Counseling psychology trainees' perceptions of training and commitments to social justice.

Abstract

This mixed methods study examined social justice commitments of counseling psychology graduate trainees. In the quantitative portion of the study, a national sample of trainees (n = 260) completed a web-based survey assessing their commitments to social justice and related personal and training variables. Results suggested that students desired greater social justice training than what they experienced in their programs. In the qualitative portion, we used a phenomenological approach to expand and elaborate upon quantitative results. A subsample (n = 7) of trainees who identified as strong social justice activists were interviewed regarding their personal, professional, and training experiences. Eleven themes related to participants' meanings of and experiences with social justice emerged within 4 broad categories: nature of social justice, motivation for activism, role of training, and personal and professional integration. Thematic findings as well as descriptive statistics informed the selection and ordering of variables in a hierarchical regression analysis that examined predictors of social justice commitment. Results indicated that trainees' perceptions of training environment significantly predicted their social justice commitment over and above their general activist orientation and spirituality. Findings are discussed collectively, and implications for training and future research are provided.

Differences in White Privilege Attitudes and Religious Beliefs Across Racial Affect Types

“…Longitudinal research is needed to understand whether sanctification increases White empathy, or whether increased empathy results in sanctification, and furthermore how certain critical incidents may facilitate this link. Overall, findings resonate with research indicating religious beliefs may serve as a source of motivation to engage White people to work for social justice (Beer et al, 2012;Goodman, 2000;Todd & Rufa, 2013). Future research should explore the positive potential of sanctification as a means of encouraging social and racial justice engagement for members of privileged groups.…”

Graduate Trainees’ Social Justice Supports, Beliefs, Interest, and Commitment

“…This is consistent with previous research (Beer, Spanierman, Greene, & Todd, 2012;Miller & Sendrowitz, 2011;Singh et al, 2010). However, contrary to previous findings (Miller & Sendrowitz, 2011), it appeared that social justice training supports did not have an indirect effect on either social justice interest or commitment.…”

Differentiation of Self and Social Justice Commitment Mediated by Hope

“…Students with low levels of DoS may be at risk of early burnout in social justice efforts and may struggle with managing the stress and invalidation that are inevitable in social justice work. Conversely, those with high levels of DoS may be more capable of speaking out and making a commitment to social justice in the face of resistance from family and friends compared with those with low levels of DoS, and managing such resistance has been mentioned in prior studies with graduate students (Beer et al, ; Singh et al, ). It is also possible that social justice commitment facilitates growth in DoS and hope.…”

“…Moreover, personal moral imperative directly and indirectly increased social justice commitment through self‐efficacy and outcome expectations. Similarly, Beer, Spanierman, Greene, and Todd () found that the social justice commitment of doctoral students in counseling psychology was predicted by their perceptions of the training environment, a spiritually optimistic outlook, and a general activist orientation. These combined results suggest that several differing dimensions, including selfhood, moral or spiritual orientations, and perceptions of context, can be associated with the social justice commitment of students.…”