2015 Association for Women in Psychology Conference

Peer education is an approach to psychoeducational learning through which students learn from and interact with their peers rather than faculty or staff. Peer educators may solidify their own learning through facilitating workshops and presentations with their peers on topics related to health and mental health (Boud, Cohen, & Sampson, 2011). Additionally, Williams reported, “Learning done in the context of community creates rich opportunities for complex interactions with students different from one another” (Williams, 2011). Interactive learning “in the context of community” lends itself well to focusing a peer education program on the intersections of mental health and social and restorative justice. Although students involved in social and restorative justice based peer education programs have reported profound and transformative learning experiences in terms of insights about others as well as themselves, these programs are rare on college campuses (Voorhees & Petkas, 2011). The Multicultural Immersion Program (MIP) at UC-Davis is celebrating its 18th year as a peer education program sponsored by the Counseling Center that focuses on social and restorative justice work and the intersections of mental health and oppression. This structured discussion will feature past and current MIP peer educators along with their Counseling Center staff coordinators, who will discuss the evolution of their feminist, social and restorative justice work on campus. In the first part of this discussion facilitators will share their experiences in the MIP program, the development of their multicultural dialogue skills through their collaborations with community partners on campus, and the impact the program has had on them both personally and professionally. The facilitators will then engage the participants in discussion and in generating ideas for bringing peer-led social and restorative justice programming to campuses and organizations in which participants are involved.

This discussion will focus on the all-too-common yet aversive experiences marginalized group members endure in academic spaces. Specifically, this discussion will tackle the ways in which experiences of microaggressions, prejudice, and discrimination create inner turmoil, distractions, and strain for their recipients as students, mentors, counselors, instructors, researchers, and faculty (e.g., Gomez, Khurshid, Freitag & Lachuk, 2011; Minikel-Lacocque, 2013). In an oppressive society, the burden of proof is assigned to targets of discrimination to address such comments and behaviors and consider the potential costs and benefits associated with confronting colleagues, peers, and students (e.g., Rollock, 2012). In addition to giving way to internalized feelings of doubt, guilt, and apprehension, power dynamics further complicate the process of determining the worthiness of identifying and confronting issues of injustice in a professional setting. The experience of marginalized group members in higher education has been well documented in the literature (e.g., Turner, 2002). Although universities push diversity initiatives, informal interpersonal interactions can lack respect of diverse experiences and celebration of inclusivity. Despite a safe and welcoming social climate being amenable to productivity, connectedness, and overall satisfaction, many reports indicate an unfortunate narrative of alienation and self-doubt for marginalized group members (Constantine, Smith, Redington, & Owens, 2008). These authors found that those who try to navigate these experiences often feel they must “choose [their] battles carefully.” This discussion will expand on the decision making process for having to address discrimination, and highlight the diverse positions we take in order to survive in academic spaces. We hope to learn from participants ways in which they have navigated (successfully and unsuccessfully) difficult dialogues, discuss the potential impact on our professional development, and seek informal advice from one another on self-care, acts of resistance, acts of silence, etc. amidst adverse academic cultures.

Feminist multicultural therapists assert that contextual factors, such as oppression and discrimination, contribute to psychological distress, limit access to resources and information, and isolate individuals from sustaining communities (e.g., Brown, 2010). They suggest that participation in social justice activism contributes to psychological wellbeing, such as increased empowerment, social connectedness, and resilience (e.g., Arczynski, 2014; Worell & Remer, 2003). Activism is also a way people may nurture and care for themselves as well as others in their community(s) while reducing oppression, harassment, and marginalization. Hagen (2013) demonstrated that individuals with diverse circumstances, with varied social identities, and from various social contexts may prefer different types of social justice activism. Further, the different activisms people reported preferring and engaging in held different socio-cultural-political meaning and relevance based on their beliefs, values, and experiences of oppression and privilege (Hagen, 2013). The purpose of this structured discussion is to cultivate participants’ empowerment to create positive social change in their varied communities. We will encourage a broad conceptualization of activism in order to include behaviors and strategies on micro, meso/community, and macro levels. We will give attention and sensitivity to different socio-cultural perspectives on oppression, power, and privilege. First, we focus on discussing specific concerns and experiences of oppression and marginalization relevant to participants’ communities (e.g., home, work, churches, families, friend networks). Then, we anticipate dialoguing about specific social justice activisms that participants presently engage in or have interest in doing in order to target oppression observed in participants’ local and national communities. Last, we will encourage participants to brainstorm strategies for collaborating with other people to increase social support; challenge discrimination, and increase access to opportunities, information, and resources. In this structured discussion, we will address challenges and benefits associated with engaging in activism.

The proposed discussion will address the evolving state of Feminist Psychology. The discussion will specifically look at the audiences in which feminism is reaching, the fear of feminism/feminist label, and a discussion on ways to utilize feminist theory/identity in a less threatening way. Facilitators will draw on relevant research and personal experiences as self-identifying feminists to guide participants in discussion. Feminism originated out of political and social movements starting in the early 20th century. During the 1970’s feminism was brought into the world of academia, when the first Women Studies department was found at San Diego State College (Charleswell, 2014). Thus, academic feminism is rooted in the women’s liberation movement. Yet, when we discuss feminism today, academic feminism is often considered the only type of feminism. Feminism tends to be discussed solely in academic spheres and within pro-feminists groups. In addition, feminism has often ignored the lived experiences of lesbian, bisexual, queer, trans*, and women of color (Elliot, 2010; Mertz, 2002). The creation of Queer Feminism and Womanism attempted to address these issues, yet today these theories remain a separate entity of feminism. The word itself, “Feminism,” continues to be highly stigmatized within our society. In recent studies it was found that many women agree with what feminist theory stands for but will not self-identify as feminist (Duncan, 2010). Lisa Marie Hogeland states, “We do young women no service if we suggest to them that feminism itself is safe. It is not. It is not easy to question and stand opposed to your culture, to be critical of institutions, behaviors, and discourses” (Hogeland, 1994, p. 725). Thus, the proposed discussion will highlight the following questions. How can we move feminist conversations outside “insider” groups and to the general public? How can we as professionals centralize race and racism in our approach to the liberation of women, queer, and trans people? How do we spread awareness and education that moves past common stereotypes about feminism, a way that does not falsely label feminism as “safe” but in a way that is more welcoming?

As psychology continues in its journey of multicultural awareness and inclusion, academic programs strive to make their faculty more diverse, particularly recruiting women of color psychologists. However, some women of color academics might argue that the academe is still an unwelcoming environment and that fosters “ambiguous empowerment” (Turner, 2002). Women of color often experience being treated as a “token” and feel pressured to assimilate while also serving as sole ambassadors for their culture and cultures of other minority individuals (Kanter, 1977). These can lead to increased levels of stress and job dissatisfaction for women of color as they try to navigate authenticity between their person and professional selves (Hume, 1998). The purpose of this roundtable is to provide an opportunity for women of color to share their experiences in professional psychology (both practice and academic) and provide safe space for psychologists to brainstorm how to make counseling psychology a more inclusive environment for women of color. In particular, the discussion will be centered around experiences of multiple marginality, making academic and professional programs more aware of the unique challenges that women of color face and to help make campuses more inclusive for this unique population.