Breonna Taylor, George Floydopens in new window, and Tony McDadeopens in new window being murdered by police and Ahmaud Arberyopens in new window being murdered by white vigilantes made headlines in Summer 2020. The deaths of these individuals were caused by anti-Blackness, sexism, and misogynoiropens in new window that is deeply embedded in U.S. society. During that summer we witnessed colleges and universities issue their diversity statements acknowledging the events that took place. You might have thought your school’s efforts weren’t adequate or thought it was a great step. Either way, those events may have sparked your curiosity to learn about the ways you can lean into social justice issues with your psychology major.
Psychology has a place in social justice work
Psychology is centered on the ways that humans function and how environments promote certain behaviors. Given this focus, psychology has the potential to deepen our understanding of social problems and inform social justice work. But this application of psychology may not always get sufficient attention in your classes. Some of you probably notice that many of the theories and research studies discussed in your courses are authored by white men who fail to acknowledge the diversity of our society or provide the necessary tools to support those at the margins. If you are as tired of this as we are, we invite you to explore ways that you can use psychology to get in “good trouble,”opens in new window as the late Civil Rights Leader Senator John Lewis would say.
What is social justice and where do I start?
Social justice is a process. It is not achieved through one conversation or by reading one book about raceopens in new window because it is popular on social media. Social justice is a series of steps you and others take together to ensure that everyone has equal economic, political, and social rights and opportunities. This also means making sure you create safe spaces that promote the well-being of those marginalized. If you are not sure about what social justice issues are important to you, or how to get started, you can use these tips and questions to start exploring.
- Get comfortable with the social identity wheel (PDF, 505KB)opens in new window. This tool can help you examine the ways your social identities influence how you are treated and perceived.
Think about these questions:
- What are some issues that directly affect you and your communities?
- What are some privileges that you experience, and others don't, that you wish everyone had access to?
- Is there an assignment for one of your classes that could focus on the issue(s) you are identifying?
- Does your school have any opportunities for internships or applied work where you could collaborate with your community? If not, research the organizations around where you live to see how your interests in psychology could work with their mission.
We encourage you to borrow ideas from other disciplines, merge them with psychology, and use what you learn to make positive impacts. You’re only limited by your imagination and creativity. For example, the first author, Alexandria, was a dance and psychology double major. To explore these disciplines in relation to social justice, she partnered with a local organization and provided a workshop where youth could dance and discuss mental health, racial and ethnic identity development, and other topics related to her psychology course work.
Using psychology to address racism and white nationalism
Psychology doesn’t just benefit society through psychotherapy. Psychology can be applied to a range of societal challenges. You can also borrow ideas from other disciplines and adapt them to whatever issue is important to you. Below are examples of scholarship using psychology to address racism and white nationalism.
- Anderson and colleagues (2021)opens in new window framed racism as a virus and used that metaphor to describe possible treatments such as vaccination for those who uphold racism and healing for those who are the targets of racism.
- Arbeit and colleagues (2020)opens in new window used youth development frameworks to describe what it could look like to prevent and intervene in white nationalist recruitment of youth. They propose strategies that people who work with youth can use to support youth in resisting white nationalist influences and promoting social justice.
- Lateef (2021)opens in new window examines human development schemes of a few African worldviews to cultivate social work practices that will promote thriving for Black youth.
Ideas from psychology can be flexible! Question everything, and make sure you have something to back up your ideas. No matter what career path you follow, you have a wonderful opportunity to make an impact in the world. Go for it and get in “good trouble.”
