stories from the field: integrating social justice awareness and action into counselling practice
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Stories from the Field: Integrating Social Justice Awareness and Action into Counselling Practice. Presented by: Jo-Anne Stoltz, Sandra Collins, Nancy Arthur, & Cristelle Audet May 21, 2009 Annual CCA Conference (Saskatoon). Overview. Welcome! Stories from the field - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Stories from the Field: IntegratingSocial Justice Awareness and Action
into Counselling Practice
Presented by: Jo-Anne Stoltz, Sandra Collins,
Nancy Arthur, & Cristelle Audet
May 21, 2009Annual CCA Conference (Saskatoon)
Overview
Welcome! Stories from the field What do we mean by social justice? Social justice concepts: Overview Exercise: Vignettes & debrief Barriers, challenges and gaps Next steps
STORIES FROM THE FIELD
What do you think?
What is Social Justice?
HumanDevelopment
Advocacy/Empowerment
StructuralViolence
Power/Privilege
Types/Levels
Definition/Principles
SOCIALJUSTICE
Social Justice Concepts
HumanDevelopment
Advocacy/Empowerment
StructuralViolence
Power/Privilege
Types/Levels
Definition/Principles
SOCIALJUSTICE
Social Justice Concepts
Definition
“…full [inclusion] and equal participation of all [members and] groups in a society that is mutually shaped to meet their needs. Social justice includes a vision of society in which the distribution of resources [and opportunities] is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure” (Bell, 1997, p.3).
Definition
“. . . justice should refer not only to distribution, but also to the institutional conditions necessary for the development and exercise of individual capacities [and human rights] and collective communication and cooperation. Under this conception of justice, injustice refers primarily to two forms of disabling constraints, oppression and domination” (Young, 1990, p.39).
Principles
Equity…of resources, rights, and responsibilities
Accessibility…to knowledge, power, resources, and services
crucial to human development
Participation…of all members in decisions that affect quality of life
Harmony…in efforts towards establishing the common good
HumanDevelopment
Advocacy/Empowerment
StructuralViolence
Power/Privilege
Types/Levels
Definition/Principles
SOCIALJUSTICE
Social Justice Concepts
Types/Levels of Social Justice
Type Level Focus
Individual Micro(Individual)
Maintenance of equal rights and fundamental liberties
Distributive Meso(Community)
Equitable distribution of resources to those of greatest need
Deliberative
Macro(Systemic)
Decision-making processes and interactions that contribute to inequities
HumanDevelopment
Advocacy/Empowerment
StructuralViolence
Power/Privilege
Types/Levels
Definition/Principles
SOCIALJUSTICE
Social Justice Concepts
Power & Privilege
Power…exercised by privileged members and underlies much oppression perpetuated in society, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Privilege...systematic and unearned benefits that select groups of persons in society are bestowed based on specific variables, usually the dominant group(s) in society.
(Lee, 2007)
Power & Privilege
To mitigate inequities arising from oppression, marginalization, and discrimination, you can:
…explore the privileged cultural groups that you are a member of and challenge yourself to utilize your privilege to promote social justice.
(Lee, 2007)
Power & Privilege
…consider how you have oppressed others in the past as well as how you have been oppressed by others by virtue of your group membership
…consider how your work may
inadvertently support the status quo
…be prepared to address social forces that pose as systemic barriers to people’s growth and development
HumanDevelopment
Advocacy/Empowerment
StructuralViolence
Power/Privilege
Types/Levels
Definition/Principles
SOCIALJUSTICE
Social Justice Concepts
Structural Violence
Developed by Johan Galtung (1969)
…the systematic ways in which a regime prevents individuals from achieving their full potential.
…occurs whenever people are disadvantaged by political, legal, economic, or cultural traditions.
