Exploring the corollaries of students’ social justice intentionality

Smith, Laura; Lau, Michael Y.

doi:10.1177/1746197912461327

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 47 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…These examples reflect participants’ social justice intentionality , which refers to their “awareness of, interest in, and/or commitment to social justice issues” (Smith & Lau, 2013, p. 60) as they intended to promote justice by responding to the broad array of needs of disadvantaged populations including people from low-income backgrounds. Although participants had different ways of engaging in advocacy, all of the participants shared their desire to increase underserved individuals’ access to quality mental health care that is consistent with the relevance of the profession in addressing social problems (Buki, 2014).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementing Social Change: A Qualitative Analysis of Counseling Psychologists’ Engagement in Advocacy

Kozan

Blustein

2018

The Counseling Psychologist

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In recent years, many counseling psychology training programs in the United States have adopted social justice principles into training. Although previous studies have provided thought-provoking discussions on social justice advocacy, they mostly reflected the voices of psychologists in academia; therefore, the advocacy work of practitioners has been neglected. In order to explore the advocacy experiences of counseling psychologists in practice, we utilized qualitative content analysis to analyze semistructured interviews with 11 practitioners who were trained in social justice-oriented counseling psychology doctoral programs. The findings were clustered under three domains: (a) participants' development of a social justice orientation, (b) different ways of implementing advocacy in practice, and (c) positioning advocacy in psychology. The interviews depicted resources and challenges with regard to integrating advocacy into practice indicating that counseling psychologists continue to struggle with systemic barriers that limit their advocacy actions. We discuss implications for research, practice, and training in counseling psychology.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementing Social Change: A Qualitative Analysis of Counseling Psychologists’ Engagement in Advocacy

Kozan

Blustein

2018

The Counseling Psychologist

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…While personal motivation is valuable in understanding how students pursue careers as therapists, these factors have primarily been explored in predominantly White samples. Some research suggests that demographic characteristics are less impactful in influencing social justice orientation among psychology trainees than factors such as awareness of societal oppression (Smith & Lau, 2013). However, the relative importance of various motivational factors has not been explored among Black therapists in particular.…”

Section: Therapist Career Pathsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The predictive efficacy of racial identity attitudes, historically Black college/university attendance, and sources of motivation in Black therapists’ career choices.

Scharff,

Roberson-Miranda,

Sutherland

et al. 2024

Professional Psychology: Research and Practice

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding Black therapists' educational decisions contributes to increasing Black therapists' representation and accessibility. The present study explored the role of racial identity attitudes, demographic factors, and motivations for becoming a therapist (e.g., personal experiences, altruism) in predicting membership in the subfields of counseling, clinical psychology, and social work. Black therapists (N = 129) were surveyed about their career trajectories and personal characteristics. Predictors of subfield membership were examined using multinomial logistic regression. Black therapists who endorsed the racial identity status of internalization and those who were motivated by family problems were more likely to be social workers or counselors than clinical psychologists. Attending a historically Black college/university and being motivated by professional altruism predicted membership in social work relative to clinical psychology, whereas those who were motivated by the experience of personal problems were more likely to be clinical psychologists than counselors or social workers. We conclude that Black therapists' career decision making appears to be consistent with the expressed values of psychotherapy subfields. Understanding Black therapists' motivations and career trajectories can inform recruitment and retention efforts within psychotherapist training and employment. Public Significance StatementThis survey study suggests that among Black therapists, there are important differences between social workers, clinical psychologists, and counseling psychologists. Observed differences included motivation for becoming a therapist, racial identity (attitudes related to race, society, and one's own life), and history of attending a historically Black college or university. Understanding why Black therapists choose particular career paths can help therapist training programs recruit and retain Black students.

show abstract

“…Self-driven education via social justice activism learning has made its mark in educational institutions through student grassroots efforts and the gathering of collectives dedicated to the engagement of a deconstructive discourse and social justice action (DeMatthews & Mawhinney, 2014;Smith & Lau, 2013). Critical pedagogies and theoretical frameworks concerning class, gender, and environmental justice, in addition to anti-racist curriculum, have been making their way slowly into the classrooms of middle schools, high schools, and universities (Boatright-Horowitz et al, 2012;Brown, 2004;Brunsma, Brown, & Placier, 2013;Chizhik & Chizhik, 2005;Dutta et al, 2016;Lazar & Offenberg, 2011;Nordstrom, 2015;Singer, 2016;Strmic-Pawl, 2015).…”

Section: Self-educating the "White-identified" Selfmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Whiteness of the Elephant in the Room

Foran¹

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Using frameworks from critical race theory, social movement theory, and community-based activism, this thesis explores the phenomena of white fragility, white guilt, and colorblind racial ideology and how they impact the ways predominantly whiteidentified social and environmental justice organizations approach, build, and maintain solidarity with communities of color in Santa Cruz County, California. A qualitative approach was employed to investigate the experiences of white-identified activists and how they attempt to engage in this constantly challenging process. Using twenty-two semi-structured interviews and eight group observations, I explored how white-identified individuals negotiate the transformation from 'moral passivity' to meaningful, personal relationships with people of color (POC). The research shows remarkable differences in responses by white-identified individuals in public space (implicit bias/overtly racialized comments) versus private space (self-reflection, drive toward self-education, willingness to forge authentic relationships with POC). The research also uncovers possible implications for how the intrapersonal dismantling of racialized thought systems on an individual basis may impact group coalition-building processes. More research is warranted, however, in the exploration of how these implications may translate to concrete strategies in the toolkits of predominantly white-identified environmental and social justice organizations. v ACKNLOWLEDGMENTS Without the help and support of the many individuals involved, this modest body of research would not have been possible. First, I would like to extend my gratitude to my life partner and spouse Gerald Francis Casel, who was, and is presently, an inspiration and a pillar of strength during a time when I thought I couldn't return to school or even think about completing a graduate program. Next, I want to express my deepest appreciation to my thesis chair, Dr. Jason Douglas, who encouraged me, through the many incarnations of thesis proposals, to take the ball on this project and run with it. The breadth and depth of his dedication to the most marginalized communities among us never cease to amaze me and keep me rooted to these ideals as my lodestar. Thanks also to Dr. Will Russell, not only for the mountainside philosophical discussions, but also for the patience and keen eye which were invaluable in the preening out of all the unnecessary material that eventually led me to this project. Thanks go as well to Dr. Natalie Boero, whose impeccable ability to ask the right questions and whose unparalleled skill in qualitative investigation dropped enough breadcrumbs my way to lead me out of the forest right into her office so I could complete my thesis committee. I am grateful and in awe of the many ways that each of you inspire your students. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS

show abstract

Exploring the corollaries of students’ social justice intentionality

Cited by 9 publications

References 47 publications

Implementing Social Change: A Qualitative Analysis of Counseling Psychologists’ Engagement in Advocacy

Implementing Social Change: A Qualitative Analysis of Counseling Psychologists’ Engagement in Advocacy

The predictive efficacy of racial identity attitudes, historically Black college/university attendance, and sources of motivation in Black therapists’ career choices.

The Whiteness of the Elephant in the Room

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About