Beyond Adaptation: Decolonizing Approaches to Coping With Oppression
How should one respond to racial oppression? Conventional prescriptions of mainstream social psychological science emphasize the idea of coping with oppression—whether via emotional management strategies that emphasize denial or disengagement; problem-focused strategies that emphasize compensation,...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for Psychology
2015-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Social and Political Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://jspp.psychopen.eu/article/view/310 |
| _version_ | 1828076269852426240 |
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| author | Nia L. Phillips Glenn Adams Phia S. Salter |
| author_facet | Nia L. Phillips Glenn Adams Phia S. Salter |
| author_sort | Nia L. Phillips |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | How should one respond to racial oppression? Conventional prescriptions of mainstream social psychological science emphasize the idea of coping with oppression—whether via emotional management strategies that emphasize denial or disengagement; problem-focused strategies that emphasize compensation, self-efficacy, or skills training; or collective strategies that emphasize emotional support—in ways that promote adaptation to, rather than transformation of, oppressive social structures. Following a brief review of the literature on coping with racism and oppression, we present an alternative model rooted in perspectives of liberation psychology (Martín-Baró, 1994). This decolonial approach emphasizes critical consciousness (rather than cultivated ignorance) of racial oppression, a focus on de-ideologization (rather than legitimation) of status quo realities, and illumination of models of identification conducive to collective action. Whereas the standard approach to coping with oppression may ultimately both reinforce and reproduce systems of domination, we propose a decolonial approach to racism perception as a more effective strategy for enduring prosperity and well-being. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T02:12:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b33e15c3291d4ad0986dc03d8ecbcee1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2195-3325 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T02:12:02Z |
| publishDate | 2015-08-01 |
| publisher | PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for Psychology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Social and Political Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-b33e15c3291d4ad0986dc03d8ecbcee12023-01-03T01:55:44ZengPsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for PsychologyJournal of Social and Political Psychology2195-33252015-08-013136538710.5964/jspp.v3i1.310jspp.v3i1.310Beyond Adaptation: Decolonizing Approaches to Coping With OppressionNia L. Phillips0Glenn Adams1Phia S. Salter2Department of Psychology, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USADepartment of Psychology and Africana Studies Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USAHow should one respond to racial oppression? Conventional prescriptions of mainstream social psychological science emphasize the idea of coping with oppression—whether via emotional management strategies that emphasize denial or disengagement; problem-focused strategies that emphasize compensation, self-efficacy, or skills training; or collective strategies that emphasize emotional support—in ways that promote adaptation to, rather than transformation of, oppressive social structures. Following a brief review of the literature on coping with racism and oppression, we present an alternative model rooted in perspectives of liberation psychology (Martín-Baró, 1994). This decolonial approach emphasizes critical consciousness (rather than cultivated ignorance) of racial oppression, a focus on de-ideologization (rather than legitimation) of status quo realities, and illumination of models of identification conducive to collective action. Whereas the standard approach to coping with oppression may ultimately both reinforce and reproduce systems of domination, we propose a decolonial approach to racism perception as a more effective strategy for enduring prosperity and well-being.http://jspp.psychopen.eu/article/view/310liberation psychologydiscriminationoppressioncopingcritical consciousness |
| spellingShingle | Nia L. Phillips Glenn Adams Phia S. Salter Beyond Adaptation: Decolonizing Approaches to Coping With Oppression Journal of Social and Political Psychology liberation psychology discrimination oppression coping critical consciousness |
| title | Beyond Adaptation: Decolonizing Approaches to Coping With Oppression |
| title_full | Beyond Adaptation: Decolonizing Approaches to Coping With Oppression |
| title_fullStr | Beyond Adaptation: Decolonizing Approaches to Coping With Oppression |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beyond Adaptation: Decolonizing Approaches to Coping With Oppression |
| title_short | Beyond Adaptation: Decolonizing Approaches to Coping With Oppression |
| title_sort | beyond adaptation decolonizing approaches to coping with oppression |
| topic | liberation psychology discrimination oppression coping critical consciousness |
| url | http://jspp.psychopen.eu/article/view/310 |
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