Abstract
Dominant discourses on social justice dialogue often focus on practices such as naming and interrupting systems of oppression through an individualistic lens. As couple and family therapy educators, we have found that this alone often stymies possibilities for growth and change. In this chapter, we explore how a collectivist and poststructuralist view of power informs pedagogical practices that enable us to facilitate social justice dialogues in the classroom from a relationship-centered and socioculturally attuned perspective. We draw on our spiritual, ethnic, and cultural values and experiences to inform this relational pedagogical perspective that emphasizes a sense of community, unity, and mutual responsibility, while concurrently holding consciousness to larger contextual issues and power dynamics.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Almeida, R., Dolan-Del Vecchio, K., & Parker, L. (2008). Transformative family therapy: Just families in a just society. Pearson.
Foucault, M. (1982). The subject and power. Critical Inquiry, 8(4), 777–795. https://doi.org/10.1086/448181
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum.
Garcia, M., Kosutic, I., & McDowell, T. (2015). Peace on earth/war at home: The role of emotion regulation in social justice work. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 27(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/08952833.2015.1005945
hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. Routledge.
Kang, H.-K., & O’Neill, P. (2018). Teaching note – Constructing critical conversations: A model for facilitating classroom dialogue for critical learning. Journal of Social Work Education, 54(1), 187–193. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2017.1341857
Kiselica, M. S. (1999). Confronting prejudice and racism during multicultural training. American Counseling Association.
Knudson-Martin, C., & Huenergardt, D. (2010). A socio-emotional approach to couple therapy: Linking social context and couple interaction. Family Process, 49(3), 369–384. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2010.01328.x
Knudson-Martin, C., McDowell, T., & Bermudez, J. M. (2019). From knowing to doing: Guidelines for socioculturally attuned family therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 45(1), 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12299
Korin, E. C. (1994). Social inequalities and therapeutic relationships: Applying Freire’s ideas to clinical practice. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 5(3/4), 75–98. https://doi.org/10.1300/j086v05n03_04
McDowell, T., Fang, S.-R., Young, C. G., Khanna, A., Sherman, B., & Brownlee, K. (2003). Making space for racial dialogue: Our experience in a marriage and family therapy training program. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 29(2), 179–194. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2003.tb01199.x
McGoldrick, M., Almeida, R., Garcia Preto, N., Bibb, A., Sutton, C., Hudak, J., & Hines, P. M. (1999). Efforts to incorporate social justice perspectives into a family training program. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 25(2), 191–209. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.1999.tb01122.x
Monk, G., Winslade, J., & Sinclair, S. (2008). New horizons in multicultural counseling. Sage Publications.
Nixon, D. A. (2005). Toward a liberation pedagogy: Creating a safe environment for diversity conversations in the classroom. In M. Rastogi & E. Wiehling (Eds.), Voices of color: First person accounts of ethnic minority therapists (pp. 135–153). Sage.
Nixon, D. H., Marcelle-Coney, D., Torres-Greggory, M., Huntley, E., Jacques, C., Pasquet, M., & Ravachi, R. (2010). Creating community: Offering a liberation pedagogical model to facilitate diversity conversations in MFT graduate classrooms. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 36(2), 197–211. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2009.00180.x
O’Neill, M. (2015). Applying critical consciousness and evidence based practice decision-making: A framework for clinical social work practice. Journal of Social Work Education, 51, 624–637. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2015.1076285
Tuttle, A. R., Knudson-Martin, C., & Kim, L. (2012). Parenting as relationship: A framework for assessment and practice. Family Process, 51(1), 73–89. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2012.01383.x
VeneKlasen, L., & Miller, V. (2007). A new weave of power, people and politics: The action guide for advocacy and citizen participation. Practical Action Publishing.
Watts-Jones, T. D. (2010). Location of self: Opening the door to dialogue on intersectionality in the therapy process. Family Process, 49(3), 405–420. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2010.01330.x
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kim, L., D’Arrigo, J., ChenFeng, J., Esmiol Wilson, E. (2021). Relationality as a Way of Being: A Pedagogy of Classroom Conversations. In: Desai, A., Nguyen, H.N. (eds) Global Perspectives on Dialogue in the Classroom. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89043-8_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89043-8_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-89042-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-89043-8
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)