Advocacy, Public Policy, & Social Justice:

Implications for Practitioner TrainingSylvia Nassar-McMillan, NC State University

Sylvia_nassarmc@ncsu.eduSpencer Niles, Pennsylvania State University

sgn3@psu.edu

Abstract• Advocacy, public policy, & social justice are key counselling

competencies; yet, educators and thus, practitioners, may overlook them, in favor of more “relevant” or traditional course content.

• U.S. examples of educational & career inequities include underrepresentation of specific groups within both of these arenas – probably similar to those in other countries.

• We will: – state the problem/s; – define key terms; – provide information about our preliminary study;– identify gaps & implications;– present strategies for application in cross-cultural contexts.

Examples of Representation Issues• Women

– Overrepresented • Biological science (67% of bachelor degrees) (NSF, 2004)

– Underrepresented • Computer science (25% of bachelor degrees), physics (21.5%) ,

electrical engineering (14.2%), and mechanical engineering (13.6%) (NSF, 2004)

• 11% of employed engineers (NSF 2003)

• African Americans– Well-represented

• Computer science (10.3% of bachelor degrees), social sciences (10.3%), and psychology (9.7%) (NSF, 2004)

– Underrepresented • Engineering (5% of bachelor degrees), mathematics (5.7%) and

physical sciences (6.7%) (NSF, 2004)

• 5% of scientists, 3% of physical scientists, and 3% engineers (NSF 2003)

Definition: Advocacy

• (CACREP) ADVOCACY — action taken on behalf of clients or the counseling profession to support appropriate policies and standards for the profession; promote individual human worth, dignity, and potential; and oppose or work to change policies and procedures, systemic barriers, long-standing traditions, and preconceived notions that stifle human development.

American Counseling Association Code of Ethics

• A.6.a. AdvocacyWhen appropriate, counselors advocateat individual, group, institutional,and societal levels to examinepotential barriers and obstacles thatinhibit access and/or the growth anddevelopment of clients.

Definition: Multicultural

• (CACREP) MULTICULTURAL — term denoting the diversity of racial, ethnic, and cultural heritage; socioeconomic status; age; gender; sexual orientation; and religious and spiritual beliefs, as well as physical, emotional, and mental abilities.

Definitions: Public Policy

• Public policy is the body of fundamental principles that underpin the operation of legal systems in each state.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_policy_(law)

• The set of policies (laws, plans, actions, behaviors) of a government. en.wiktionary.org/wiki/public_policy

Definition: Social Justice

• Social justice, sometimes called civil justice, refers to the concept of a society in which justice

is achieved in every aspect of society, rather than merely the administration of law. It is generally thought of as a world that affords individuals and groups fair treatment and an impartial share of the benefits of society.

• It can also refer to the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within a society.

Relevant CACREP Content Areas

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY—studies that provide an understanding of the cultural context of relationships, issues, and trends in a multicultural society

CAREER DEVELOPMENT—studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors

We wondered:

• Whether counselor educators infuse content related to advocacy, public policy, and social justice into career development courses

• If they do, how do they do it?

Our Study: Methods

• Participants – counselor educator members of National Career Development Association (NCDA)

• Instruments – respondent/participants’ career counseling course syllabi

• Procedures – we obtained a membership list from NCDA and contacted/solicited participation from all counselor educator/members

Our Study: Results

• 79 syllabi from 63 universities were content analyzed for the terms: advocate/advocacy, social justice, diversity/diverse, multicultural/culture.

• CO = Course Objectives; CA = Course Assignments; Other

Advocacy Social Justice DiversityMulticultural

• CO 1 2 36 23• CA 1 2 9 9• Other 8 3 13 8

Discussion

• Key terms most prevalent in course objectives

• Most prevalent key terms were diversity and multicultural (vs. advocacy and social justice)

• Most course assignments are papers; a few presentations (pertaining to multiculturalism & diversity)

Implications• Possible barriers

– more traditional topics are implemented more frequently in career training courses

– out of comfort zone (multiculturalism and related movements, esp. advocacy/public policy, are relatively recent – still developing/evolving)

– one can’t teach what one doesn’t truly know• Best practices –autobiographical papers; case studies;

experiential activities• Perhaps educators need to draw on (or develop) their

personal experiences related to social justice and advocacy