The Role of Counselors as Social Justice Advocates Essay Example

fairness to both groups and individuals when it comes to access to a common good. For example, a counselor who ensures balanced access to power, resources, information, and services is seen as competent from a worldly eye. Furthermore, a counselor who motivates participation and collaboration among societal members are seen as people oriented and willing to involve the society in decision-making platforms (Martin, 2015). Basically, this character is weaved with the notion that the counselor is ready to impact directly on the lives of the grassroots population. Lastly, a competent counselor for a position as a social justice advocate is one who is capable of adjusting the social setting revolving between individual and group interests in order to produce favorable outcomes that suit everyone in the society.

Locus of Control

The issue of “Locus of Control” that was introduced in the 1950’s by Julian Rotter during her investigation of people’s attitudes and behaviors and how they affect their life outcomes. In simpler terms, the locus of control is the extent to which an individual believes that they have power over activities or events taking place in their lives. According to Julian Rotter, we have two types of people; those with an internal locus of control and those with an external locus of control. An individual with an internal locus of control is one who believes that he or she has the ability to influence events and activities and their result in life. On the contrary, external locus of control in an individual who blames the outer forces for events taking place in their personal life and environment (Educational Testing Service, 1990).

From this exploration and self-assessment, I have

learned that people appreciate or complain about different issues happening in their surroundings based on their internal being. Personally, I believe I have the internal locus of control. I think that dreams cannot work unless I put effort in the dreams. Success in life is a two-way highway; you must work smart and hard to achieve whatever you need in life. Personally, I have learned that people with internal locus of control believe that they have a responsibility to undertake in order to succeed in life. While on the other hand, individuals with the external locus of control believe that only external forces such as luck determine their successful or positive outcomes.

Counselor's Role in Promoting Social Justice

As highlighted above, the primary counselor’s role in promoting social justice is by confronting all oppressive systems of power and group privileges that may affect the general peace of the society. For example, challenging issues of prejudice, racism, gender discrimination, police brutality or even discrimination based on sexual orientation. To reduce these problems, a counselor is expected to balance the sociopolitical history of the society with the benefits people receive from societal institutions (Zalaquett, 2011). For instance, if a certain community is biased against a group of individuals based on their sexual, gender or general orientation, then the counselor will have to work with the community leaders and show them the importance of living in harmony. Basically, his or her role is bridging the gaps present in the community that may be affecting relationship and collaboration community matters.

Another role of a counselor in promoting social justice within a community is by capacity building and empowering the affected group of

people. For example; he or she may support the discriminated group of individuals to launch campaigns against the discrimination or prejudice against them. For example, individuals may be discriminated against due to their poverty level, financial ability or health situation. Therefore, Counselors works in helping the affected clients in moving out of the barriers fueling the discrimination and the other group. For instance, a counselor may offer spiritual resources Encouragement to an affected group, assist them in forming table banking which will eventually save them from poverty. From the above analysis, it is clear that the primary role of the counselor in promoting social justice in understanding the barriers and gaps developing the inequality and working towards saving the affected community out of it.

Advocacy Processes that Address Institutional Racism

Institutional Racism may be explained as the manifestation of racism in social institutions and systems. In these social institutions, political, social and economic policies operate to nurture the discriminatory and unequal outcomes for different groups in that particular institution or organization. Examples of institutional racism include; income differentials, exclusions from the company social clubs and unions, monoculture school culture and curricula, school admission based on test scores or even predatory lending services or practices (Martin, 2015). In most cases, people of color are the primary victims in the above institutional racism characteristics.

The two most successful processes of addressing institutional racism are; implementation of white privilege and internalized racism in every institution. In the white racism process, the general manager or the social justice advocate may collect all the benefits to be “white” and which are denied to the other group of people. In doing so, everyone in

the organization or institution will have equal chances of accessing social rewards and resources in the society. The counselor helps everyone in understanding their rights and freedoms while working in the organization (Steele, 2011). Therefore, either black or white the people in that social institution will have equal rights, opportunities as well as freedom.

The next and most successful process is the internalized racism strategy that involves the development of actions, ideas, behaviors, and actions that collude with racism against colleagues or a group of people. It involves supporting the dominance and supremacy of the main or dominant group through involvement in a set of social structures, ideologies, attitudes, emotions, and behaviors that work to undergird or undermine the dominant group’s privilege and power against the oppressed group (Cohen, Watson, Oxfam America & Advocacy Institute, 2001). This process is very effective because it indirectly empowers the oppressed to air their grievances in a more humane and effective manner.

Personal role as a Counselor in reducing Biases

As a counselor, am expected to help my clients (both the biased and the victims) in challenging their decision making processes, attitudes, behaviors and emotions before taking an action. For example, I can help the victims in flipping the problem in order to view from either positive or negative framework. By doing this, the client will be able to make individual decisions which do not have any negative connotation towards a certain group. Therefore, as a counselor, I will learn and understand the root cause of biases, then help the victims in overcoming the situation either through therapy (oral discussion), campaigns or even through the use of the legal process. That is,

as a counselor, I will act as the mother, a teacher, and helper to the society by teaching them on the importance of harmony, equality, participation and peace within their societal borders.

Conclusion

From the analysis, the primary role of a counselor as a Social Justice Advocate is to promote an equitable societal environment and relationship that ensures diversity and harmony within the social institutions. Also, he or she increases equal access to community opportunities and resources while cultivating effective inclusiveness to the discriminated and segregated members of the community (Steele, 2011). Therefore, a counselor working as a social justice advocate should work to reduce the obstacles, barriers, and gaps that prevent societal members from developing either political, socially and economically.

References

• Goodman, D. (2011). Promoting diversity and social justice: Educating people from privileged groups. New York: Routledge.
• Steele, D. C. (2011). Social justice advocacy and counselor education: A study of counselor educators' and counseling interns' perceptions of social justice advocacy training. Ph.D. Western Michigan University
• Martin, J. L. (2015). Racial battle fatigue: Insights from the front lines of social justice advocacy. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger
• Nash, R. J., Johnson, R. G., & Murray, M. C. (2012). Teaching college students communication strategies for effective social justice advocacy. New York: Peter Lang
• Cohen, D., De, . V. R., Watson, G., Oxfam America., & Advocacy Institute (Washington, D.C.). (2001).
• Advocacy for social justice: A global action and reflection guide. Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press.
• Zalaquett, Carlos P. (2011). "Multicultural Social Justice Leadership Development". Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology. University of South Florida N.P., 2011. Web. 25 Aug. 2016. Retrieved from: http://www.psysr.org/jsacp/lewis-v3n1-11_5-16.pdf
• FCA (2014). FCA guidelines. Florida Counseling Association.
  

Retrieved 25 August 2016, from http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.flacounseling.org/resource/resmgr/Newsletter/2014_09_Sep_FCA_65thYearEdit.pdf