stories from the field: integrating social justice awareness and action into counselling practice

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.