Running head: PHILOSOPHY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE. Philosophical Statement of Social Justice. Jennifer DePrey. Seattle University

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1 Running head: PHILOSOPHY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE 1 Philosophical Statement of Social Justice Jennifer DePrey Seattle University

2 2 Abstract Social justice in professional practice means working with and on behalf of my clients to ensure that every student has access to quality education that fits their personal aspirations and prepares them to live fulfilling lives. This paper discusses how social justice informs my professional practice at different levels, including both individual and systemic action. Individually, social justice means working to with and on behalf of students to empower them. Systemically, social justice calls for the promotion of a diverse and respectful school community, as well as work to disrupt the cycle of socialization when it leads to oppression and oppressive beliefs. Advocacy is also vital to the social justice role of a school counselor.

3 3 Philosophical Statement of Social Justice It is my belief that social justice in professional practice means working with and on behalf of my clients to ensure that every student has access to quality education that fits their personal aspirations and goals and prepares them to live fulfilling lives. This education should include creating an environment that is diverse and as free from oppression as possible, giving students the opportunity to thrive. As a professional, social justice informs my responsibility to work to eradicate systemic barriers in education and promote as school environment that exposes students to diverse ideas and fosters mutual respect across populations, introducing ideas challenge points of view and that may disrupt the cycle of socialization that promotes oppression as discussed by Harro (2010). Individually, I will work with students in a way that respects their right to selfdetermination, keeping in mind the context in which that student lives, but working to ensure that they are not constrained by that context. I believe it is valuable to recognize the societal constructs that may oppress students or may have constrained or oppressed students in the past. Changes cannot happen only at the individual student level. Part of my role as a school counselor will be to advocate by discussing with students, administrators, school board members and the community the difficulties faced by oppressed populations. I will engage with social justice issues on many levels, from the individual student to the school community to the public arena. I will view not only the student as my client, but also the overall school system (Ratts, 2009, p. 164). When, upon review, those difficulties are shown to be systemic, I will be committed to participation in the process of removing those barriers. It will be important that I work with an educational team that places importance on correcting systemic roadblocks. In addition, I will work to be aware of my personal biases and perspectives and how they might be

4 4 impacting my interaction with individuals. Though my view of social justice has become more complex as I have grown, my beliefs can still be summed up by looking to the texts of my Christian roots. In the book of Luke, loving your neighbor as yourself is referred to by Jesus as the second greatest commandment, behind only loving God (NIV, 1996, Luke 10:25). In a world that is growing more densely connected everyday, everyone is my neighbor, not matter how different from me he or she may appear on the surface. They are all worthy of the rights that I desire for myself and those I love the rights to self-determination, access to education, and a fulfilling life. In the book of James, the apostle James challenges believers in regards to their actions for the benefit of others: Anyone, then, who knows the good he aught to do and doesn t do it, sins (James 4:17). Because I am aware of social injustice, of something that is wrong with the world that could be impacted by my action, I am called to do what I can to right situations that strip my proverbial neighbors of their equal rights. These rights and challenges will present differently for everyone, but in a perfect world, people always consider an individual s personhood, and fight for the rights of their fellow human beings as passionately as they might fight for their own. As a professional, my view of social justice is still at its very base, the idea that all humans need to work to imagine one another complexly and desire for all others the same opportunity afforded to everyone. Through education and relationship, it is important to move the other from a place of moral exclusion, to a place or moral inclusion, where they are viewed as worthy of justice (Opotow, 1990). It is also important that I to do what I am able to help see change come about in unfairly biased systems. It is my responsibility to do what I can to break the cycle of oppression. Though the actions I can be a part of might be small, cumulatively, small actions have power. Small wins, for instance, can lead to a cumulative social change, as

5 5 suggested by Weick (1984). As a school counselor I will have ample opportunity to engage in social justice and put my philosophical statement to use. I will promote social justice by considering my students as complex human beings, and encouraging them to do the same with others. I will work to promote a diverse and respectful school community through the use of policies, clear expectations, student groups, guidance units and other tools. My actions will be guided by not only my philosophy of social justice, but also by the American School Counselor Association Ethical Guidelines (2005), the ACA Advocacy Competencies (2003), and my own personal and moral beliefs. The number of systemic/organizational roadblocks facing a counselor committed to social justice is large, including school or local culture, students negative self-perception, and issues with bias in assessment/testing. I also regard practices such as educational tracking to be in conflict with the idea of social justice. In confronting these challenges, the most effective tools in my arsenal will be the knowledge I have gained in my training for professional practice and my ability to communicate ideas to others. I possess knowledge that will be valuable to my students, school, and community, as well as the tools to teach individuals and groups about social justice issues. I will be able to network with community agencies, and use my interpersonal skills to partner with other educators and community members. One of the biggest personal challenges I will face in promoting social justice will be that of my own background and identity. I belong to a number of privileged majority groups as a White American Protestant, a position that has at many times given me an advantage or position of power. It is likely that in many situations, I will be in a vertical relationship with those around me. Students and families I work with may see me as an oppressor, an outsider who is not to be

6 6 trusted, despite my position of authority. It is my opinion that this particular difficulty is most effectively worked with through the building of relationship. As I continue my education and move into professional practice, I will continue to develop my own cultural awareness and understanding by pursing cultural experiences that vary from my own. I will seek to develop more relationships with people who have different cultural identities from myself, and will look to gain personal understanding through relationship, making it possible for me to communicate with others in a vertical relationship.

7 7 References American Counseling Association (2003). Advocacy Competencies. Retrieved from American School Counselor Association. (2005). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association. Harro, B. (2010). The Cycle of Socialization. In M. Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, C. Castaneda, H. W. Hackman, M. L. Peters, and X. Zuniga (Eds.), Readings for Diversity and Social Justice (pp ). New York: Routledge. Opotow, S. (1990). Moral exclusion and injustice: An introduction. Journal of Social Issues, 46(1), Ratts, M. J. (2009). Social justice counseling: Toward the development of a fifth force among counseling paradigms. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education and Development, 48(3), Weick, K. E. (1984). Small wins: Redefining the scale of social problems. American Psychologist, 39(1),