PSY 650 Reply to Karin’s Post Week 6 Discussion Issues of Advocacy & Social Justice
Details: Review several of your colleagues’ posts and respond to at least two of your peers who chose a different case study. (PLEASE SEE KARIN’S POST BELOW)
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Karin Donnellysmith Post Week 6 Issues of Advocacy and Social Justice
I want to assume the role of advocating for Renee, case 12.
Renee is diagnosed with gender dysphoria; she has known little diversity growing up in a small judgmental southern town. She has been uncomfortable and lonely for a long time. Her family relationships have been strained, her religion thinks she is a sinner, and she has no close friends. Not at any time did Renee get to talk about or process her feelings while she was growing up. She just knew something did not feel right; she was different than other girls she saw, (Gorenstein, and Comer, 2015).
These are micro and meso and macro levels of systems. Renee is in the middle of her microsystem and her family, church, friends (or lack of), and school at the mesosystem level. The small judgmental southern town, including religion, are macrosystem levels of influence.
I would advocate on the micro-level by doing individual therapy with Renee to help her feel validated and more comfortable. I want her to find and reach her potential, (Lewis, Ratts, Paladino, and Toporek, 2011). Education can clear up questions along the way. I would try to help Renee settled going forward making decisions. I would also like to see more help in general to small rural townspeople.
I would advocate on a level for education for all: neighborhood, church, school, family, and co-workers. Often misinformation can lead to fear. This step seems necessary, but it may not be accepted well. It would be nice to actually do a town survey to determine just what people are most bother by or what questions they have around gender dysphoria. School might be a good place to start as there is supposed to be a separation of church and state and there may be laws in place that could help already.
I would want to partner with the local health/mental department or social services center, because collaboration with others will help, (Hill, 2013). I would want to feel out the ‘climate’ and get advice. Partnering with people already in the community would be vital. These are hopefully trusted figures of society.
The macro-level system ideologies and attitudes will be the biggest challenge to face, often religion is involved. Renee is coming from a small southern town with a church presence. I would advocate for Renee to go to a bigger place like she did. Barriers on this level need a major education effort and funding to reach more diverse populations, (Fox, 2008).
Barriers for Renee are in places like conditioned personality, education, and culture. Renee also has limited income and resources. Barriers for me would be a lack of experience advocating, (Heinowitz, et al, 2012). Hopefully, a social arena collaboration could help with that too.
Ultimately getting hooked up with the study on gender dysmorphia she did was a huge break. Renee was offered and completed 5 month of therapy, 3 month of hormone treatment, 1 year living as a man, Ron, and finally surgery for a mastectomy. Ron seems more comfortable as a man.
Studies like this will ultimately help at the chronosystem and all the way down if people are willing to listen to science and psychologists can push the issues.
Cohen, K. R., Lee, C. M., & McIlwraith, R. (2012). The psychology of advocacy and the advocacy of psychology. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 53(3), 151-158. doi:10.1037/a0027823
Fox, R. E. (2008). Advocacy: The key to the survival and growth of professional psychology. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39(6), 633-637.
Gorenstein, E. E., & Comer, R. J. (2015). Case studies in abnormal psychology (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Retrieved from https://redshelf.comLinks to an external site. doi:10.1037/0735-7028.39.6.633
Heinowitz, A. E., Brown, K. R., Langsam, L. C., Arcidiacono, S. J., Baker, P. L., Badaan, N. H., & … Cash, R. E. (2012). Identifying perceived personal barriers to public policy advocacy within psychology. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 43(4), 372-378. doi:10.1037/a0029161
Hill, J. K. (2013). Partnering with a purpose: Psychologists as advocates in organizations. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 44(4), 187-192. doi:10.1037/a0033120
Lewis, J. A., Ratts, M. J., Paladino, D. A., & Toporek, R. L. (2011). Social justice counseling and advocacy: Developing new leadership roles and competencies. Journal for Social Action in Counseling & Psychology, 3(1), 5-16. Retrieved from http://jsacp.tumblr.com/
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