References
Anderson, R. E., Heard-Garris, N. & DeLapp, R. C. T. (2021). Future directions for vaccinating children against the American endemic: Treating racism as a virus. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2021.1969940opens in new window
Arbeit, M. R., Burnham, S. L. F., de Four, D., & Cronk, H. (2020). Youth practitioners can counter fascism: What we know and what we need. Journal of Youth Development. 15(5), 37-67. https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2020.936opens in new window
Bannan, K. (2021, March 9). Misogynoir and digital resistance: Q&A with Dr. Moya Bailey. New America. https://www.newamerica.org/pit-un/blog/misogynoir-and-digital-resistance-qa-with-dr-moya-bailey/opens in new window
Do Something. (N.d). Black lives taken: George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. https://www.dosomething.org/us/articles/black-lives-takenopens in new window
Edwards, B. (2020, November 4). Black trans man killed by police in Florida. Essence. https://www.essence.com/news/tony-mcdade-florida-police-shooting/opens in new window
Johnson, T. (2020, June 11). When Black people are in pain, white people just join book clubs. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/white-antiracist-allyship-book-clubs/2020/06/11/9edcc766-abf5-11ea-94d2-d7bc43b26bf9_story.htmlopens in new window
Lateef, H. (2021). African-centered frameworks of youth development: Nuanced implications for guiding social work practice with Black youth. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 38, 671-678. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-020-00703-2opens in new window
Ray, R. (2020, July 23). Five things John Lewis taught us about getting in “good trouble”. The Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-we-rise/2020/07/23/five-things-john-lewis-taught-us-about-getting-in-good-trouble/opens in new window
The College of Literature, Science and the Arts. (N.d.). Social identity wheel. University of Michigan. https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/inclusive-teaching/wp-content/uploads/sites/355/2018/12/Social-Identity-Wheel-3-2.pdf (PDF, 505KB)opens in new window
About the authors
Alexandria C. Onuoha is a doctoral student in applied developmental psychology at Suffolk University in the Youth Equity and Sexuality lab. Her primary line of research examines the impact of far-right ideologies on Black adolescents’ development and explores the intersections of misogynoir and far-right ideologies. Alexandria is committed to using her research to cultivate evidence-based practices for education and other areas relevant to her research. She is the director of political advocacy at Black Boston leading a team that advocates for legislation that will reduce inequalities. As part of her community organizing efforts, she uses Afro-Caribbean dance to promote the positive development of Black girls and women. She is a mentee and board member of the Institute for Research on Male Supremacism working with experts in critical far-right studies to provide new theoretical understandings of threats posed by right-wing misogynist groups. Lastly, within the APA community, she is a member of the Committee on Adolescent Girls (Division 35) where she collaborates with other scholars to develop and share resources for teenage girls and those who support them. Her work has been featured in the Boston Globe, The Progressive, and more. Learn more by visiting her website acostyles.com and follow her on Twitter @theacostylesopens in new window.
Sarah Burnham is a third year applied developmental psychology doctoral student at Suffolk University working in the Youth Equity and Sexuality lab. Her research interests are focused on radicalization pathways of youth by way of social media, and her current project assesses whether and to what extent parents of adolescents can identify white nationalist messaging on social media platforms. She also has experience as a doctoral research intern at Political Research Associates.
Anne Dufault (she/her/hers) is a first year applied developmental psychology doctoral student in the Youth Equity and Sexuality Lab at Suffolk University. She recently completed a master’s in instructional leadership: educational studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she was a member of the DREAM (Developing Racial Equity for and with Adolescents and in Mentoring) Research Group, under the direction of Bernadette Sánchez, PhD. Anne spent nearly a decade as an educator for Catharsis Productions, where she traveled the world discussing sexual violence, bystander intervention, and diversity and inclusion with college students, military service members, and businesses, using humor, improvisation, and facilitation to make topics that are often considered “taboo” approachable for audiences. Anne also developed and delivered in-house training programs to prepare new educators to lead engaging, research-based presentations. Her primary research interests are how sexual violence prevention and sex education can address the threats of white supremacy and misogyny, and how trainings and interventions for adults can have a positive impact on the lives of youth they live and work with.
Mimi Arbeit, PhD, (she/her/hers) is an assistant professor of psychology at Suffolk University, one of the core faculty for Suffolk’s PhD program in applied developmental psychologyopens in new window, and principal investigator of the Youth Equity & Sexuality Labopens in new window, focused on promoting social justice youth development and fighting fascism, white supremacy, and cis-hetero-patriarchy. Current projects investigate how sexual violence prevention professionals can confront threats posed by male supremacists, and how adults can interrupt far-right and fascist attempts to recruit youth into their ranksopens in new window. Mimi has had the honor of supporting and collaborating with antifascist community organizers in Charlottesville, Boston, and beyond; and supported media strategy across a network of antiracist activists fighting back against the 2017 white supremacist attacks on Charlottesville. She works to integrate antifascism with youth development, sexual violence prevention, and sexuality education. Read more on Mimi Arbeit's websiteopens in new window or follow @MimiArbeitopens in new window.
