Social Justice Advocacy among Graduate Students in Counseling: An Initial Exploration

Journal of College Student Development, May/Jun 2005 by Nilsson, Johanna E, Schmidt, Christa K

This study examined variables that were hypothesized to contribute to social justice advocacy among 134 graduate students enrolled in counseling programs, including problem solving skills, worldview, social concern, and political interest. Of these variables, the desire to become involved in social justice advocacy and political interest predicted actual engagement in social justice advocacy. The results also showed that many of the participants presented with low levels of social justice advocacy. Implications for training and research are included.

College students' social justice advocacy has been relatively uncommon in the United States in the last two decades (Lee, 1997). In comparison, in the 1960s and 1970s, students were often in the front line of social movements (e.g., Civil Rights and anti-war movement) and such activism has been believed to be one of the most powerful mechanisms for creating social change (Cornelius, 1998). Social justice advocacy has been defined as organized efforts aimed at influencing public attitudes, policies, and laws to create a more socially just society guided by the vision of human rights including political, economical, and social rights (Cohen, 2001).

The fields of counseling and counseling psychology have recently paid attention to social justice advocacy and highlighted the importance for students in these programs to become advocates for social change (e.g., Baluch, Pieterse, & Bolden, 2004; Fouad et al., 2004; Kiselica & Robinson, 2001; Lee, 1998; Lewis & Arnold, 1998; Myers, Sweeney, & White, 2002; Speight & Vera, 2004; Vera & Speight, 2003). Although a social justice perspective appears to be of high regard in the field of counseling, many students and professionals aware of social injustices do not extend this awareness to action (D'Andrea & Daniels, 1999; Vera & Speight). Little is known about students' developmental process in becoming advocates for social justice issues and what variables might contribute to such orientation (Broido, 2000). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between personal and academic variables and social justice advocacy among counseling students. Such data could provide faculty and student affairs professionals involved in the training of counseling students with needed information in how to facilitate student growth in this area.

Despite the increasing amount of literature on counseling and social justice advocacy, most of this work is theoretical. Since we were unable to find any empirical studies that specifically examined counselors and social justice advocacy, we examined the literature on counselor characteristics and elements of counseling training to find possible connections between such variables and social justice advocacy. We also examined the more general literature on college students and social justice advocacy. However, we will first address the role of counselors in social justice advocacy.

Counselor and Social Justice

Traditionally, counselors and counseling psychologists (we will refer to both groups as counselors from now on) have viewed themselves and their profession as apolitical (Brown, 1997). Their work has mainly been directed towards working with individual clients, families or couples, focusing on resolving interpersonal or intrapersonal concerns (Lee, 1998). Counselors with a multicultural and/ or feminist theoretical orientation have also paid attention to the impact of societal forces, such as oppression, racism, homophobia, sexism, discrimination, and poverty, on the emotional and physical well being of their clients (Goodman et al, 2004; Lee, 1998). Because mental health problems are often associated with such extraneous variables, the limitations of the traditional counseling approach have been noted (e.g., Bulhan, 1985; Goodman et al.; Prilleltensky, 1999; Vera & Speight, 2003). Scholars have argued that for clients to achieve long-lasting mental health, there must be changes in social structures, including political, media, educational, and other social institutions, and this is especially true for clients from oppressed and marginalized groups (e.g., Bulhan; Goodman et al.; Prilleltensky; Vera & Speight). This argument also implies that counselors have unique insight into the effects of oppression on individuals' health and well being, and thus responsibility for working to alleviate oppression; oppression referring to the systematic disadvantaging of one group by other groups who hold more power in society (Lewis & Arnold, 1998). By engaging in activities such as outreach, community interventions, consciousness-raising, policy-making, legislation, and grassroots movements, counselors partake in social justice advocacy to end oppression (e.g., Corey & Corey, 2003; Fouad et al., 2004; Goodman et al.; Kiselica & Robinson, 2001; Lewis & Arnold; Myers et al., 2002; Vera & Speight).

Counselor Characteristics and Training

Kiselica and Robinson (2001) suggested that social justice advocacy requires certain attributes and skills, one attribute being that counselors must be "committed humanitarians," that is, having an appreciation for and commitment to alleviate human suffering (p. 391). In a study of counselors' values, Kelly (1995) found that most of the participants rated themselves as moderately collectivistic, which involves a disposition towards concern for others and collaboration. These participants also rated themselves highly on diversity and benevolence. Counseling programs tend to train students towards cultural competence and emphasize the value of empathy for effective counseling (Egan, 1990; Gelso & Fretz, 1992; Rogers, 1957). Empathic concern for others has also been associated with desire to volunteer among college students (Stiff, Dillard, Somera, Kim, & Sleight, 1988) and may also be associated with a desire for social justice advocacy.