Introduction to the Journal of Counseling & Development's Special Issue on Racism

Multiracial and Biracial Individuals: A Content Analysis of Counseling Journals, 1991–2013

“…Suggestions for counselors included discussing multiracial experiences in counseling, using empowerment models in practice, and helping individuals to establish healthy perspectives of their multiracial identities. Watt's (1999) thematic discussion briefly reviewed the purpose of the JCD special issue (Robinson & Ginter, 1999) and attempted to link the 17 personal narratives for an overarching theme of the impact of racism in the United States. Watt presented the following five conceptual categories (with themes embedded into these), which described the contributors' experiences with racism: (a) systemic oppression, (b) grieving, (c) awakening of critical consciousness, (d) coping mechanisms, and (e) power.…”

“…Although the JCD special issues were published in 1991 and 1999 (Pedersen, 1991;Robinson & Ginter, 1999), many of the narratives and themes addressed remain relevant today. It is imperative that counseling professionals and researchers recognize that "given the diversity among biracial people, their experiences and perceptions differ" (Robinson, 2001, p. 177).…”

Service Strategies for Higher Educational Institutions Based on Student Segmentation

“…Wide cultural gaps can be seen in the area of social relationships and are sometimes in contrast to America's highly mobile, individual-oriented society, where the concept of friendship is much less permanent than it is in most other cultures (Bulthuis, 1986). Over time, international students' disappointment with relationships, combined with their experiences of racial/ethnic prejudice and discrimination (Halpern, 1993;Hayes & Lin, 1994;Robinson & Ginter, 1999), may discourage them from attempting to form deep significant relationships with Americans (Bulthuis, 1986;Robinson & Ginter, 1999). The students' inadequate language skills often diminish their ability to understand lectures, to take notes, to complete reading, written assignments and examinations, and to orally express their opinions and ask questions in class (Mavondo, Tsarenko, and Gabbot, 2004;Cadieux & Wehrly, 1986).…”

Our Stories Will Be Told: Deconstructing the Heterosexist Discourse in the Counseling Professions

“…After reviewing a number of authors' perspectives on the power and purposes of storytelling (Chase, 1995;Glauser, 1999;Gluck, 1979;Mintz & Rothblum, 1997;Monk et al, 1997;Reinharz, 1992;Robinson & Ginter, 1999;Watt, 1999;Wilbur, 1999), we have come to believe that the telling of stories, and the critical examination of such stories, is a particularly potent means of challenging the heterosexist dominant discourse in the counseling professionals, for three primary reasons. The first reason has to do with the potency of storytelling in breaking through minimization, denial, and apathy in ways that other forms of education and/or training do not.…”

“…A special issue in the Journal of Counseling and Development (JCD) (Robinson & Ginter, 1999) addressed racism from a narrative perspective and serves in some sense as a model for this book. In that JCD issue, 17 diverse professionals wrote moving narratives about their own experiences with racism, and three authors presented commentary on the themes contained in those narratives.…”