Social Justice in Group Work

This book spotlights the unique contribution of the Journal for Specialists in Group Work to the social justice literature, and of group work to a social justice agenda. Although the term social justice may be relatively new in the counseling and psychology literature, the underlying values - attention to inequities, advocacy, and empowerment strategies for members of marginalized and oppressed populations – are not new in group work. Group leaders have been attending to these concerns all along, and group work itself is an ideal venue for the realization of social justice concerns. However, until now there has been a limited amount of scholarship on group work with a stated focus on social justice.

This groundbreaking book emphasizes action through a practical approach, featuring research and case studies of social justice group work in community and school settings. Chapters highlight how group workers infuse social justice consciousness into their work, address social justice issues, and implement social justice practice. Authors review the history, practice, and future opportunities for social justice advocacy within group modalities. They also address guidelines for the training and supervision of practitioners engaging in social justice group work.

This book was published as a special issue of the Journal for Specialists in Group Work.

Anneliese A. Singh is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services at The University of Georgia. Her research, clinical, and advocacy interests include: LGBTQQ youth and adults, Asian American/Pacific Islander counseling and psychology, multicultural counseling and social justice training, qualitative methodology feminist theory and practice, and empowerment interventions with survivors of trauma. Dr. Singh is the Past-President of the Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling. She is the chair of the ASGW Human Rights and Social Justice committee. Dr. Singh is a co-author of Qualitative Inquiry in Counseling and Education.

Carmen F. Salazar is an associate professor in the Department of Counseling, Texas A&M University-Commerce. She has published extensively on such topics as multiple cultural identities, professional development of racial and ethnic minority counseling faculty, diversity-competent group leadership, and mentoring in counselor education. Dr. Salazar served as co-chair of the Association for Specialists in Group Work Human Rights and Diversity committee (2003-2009) and is now serving on the ASGW executive board as Treasurer (2009-2012). Her most recent book is Group Work Experts Share Their Favorite Multicultural Activities: A Guide to Diversity-Competent Choosing, Planning, Conducting, and Processing.