Realizing Social Justice: The Challenge of Preventive Interventions


Buy It Now!

‘Admirable qualities’ make book useful
(March 2009 Issue)

“Realizing Social Justice:
The Challenge of Preventive Interventions”
Edited by Maureen E. Kenny,
Arthur M. Horne, Pamela Orpinas, and
Le’Roy E. Reese
American Psychological Association
Washington, D.C., 2009

By Paul Efthim, Ph.D.

At a recent peer supervision meeting, members were discussing their work histories. They were surprised to learn that all three psychologists present had been immersed in prevention-oriented social justice work immediately prior to entering their graduate training programs.

Although hardly a random sample, this small group illustrated an interesting and probably common pathway: many of us who currently practice on the "micro level" of psychotherapy and diagnostics came to this field via doing "macro level" work seeking to reduce societal inequities through interventions that address systemic issues. Perhaps some of us will turn back toward the big picture as our careers develop.

In an ambitious effort to inspire prevention and social justice efforts, Maureen Kenny, Ph.D. of Boston College has co-edited a new book, "Realizing Social Justice: The Challenge of Preventive Interventions." Kenny, a counseling psychologist (and former teacher of mine), together with three co-editors, has produced a ground-breaking, comprehensive text that pulls together the current knowledge base of prevention research and practice.

New England researchers are well-represented, with four contributors from Boston College (Kenny, Mary Walsh, Lisa Goodman, and Jillian DePaul), two from Tufts (Jessica Goldberg, Francine Jacobs), two from UConn (Preston Britner and James O'Neil) and one from UNH (Victoria Banyard).

The first half of the book covers the historical context and theoretical bases for a social justice vision of prevention. Rivalries within the field (e.g., challenges to cross-disciplinary collaboration) are explored in detail rather than glossed over in an effort to find common ground and room for further growth. Tensions arise and are examined. For example, the concept of resilience highlights strengths in overcoming adversity, but it also shifts our attention toward individual adaptation and away from oppressive social structures that could be targeted for intervention, thereby perpetuating systemic inequities.

The concepts of "social justice" and "prevention" are slippery and the contributors take care to define their terms. Chapters cover best practices, ethical considerations in prevention work, the art of program evaluation and teaching primary prevention at the university level.

The book's second part presents a variety of case studies of preventive interventions across contexts such as families, schools, workplaces, communities, and healthcare settings. Pitfalls and "lessons learned" receive equal billing with the success stories.

As noted in this well-written volume, research shows that the most effective prevention programs are those that are sustained for a sufficient length of time to achieve impact and that intervene across multiple systems. Thus, a program designed to address bullying should run for years - not months - and target not only children's behavior but that of families and school personnel as well.

"Realizing Social Justice" has a number of admirable qualities, including its clarity, scientific rigor, awareness of power and privilege issues, use of numerous case studies to illustrate interventions and the hard-won lessons drawn from extensive experience. One weakness, which the editors freely admit, arises in that most of the cases presented are more ameliorative than transformative in nature, thereby falling short of their stated goal to promote social change at higher levels.

As the book's title suggests, its tone is upbeat and inspiring while also grounded in real-world work. It is highly recommended for graduate students, faculty, and practitioners in this exciting, challenging field.

Paul Efthim, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in fulltime practice in Brookline, Mass. He holds faculty appointments at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology and the Boston Institute for Psychotherapy.