Social Justice

Within the framework of school counseling, my definition of social justice is assurance

that all students receive the appropriate resources needed to attain success on whatever path they
choose by continually working towards creating an inclusive environment for the social and
academic success of all students. All students should be given the tools needed to learn and the
support necessary to break down barriers to success; ones skin color, culture, and personal
experiences must be respected and valued within the school community.
Defining and communicating the meaning of social justice with students, parents and
collegues will be one of the most impactful aspects of my future career as a school counselor. I
plan to communicate my definition of social justice to those I work in a number of ways; A clear,
simple and age appropriate definition will be posted on my door and in my office for all students,
parents and colleagues to see each time they visit my office and I will also set time aside when
visiting classrooms to talk about social justice. Finally, I will work with administrative faculty to
incorporate a definition of social justice as one of our moral tenants within the school. Social
justice is the foundation for a respectful and equitable school community, in which students
receive the necessary supports and resources, regardless of their individual differences.
As a human being and a future counselor, I feel that respect, regardless of individual
differences, is absolutely necessary and that the attainment of a socially just environment can
only be created through open dialogue and understanding. For that reason, I will invite all those I
work with to stop by or set-up a time to discuss problems they are having, solutions they see and
questions they have pertaining to social justice.

Our class counseling group discussed the importance our own identities play when
working with students, parents, and school personnel. Those I work with will benefit from my
awareness that I have a number of privileges and some oppressive factors at work when
approaching social justice. Even more important than my identity and the identity of my client, is
the complex intersectionality of our identities when working together. There innumerable
possibilities of combinations, in which my identity and anothers identity may intersect; a
persons sex, culture, class, age, religion, ability and race are just a few of the aspects of ones
culture that can impact the outcome of those intersections. I will continually reassess my
privileges, oppressions, biases and assumptions so I will be better prepared to aide any client and
any situation without unintentional oppressive behaviors.
Our identity surrounds us professionally and personally, yet, we need to be cautious of
how we express our identity with regard to each specific situation and student. Counseling is a
dynamic process in which both the counselor and client are simultaneously influencing each
other. The American School Counseling Associating (ASCA, 2012) explains that counselors need
to always be aware of clients identities. Every explicit and implicit action we make toward
others contributes to the movement toward or away from honoring the equality of my students
rights; it is in this vein that I am learning to critically evaluate my identity, communication and
behaviors for their possible implications.
Our group, comprised of school counselors, decided that social justice means working to
ensure that all students receive the resources and support needed to be successful on whatever
path they choose. By ensuring students have school supplies and one-on-one counseling, or just a

safe space for a student to be, school counselors can help them thrive inside and outside of the
school.
I feel that our definition still has room for improvement; my suggestion is to expand our
description to clarify that social justice is created by counselors, students, parents and school
personnel working together in partnership, and to simplify the language used to improve the
probability of the social justice definition being understood by the whole school community and
their families.
In the midst of a discussion this quarter, our class took a closer look at the barriers and
challenges faced by those experiencing linguisism. I imagine the response of this ism group to
our definition would be favorable, given that the school has foresight to create translated
versions of this definition, and all the paperwork for students and families in a variety of
languages. Responsibility should fall on the school to access language specific needs of students
and to provide the services, support and supplies needed for student success. When the language
related needs are met, students and their families will feel less alienated will become more
involved.
Students and families from a Mexican culture would likely be satisfied with our groups
definition. The only aspect of the definition that may be lacking is an explicit statement that
ensures that their culture and traditions are respected within the educational setting.
Anne Fadiman is the author of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. She focused
the book around the trials of a Hmong family, the Lees. Faced with a language barrier and
cross-cultural misunderstandings, their daughters health suffers as American doctors clash with

the Lees traditional family. I have come to believe that her life was ruined not by septic shock
or noncompliant parents but by cross-cultural misunderstanding (Fadiman, 1997, p. 262).
Ultimately, I believe Anne Fadiman would stress the importance of cultural understanding and
respect within a school because positive intentions can easily go awry without effective
communication and understanding.
As a counselor, I will have an opportunity to work with an entire classroom full of
students. Seeing that media is an integral part of our culture, I designed an activity that examines
multiple instances of injustice, using the medium of a social justice Facebook page designed for
the class. I will show slightly ambiguous pictures with no explanation of the event or idea being
conveyed and ask the students to popcorn thoughts about what is happening or being shown in
the photos. The ambiguity will allow for students to, not only point out the obvious, but also
challenge them by listening to fellow classmates perceptions of the photos. As the class seems to
lose momentum, I will ask the students to imagine themselves looking through the eyes of those
different from themselves i.e. sexual orientation, age, color, SES, country of origin, first
language. Students will be forced to challenge their points of view, but most importantly, this
will open up the floor to dialogue about highly avoided topics in a safe collaborative way.
Explaining ways that the experience of an event can be shaped by membership in a group or race
is not a new idea, yet the discomfort associated with critically examining situations through a
new set of eyes is a figurative leap into the unknown
The take away for students will be that just as the photographs were not simply a
reflection of reality; their perception of everything is viewed through their very specific lens.
This activity is a reminder to colleagues and a call to action for students. Remembering to think
from a multitude of possible perspectives and then acting to create change and eliminate

inequities bound to membership of certain groups or races is a step away from passive
oppression and one step toward a more equal and just future. Social justice is an on-going
commitment, in which we should, at all ages, always find ways to reexamine our accepted beliefs
and behaviors.
One of the many barriers I anticipate facing in my career as a counselor, is successfully
collaborating with other advocates that do not share my vision of justice within a school.
McCormick (2003) discussed the difficulty of articulating ideal outcomes of justice in varying
circumstances because there is a lack of agreement about exactly which rights and duties people
inherently owe to one another and themselves. The discord between theoretical orientations holds
a great deal of value because, despite their differences, the one unanimous agreement between
schools of thought is that justice is of utmost importance (Meredith, 2013, p. 1).
Coming from an area that almost entirely lacks any cultural diversity has sheltered me
from seeing many of the everyday struggles people face. My lack of experience practicing social
justice with a diverse population will be something I will continually work toward improving.
My first step toward growth is to solidify my practicum site and start getting the hands on
experience that will give me the ability to more effectively navigate the barriers my future
students and their families face in accessing and advocating for equitable education.
As much as we all may wish, we cannot leave our baggage at the door; our
understanding and perception of the world surrounding us is clouded by our own bias. Although
we cannot escape bias or the many experiences that have impacted us, we do have the power to
pursue objectivity while acknowledging the attitudes and perceptions we hold (Meredith, 2013).
Growth is the product of change, and by keeping an open-mind we can continue to outgrow our

old biases and adapt into increasingly effective advocates for social justice. In my professional
career, I will not be able to create a perfectly just school system, but I will find solace in knowing
that I am working each day toward creating a school in which students receive the supports and
respect they need to attain individualized social and educational success.

References
American School Counselor Association (2012). The ASCA National Model: A framework for
School Counseling Programs, Third Edition. Alexandria, VA: Author.
Fadiman, A. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her Doctors, and the
Collision of Two Cultures. (1997). New York. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
McCormick, P. T. (2003). Whose Justice? An Examination of Nine Models of Justice. Spokane,
WA: Hayworth Press, Inc.
Meredith, S. J. (2013). Pursuit of Justice. Unpublished manuscript, Seattle University.