therapy led to a challenge to revise their theoretical models and to engage in prevention, client empowerment, advocacy, and social action - Recognition that clinical work may do more harm than good unless we better understood the systemic causes of many psychological problems and challenged the injustice inherent in social systems
- Constructs of social justice, oppression, unearned privilege, power, and equity began to be centralized in psychological curricula, theories, research studies, and practice models
What is the social justice perspective
- A social justice perspective in counselling
acknowledges issues of power, privilege, and
oppression - Social justice rests on a premise that the environment
is a key factor in determining wellness and human dignity - Call to action for counsellors – agents of social justice.
- A commitment to help individuals while simultaneously challenging social, cultural and economical inequities
How can counselling colonise sometimes (indigenous perspective)
- Imposition of universalizing, individualistic constructions of human behavior – assessment, diagnosis, & interventions
- Negation of Aboriginal knowledge and practices – in
services, practice & research
Feminist theory in counseling
What was significant in First Wave Feminism (Late 19th to early 20th century)
The first wave of feminism primarily focused on women’s suffrage and legal rights.
Early feminist theorists like Virginia Woolf and Simone de Beauvoir laid the foundation for later discussions on women’s experiences and identities
What was significant in Second Wave Feminism (1960s to 1980s)
Feminist therapy emerged during this period, with key figures like Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, and Kate Millett advocating for the inclusion of women’s experiences and issues in counselling.
Feminist therapy challenged traditional therapy methods, emphasizing the importance of
understanding societal
What was significant in Third Wave Feminism (1990s to present):
Expanded the scope of feminist theory in counselling by considering intersectionality – theinterconnectedness of various social identities such as race, class, sexual orientation, and gender.
This wave emphasized the importance of recognizing and addressing the unique experiences and challenges faced by women from diverse backgrounds.
Feminist therapists have increasingly focused on inclusivity, addressing the mental health needs of LGBTQ+ individuals, people of colour, and those with disabilities
Core principles of feminist theories
- Challenged naturalized accounts of gender, sees gender as a social construct exposes how power operates through and within gender discourses
- The personal is political
- Egalitarian Relationship
- Privileging of women’s experience
- Empowerment
Gender as a construct (feminist theory)
from young age we have been socialised in certain ways in accordance to our gender (boys vs girl toys)
video example
The personal is political meaning (feminist theory)
- It suggests that individual experiences and personal struggles are interconnected with broader societal and political issues. (challenge to the idea that problems come from within people). Example - From a Feminist perspective a person with an eating disorder would recognise that in society there is pressure on women to look a certain way. Counsellor would invite the client to notice that.
- The counsellor helps client recognize that her individual struggles are not solely a result of personal failings but are also influenced by societal norms and structures. This understanding can empower the client to challenge these norms and work toward personal growth and social change simultaneously.
Egalitarian Relationship (Feminist theory)
- Attention to power is central in feminist therapy (this approach wants to mitigate power differences between client and practitioner - aims to be collaborative approach)
- Relationship is marked by authenticity, mutuality and respect
- Recognise that there is a power indifference and look to shift it
Make use of self-disclosure when it is judged to be therapeutically helpful for the client – how would you judge this?
