As human beings, we all share a social responsibility to effect positive social change by advocating for the protection and well-being of humanity. While each advocacy mission is guided by differing morals, ethics, and values, its success is dependent on an individual’s grit, resilience, and coping mechanisms.
The unique combination of my personality, culture, and lived experiences has led me to develop personal ideals that emphasize empathy, compassion, gratitude, and honesty. These core beliefs make me passionate about numerous societal issues, particularly prison reform. I believe the system largely fails to rehabilitate, criminalizes substance abuse and mental health issues, and poses numerous safety and human rights concerns.
The deeper I delve into researching the prison system, the clearer the urgency for change becomes. Reading story after story about broken families, brutality, and death becomes emotionally overwhelming. Without coping skills, I would likely turn away from this mission. My coping skills help me to keep perspective. When I feel myself getting emotionally overwhelmed or discouraged, I use my coping mechanisms to acknowledge my emotions, process them, and then return to the task at hand, focusing on the goal. While coping helps me navigate the journey, grit and resilience are the forces that drive me. Born of my internal motivation, my grit and resilience keep me committed, and determined to make a difference despite any obstacles I encounter by helping me endure stress, problem-solve, and remain goal oriented.
For the biggest impact, I would collaborate with others in my advocacy efforts. This can be highly effective but requires emotional intelligence. To optimize my collective efforts, I have to be equally self-aware and aware of others. To find like-minded individuals who share my passion, agree on a goal, and agree on the process by which we will achieve it, effective communication is a necessity. I must accept and respect different feelings and perspectives, be willing to compromise, and be able to adapt to any changes. I will also utilize the EI skill of conflict resolution, allowing me to navigate any dilemmas, such as having conflicting ideas on how to reduce recidivism. Through using my EI skills, I am better equipped to navigate collective efforts and more likely to enact meaningful change.
There are numerous psychology subdisciplines that can be helpful in my advocacy efforts. Social psychology and forensic psychology are critical to understanding any system, including the criminal justice and penal system (American Psychological Association, 2021). These subdisciplines provide insight on the intersection between people's beliefs, perceptions, and behaviors, necessary to dismantle systemic injustice and for creating solutions. Cognitive and clinical psychology can also help me in my advocacy mission. These subdisciplines will be useful in problem solving and taking actionable steps, such as devising effective rehabilitation programs or interventions to prevent criminal behavior (American Psychological Association, 2021). Using psychology knowledge, theories, and research to understand how people think and behave will guide my advocacy efforts and increase my chance of success.
My knowledge of psychology is essential in executing my social change initiative. Whatever my agenda may be, I will be required to take the perspectives of others and act with empathy. When we take action, or execute an initiative, we must predict how our actions will be perceived, the reactions they will invoke, and what internal and external motivators will be effective. Understanding how people are encouraged, how they learn, and how emotions influence behavior enables me to connect with others and make predictions about what will lead to success. This knowledge facilitates my engagement and effective communication, facilitating my advocacy agenda.
References –
American Psychological Association. (2021). Psychology Subfields. Apa.org. https://www.apa.org/education-career/guide/subfields