ABSTRACT: Racism is often thought of as existing and operating at the interpersonal and institutional levels. One aspect of racism that has been relatively forgotten, however, is its internalized component: racism that exists and operates at the internalized level. Surprisingly, even psychology—the field that is arguably best equipped to study the internalized component of racism—seems to have lagged in investigating and addressing this construct. Thus, we conducted a systematic literature review of psychological work on internalized racial oppression to better understand what is currently known, what the recent surge in scholarship has contributed, and where the research and service gaps are in order to identify areas for future growth. Overall, psychological attention on internalized racism seems to be increasing, and there have been some exciting conceptual (e.g., cognitive behavioral conceptualization, moving toward “appropriated racial oppression”) and empirical (e.g., development of scales, correlates with mental health variables) developments. However, our review also revealed a need for more work that: (1) utilizes qualitative or mixed methods; (2) focuses on the experiences of different racial and ethnic groups; (3) investigates how internalized racism intersects with other forms of internalized oppression; (4) clarifies the connection of internalized racism with other theoretically similar phenomena; and (5) incorporates social justice and advocacy in clinical and community services to balance unequal power dynamics that perpetuate racism—the root cause of internalized racism. NOTES: important as a foundation for considering barriers to BIPOC acting as accomplices to each other

A resource list of scholarly and research articles focused on anti-racism and racism in psychology (as a science, discipline, and profession), psychiatry, counseling, social work, psychotherapy, & supervision).  From Ken Pope. 

ABOUT: The Education for Liberation Network is a national coalition of teachers, community activists, researchers, youth and parents who believe a good education should teach people—particularly low-income youth and youth of color—how to understand and challenge the injustices their communities face. The network aims to help improve the practice of education for liberation by bringing people together to learn from each other’s experiences.

teaching social justice: resources, blog, video interviews, etc. Strategies and content

ABSTRACT: I argue that distinct conditions of justice lead to diverse wellness outcomes through a series of psychosocial processes. Optimal conditions of justice, suboptimal conditions of justice, vulnerable conditions of injustice, and persisting conditions of injustice lead to thriving, coping, confronting, and suffering, respectively. The processes that mediate between optimal conditions of justice and thriving include the promotion of responsive conditions, the prevention of threats, individual pursuit, and avoidance of comparisons. The mechanisms that mediate between suboptimal conditions of justice and coping include resilience, adaptation, compensation, and downward comparisons. Critical experiences, critical consciousness, critical action, and righteous comparisons mediate between vulnerable conditions of injustice and confrontation with the system. Oppression, internalization, helplessness, and upward comparisons mediate between persisting conditions of injustice and suffering. These psychosocial processes operate within and across personal, interpersonal, organizational and community contexts. Different types of justice are hypothesized to influence well-being within each context. Intrapersonal injustice operates at the personal level, whereas distributive, procedural, relational, and developmental justice impact interpersonal well-being. At the organizational level, distributive, procedural, relational and informational justice influence well-being. Finally, at the community level, distributive, procedural, retributive, and cultural justice support community wellness. Data from a variety of sources support the suggested connections between justice and well-being.

An example of therapy training social justice classes.

An example of therapy training social justice classes.

An example of therapy training social justice classes.

An example of teaching higher ed general social justice.

An example of teaching higher ed general social justice.

An example of research methods and social justice.

An example of research methods and social justice.

An example of research methods and social justice. Also see these related articles: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sound-science-sound-policy/201510/nature-survival and https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sound-science-sound-policy/201509/crossing-the-line

An example of research methods and social justice.

An example of psychotherapy counseling social justice.

An example of psychotherapy counseling social justice.

An example of psychotherapy counseling social justice.

An example of organizational consulting for multicultural social justice.

An example of organizational consulting for multicultural social justice.

An example of organizational consulting for multicultural social justice.

An example of Community and Higher Ed social justice intervention.

An example of Community and Higher Ed social justice intervention.

An example of Community and Higher Ed social justice intervention.

An example of Community and Higher Ed social justice intervention.

An example of Community and Higher Ed social justice intervention.

An example of Community and Higher Ed social justice intervention.

An example of Community and Higher Ed social justice intervention.

An example of Community and Higher Ed social justice intervention.