EPISODIC STRUCTURAL
Violence (direct violence) (indirect violence)
Typically kills or harms people quickly
Typically kills or harms people slowly
Intermittently kills or harms people
Continuously deprives people of basic needs
Acute insult to well-being Chronic insult to well-being
Dramatic; visible Normalized; invisible
Peacemaking Peacebuilding
Reduces violent episodes Reduces structural violence
Emphasizes nonviolence Emphasizes social justice
Seeks to prevent violent episodes Seeks to ameliorate structural violence Produces intergroup tension reduction
Produces intergroup tension enhancement
Uses intergroup contact and dialogue
Uses intergroup contact and noncooperation
Supports status quo; decreases tension
Challenges status quo; increases tension
HumanDevelopment
Advocacy/Empowerment
StructuralViolence
Power/Privilege
Types/Levels
Definition/Principles
SOCIALJUSTICE
Social Justice Concepts
Advocacy & Empowerment
Social justice work includes:
…empowerment of the individual
…fostering systemic change through active confrontation of injustices and inequalities in society that have traditionally led to the marginalization and discrimination of devalued or minority groups
(Crethar, Rivera, & Nash, 2008; Lewis, Arnold, House, &
Toporek, 2003)
Advocacy & Empowerment
EmpowermentAssisting individuals to: …recognize the impact of social,
political, economic, and cultural factors on their development and well-being
…develop new strengths, knowledge, and abilities to the point of self-advocacy
(Crethar, Rivera, & Nash, 2008; Lewis, Arnold, House, &
Toporek, 2003)
Advocacy & Empowerment
AdvocacyActing with or on behalf of an individual
to: …respond to institutional or systemic
barriers that impinge upon development and well-being
…proactively challenge the status quo to effect social change
(Lewis, Arnold, House, & Toporek, 2003)
Advocacy & Empowerment
Advocacy Competency DomainsAdvocacy Competency Domains
Client/Student
School/Community
PublicArena
Client/ StudentEmpowerment
CommunityCollaboration
PublicInformation
Social/ PoliticalAdvocacy
Client/ StudentAdvocacy
SystemsAdvocacy
ActingWith
ActingOn
Behalf
Microlevel Macrolevel
HumanDevelopment
Advocacy/Empowerment
StructuralViolence
Power/Privilege
Types/Levels
Definition/Principles
SOCIALJUSTICE
Social Justice Concepts
Human Development Human growth and development hinges on
access to knowledge, services, resources, and opportunities.
Oppression, discrimination, and marginalization are some of the barriers that critically impede mental health, well-being, quality of life, and sometimes survival.
Social justice practices help restore an individual’s right to exercise their human potential, regardless of the cultural identities that define them.
Human Development
“A just society would be one in which the constraints of oppression and domination are eliminated, allowing people from all groups to develop and reach their full human potential” (Young, 1990).
“Beyond facilitating personal empowerment of clients, professionals need to…be prepared to address social forces that pose as systemic barriers to people’s growth and development” (Arthur, Collins, McMahon, & Marshall, 2009).
VIGNETTES
Exercise: Vignettes & Debrief
Four vignettes to choose from Vignettes extend from our “stories” Choose a vignette you are interested in,
curious about… Form one group for each vignette 30 minutes to discuss Use the reflection questions as a guide
Vignettes & Facilitators
Victim/Offender Conferencing(Jo-Anne)
A Counsellor in Kenya (Cristelle)
Hanna’s Career Dilemmas(Nancy)
Who Gets to Become a Counsellor in Canada? (Sandra)
BARRIERS, CHALLENGES, GAPS
Barriers, Challenges, Gaps
Lack of time
Lack of financial resources
Lack of professional influence
Lack of training for social justice
Lack of support from colleagues
Barriers, Challenges, Gaps
Fear of challenging the status quo
Lack of supervisor support
Fear of losing agency funding
Risk of job loss
Lack of interest
Arthur, Collins, McMahon, & Marshall, 2009
Overcoming Barriers
What helps counsellors to move social justice from concept to practice?
NEXT STEPS
Next Steps
What kinds of supports do counsellors’ need to increase capacity for integrating social justice into counselling work?
Next Steps
How do you view your own roles and responsibilities for social justice? In what areas do you foresee applying some of these concepts?
Next Steps
How does the concept of social justice and social justice practices fit within the field of counselling?
What needs to happen to advance social justice at the level of the profession?
Next Steps
How have your views of social justice changed or evolved through participation in this workshop?
ReferencesArthur, N., Collins, S., McMahon, M., & Marshall, C. (in press). Career practitioners’
views of social justice and barriers for practice. Canadian Journal of Career Development, 8(1).
Bell, L. A. (1997). Theoretical foundations for social justice education. In M. Adams, L. A. Bell, & P. Griffin (Eds.), Teaching for diversity and social justice. New York: Routlege.
Crethar, H. C., Rivera, E. T., & Nash, S. (2008). In search of common threads: Linking multicultural, feminist, and social justice counseling paradigms. Journal of Counseling & Development, 86(3), 269-278.
Lee, C. (2007). The passion of the counsellor: Walking the talk for social justice. Conference of the Association for Cousellor Education and Supervision. Columbus, Ohio.
Lewis, J., Arnold, M. S., House, R., & Toporek, R. L. (2002). American Counseling Association Advocacy Competencies. Advocacy Task Force, American Counseling Association.
Young, I. M. (1990). Justice and the politics of difference. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.