Consciousness-raising groups as a multicultural awareness approach: an experience with counselor trainees

Area of Science:

• Counseling Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Education

Background:

• Multicultural awareness is crucial for effective counseling.
• Traditional training methods may not fully address complex social and cultural issues.
• Integrating social constructionist and critical pedagogy theories offers a novel training framework.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the utility of consciousness-raising (CR) groups in training multiculturally aware counselors.
• To describe the implementation of CR groups in a graduate course on multicultural and gender issues.
• To evaluate student responses and potential instructor challenges associated with this training modality.

Main Methods:

• Utilized consciousness-raising (CR) groups within a graduate-level counseling course.
• Integrated theoretical frameworks including analysis of oppression, liberating pedagogy, and social constructionism.
• Described specific CR activities and course procedures.

Main Results:

• Student reactions to the CR group format were evaluated.
• Potential dilemmas for instructors facilitating CR groups were identified.
• The effectiveness of CR groups in fostering multicultural awareness was discussed.

Conclusions:

• Consciousness-raising groups are a valuable tool for enhancing multicultural competence in counselor training.
• The integration of critical theories provides a robust foundation for exploring complex social and gender issues.
• Instructor awareness of potential challenges is key to successful implementation.