A New Framework to Understand Social Class in Counseling: The Social Class Worldview Model and Modern Classism Theory

Abstract

Because social class and classism remain elusive constructs in psychology, this 2‐part article first lays the foundation for the Social Class Worldview Model and then the Modern Classism Theory. A case example is used for illustration. The authors also provide counseling applications and recommendations for future research. Debido a que la clase social y el clasismo continuan siendo unos conceptos evasivos en la psicología, este artículo de 2 partes establece una fundación para el Modelo de Cosmovisión de Clase Social y la Teoría Moderna del Clasismo. Se utiliza un caso de ejemplo para su ilustración. Los autores también proporcionan aplicaciones para la consejería y recomendaciones para investigaciónes futuras.

A Two-Fold Unveiling: Unmasking Classism in Group Work

“…When selecting interventions aimed at addressing social class, group workers will want to consider the type of group and group purpose. Members of psychoeducational and life skills groups may benefit from being introduced to the SCWM (Liu et al, 2004) and using the model to identify overt and covert motivating factors. In therapeutic groups, the SCWM domains related to personal awareness, class attitudes, and social class referent groups may be of particular value for assessing the role of classism in group dynamics.…”

“…Groups function as social microcosms (Yalom, 1995), within which members are likely to display attitudes and behaviors that reflect their social class worldview (Liu et al, 2004). The culturally competent group worker recognizes that classism silences healthy dialogue, and takes responsibility for introducing and exploring social class issues.…”

“…Group worker education and training is most likely to occur within the context of professional graduate programs (e.g., social work, counseling, psychology, or nursing) where middle-class beliefs and values tend to dominant in theory, research, and practice (Liu et al, 2004). Thus individuals entering training programs from middle-class backgrounds may experience less identity confusion and greater sense of belonging than those who are experiencing a social class transition, whether upward (e.g., children of blue collar parents) or downward (e.g., children of attorneys or doctors).…”

“…' Liu, Soleck, Hopps, Dunston, and Pickett (2004) defined classism as a ''network of oppressions'' (p. 107) wherein one may experience negative, positive, or neutral feelings and cognitions toward individuals and groups who are perceived to belong to a similar, lower, or higher social class. Classism may be internalized as self-worth, life goals, and achievement efficacy (Goodman et al, 2000;Kaufman, 2003;Nelson, Englar-Carlson, Tierney, & Hau, 2006).…”

Autoethnography in Vocational Psychology: Wearing Your Class on Your Sleeve

“…In order to advance toward the goal of fostering critical self-consciousness, in the following section we introduce autoethnography as a reflexive research method toward critical consciousness within psychologists, their research, training, and practise. (Liu, Soleck, Hopps, Dunston, & Pickett, 2004), which posit that social class is a multifaceted psychological phenomenon, rather than a simplistic Autoethnography 9 demographic and objectified descriptor based upon income, occupation, or geographic location. In relation to the aforementioned notion of critical consciousness and conscientization, Liu et al suggest that:…”