An example of arts and social justice (community and psychology)

An example of arts and social justice (community and psychology)

An example of arts and social justice (community and psychology)

An example of arts and social justice (community and psychology)

An example of arts and social justice (community and psychology)

An example of arts and social justice (community and psychology)

An example of arts and social justice (community and psychology)

An example of advocacy for social justice within psych orgs and academe.

An example of advocacy for social justice within psych orgs and academe.

An example of advocacy for social justice within psych orgs and academe.

An example of advocacy from psychology organizations and service providers to affect policy.

An example of advocacy from psychology organizations and service providers to affect policy.

An example of advocacy from psychology organizations and service providers to affect policy.

An example of advocacy from psychology organizations and service providers to affect policy.

Exploration of challenges of working across privilege, how we are shaped or caught by socialization in our own positionally to not see our own privilege.

Great article describing divide and conquer amongst racial minority groups. Can use as foundation of discussion of coalition building among PoC or interjectionally (e.g. with Finnerty, Srivistava, Sengupta).

An overview of where clinical and counseling psych are in relation to engaging SJ issues.

Discusses complexity of intersectionality. Encourages students to consider the pros and cons of having intersectional privilege.

An example of action from a privileged space.

A stellar article that considers defensiveness and White fragility in depth. Helps students understand the central role of ally development in activism.

Normalizes anger and helps students consider the relation of anger to action.

A great article on burnout that catalyzes discussion of how to engage AND how psychology might contribute by supporting the well being of activists.

Provides examples of activists with complexity.

A good article that helps students see that there is no perfect activism and consider what it means to be an activist vs to do activism.

Practical resource for social justice projects, particularly projects that are more movement based and aimed at addressing policy or creating more immediate concrete and identifiable changes that are controlled by particular people, groups, or orgs.

Stellar article calling for psychologists to move beyond remedial care to more actively engage SJ as systemic change.

Considers insider activism—activism working with the system to change the system, which helps students understand that working as a psychologist within psych is an insider stance.

An important article to challenge US students’ lack of knowledge about activism beyond the US, helps students realize that SJ activism needs to be directed from within to avoid paternalism.

Discusses different ways that emotion relates to SJ activism and movements. Provokes discussion on how psychologists’ particular training and skills related to working with emotions can contribute to activism and movements.

Discusses identity based movements. For psychologists, moves beyond identity as category and how groups form to consider the complexities of collective interests and advocacy.

Discusses SJ actions as lifestyle, integrated. Provokes discussion of how to engage in SJ actions on a more daily basis, and questions about what is effective activism and what is the goal for change.

Provides an overview of SJ as social movements. Psychologists rarely talk about SJ this way, but social movements are what others often mean when they say activism. A critical interdisciplinary grounding for psychologists.

A critical analysis of two organizational efforts of psych to engage SJ from an anti-capitalist lens. Raises good questions and critiques, pessimistically concluding “great expectations, failed aspirations.” Good for engaging students’ critical thinking about working for SJ within a mainstream org/area (such as psych).

Central and stellar article addressing how psychological health is not possible without justice. Provides clear discussion of justice beyond resource allocation such as procedural and relational justice.

Good article for exploring connections of psych and SJ in practice, research, and as an agenda within the discipline - generally optimistic about connections.

Raises questions about whether counseling psych should be more tolerant of “moral diversity,” acknowledging that counseling psychologists may not agree on what is just, refraining from judging other professionals, and considering how values and motivations other than social justice might be central to counseling psych. Good article to explore the role of SJ in counseling psych.

Why won’t more people take action against wide spread injustice? Uses a review social psych research to explore how people understand social justice and why they might participate in injustice.

A really wonderful article that raises central questions for students about cultural impacts on meanings of social justice, and activism. “The purpose of this article is to introduce “walking in beauty,” an American Indian spiritual perspective related to social justice that emphasizes beauty, harmony, connectedness/unity of experience, and imagination. Walking in beauty includes 3 processes: embodiment, creativity, and appreciation of the sublime."

Provides a model of empowerment based on the individual’s goals and agency. Individual based but not paternalistic.

A good initial overview with basic definitions and approaches for activism directed at policy.

Syllabus for a project based course focused on teaching about social justice, including necessary awareness, knowledge, and skills. Uses a project-based approach.