Understanding Myself as an Advocate

Social Justice Paper: Understanding Myself as an Advocate.

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the reasons you have decided to undertake the challenge of becoming an advocate, in addition to applying theoretical constructs to your understanding of yourself. As advocates, we need to have a good understanding of how these strengths and challenges manifest.

In this paper, you should spend some time developing your reasons for wanting to become an advocate.

The paper will be conceptualized into three sections:

The first section, which should be approximately three (3) pages,

· will provide some explanation about your motivations for entering the field. Here you should demonstrate significant understanding and reflection and explore the reasons that undergird your decision to embark on advancing your academic training in a program based on social justice principles.

· As opposed to merely listing reasons why you want to be an advocate, you should explore the reasons with insight and forethought. For instance, stating that you want to help people, while commendable, is not the aim of this section.

· Exploring what advocacy/helping means to you, how you have been impacted by advocates/help in your life, explaining what you mean by “helping behavior,” what you need to know, understand or recognize as an advocate/helper, etc., is more fitting with this section of the paper).

In the next section, which should also be about five (5) pages

· you will choose one or more social justice issues in your life and analyze these theoretically relying extensively on the course textbooks and materials.

· In order for your paper to be the best it can be, you should choose something that is especially pertinent and meaningful for you. For example, suppose racism or poverty has impacted your life in a significant way. You could explain how this issue has been a challenge in your life, and then explore it from several systemic theoretical perspectives.

· Explore the origin of this problem, its systemic development and maintenance. Be sure to discuss the connection between your individual experience of the social justice issue and the connection to systemic opportunities and/or barriers (e.g., access to education, employment opportunities, access to healthcare,).

· Lastly, given what you know now at the end of this course, describe how you in the role of counselor would move forward addressing this social justice issue at the micro (individual) level and also at the macro (societal/institutional) level.

Your last section should be a concluding section and should be approximately two (2) pages in length.

· Address what you have learned by writing your paper, what conclusions you draw about advocacy, and how what you have learned will inform your future practice in the counseling profession at both the micro and macros systemic levels.

· Finally, share your reaction to the assignment, what feelings emerged, what you came to realize over the course of the semester and any struggles you faced internalizing and integrating the content.

BOOK (please use the book as reference)

Lewis, J., Ratts, M., Toporek, R. (2010). ACA Advocacy Competencies: A Social Justice Framework for Counselors. Alexandira, VA.