Diversity and Social Justice Implications for Outcome Approaches to Evaluation

Abstract

It is important that counsellors provide evidence regarding the efficacy of their services. Although there has been an increased focus on generic outcome measurement of counselling programs and services, little attention has been paid to accountability issues for meeting the needs of diverse populations. This article highlights the increasing relevance of cultural diversity for evaluation practices, using examples from the Canadian context. An overview is provided of the key issues for evaluation of programs and services involving culturally diverse individuals and how evaluation must incorporate social justice issues within service provision. Evaluation strategies are elaborated along with suggestions for enhancing the intercultural competence of evaluation personnel.

The School Counselor in Israel: An Agent of Social Justice?

“…Counseling activities with and on behalf of students take place on an individual basis, in small groups, or in whole class settings, as needs arise (Arthur and Lalande 2009;Eschenauer and Chen-Hayes 2005;Lewis and Bradley 2000).…”

A Content Analysis of Career Development Theory, Research, and Practice—2013

“…As opposed to operating in isolation, career interventions are linked to the policies of organizations, governments, and other funding providers (Arthur & Lalande, 2009). Questions have been posed by policy makers about client outcomes in relation to the funding provided to support career interventions (European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network, 2012;Herr, 2003;Hughes, 2013;Hughes, Bimrose, Brown, & Karjalainen, 2006).…”

Rejecting the Null: Research and Social Justice Means Asking Different Questions

“…When researchers engage in social justice investigation, it is imperative that their values, cultural context, and motivation for research are fully examined and made explicit, because personal experiences unconsciously shape the research questions that researchers ask, the methods they choose, and the constructs that they observe (Arthur & Lalande, 2009). When these issues are discussed openly, researchers can plan in a thoughtful way to minimize the impact of these biases.…”

“…Well suited for exploring historically underrepresented communities’ experiences and societal forces of privilege and oppression, qualitative methods explore little‐known phenomena and allow for the investigation about the ways in which individuals and communities construct meaning in social context. Recognizing this, leaders in the field (Arthur & Lalande, 2009; Choudhuri, 2003) have called for increased use of qualitative and mixed methods to ensure that the contextual experiences of oppressed and minority‐status groups are accurately reflected. However, as with those working with traditional quantitative research, qualitative researchers also need to ensure that their research designs are immersed within constructivist and critical theories (such as feminist, queer, and critical race perspectives) so that they interpret information via a strength‐based lens to produce research that is truly empowering and emancipatory in nature.…”