Beyond adaptation: Decolonizing approaches to coping with oppression
Author(s) / Creator(s)
Phillips, Nia L.
Adams, Glenn
Salter, Phia S.
Abstract / 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.
Keyword(s)
liberation psychology discrimination oppression coping critical consciousnessPersistent Identifier
Date of first publication
2015-08-21
Journal title
Journal of Social and Political Psychology
Volume
3
Issue
1
Page numbers
365–387
Publisher
PsychOpen GOLD
Publication status
publishedVersion
Review status
peerReviewed
Is version of
Citation
Phillips, N. L., Adams, G., & Salter, P. S. (2015). Beyond adaptation: Decolonizing approaches to coping with oppression. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 3(1), 365–387. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v3i1.310
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Phillips, Nia L.
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Adams, Glenn
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Salter, Phia S.
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PsychArchives acquisition timestamp2018-11-26T12:45:23Z
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Made available on2018-11-26T12:45:23Z
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Date of first publication2015-08-21
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Abstract / DescriptionHow 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.en_US
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Publication statuspublishedVersion
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Review statuspeerReviewed
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CitationPhillips, N. L., Adams, G., & Salter, P. S. (2015). Beyond adaptation: Decolonizing approaches to coping with oppression. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 3(1), 365–387. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v3i1.310en_US
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ISSN2195-3325
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Persistent Identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1364
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Persistent Identifierhttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1786
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Language of contenteng
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PublisherPsychOpen GOLD
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Is version ofhttps://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v3i1.310
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Keyword(s)liberation psychologyen_US
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Keyword(s)discriminationen_US
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Keyword(s)oppressionen_US
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Keyword(s)copingen_US
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Keyword(s)critical consciousnessen_US
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Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)150
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TitleBeyond adaptation: Decolonizing approaches to coping with oppressionen_US
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DRO typearticle
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Issue1
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Journal titleJournal of Social and Political Psychology
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Page numbers365–387
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Volume3
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Visible tag(s)Version of Record