Social change leadership and advocacy

Social Change, Leadership, And Advocacy

Level: Doctoral

Sociology - Human Services

There are three concepts related to the counselling profession and those professions related to human services. These concepts deal with the matters of social change, leadership, and advocacy. Social change is very much to do with addressing the unfairness of living in a society, but is not limited to injustice alone. Leadership is about being the person to facilitate change both in a social as well as professional capacity, whilst advocacy supports and promotes these changes.

As human services professionals, educators and counsellors, it is important to understand these concepts fully and build an awareness of how they are different, but also how they are alike. Leadership is about guiding decision making and creating a supportive environment in which people can discuss social issues in a constructive and managed way[footnoteRef:1]. Discussion should be promoted and given direction so that it remains relevant and purposeful. Discussion should be strategized so that it is geared towards a positive outcome and remains meaningful. Leadership is about support, guidance, and respect. A leader should be considered to be a person who can role model behaviour and attitude so that it can be emulated by others. In this way they will be able to encourage others to think about changes and implement them successfully. [1: http://www.revenuejournal.com/2010/01/top_10_characteristics_of_an_e.php]

A leader should be prepared to listen, to be subservient at times and be seen to take advice[footnoteRef:2]. They must be able to make decisions and to inform others about their decisions. Communication is a key trait for a successful and effective leader in whatever role, but it is especially important in the role of a counsellor. Lots of different issues may be encountered as a counsellor or an educator when trying to lead. Strong characters that have their own agendas may attempt to redirect discussion or inhibit change. Other external constraints can also impact the effectiveness of leadership, such as finances, the imposition of new guidelines and/or a group's resistance to new ideas, changes or developments. Being able to effectively manage all of these is a challenge in itself. [2: http://www.revenuejournal.com/2010/01/top_10_characteristics_of_an_e.php]

Advocacy has a strong role to play in the ability to counsel or lead. Providing a forum where people can be heard or listened to supports the smooth transition towards social change. Being able to resolve conflict and manage dispute effectively is essential[footnoteRef:3]. Advocacy allows marginalized groups to speak and be heard so that a broader collection of people can be represented. In this way social change and social justice can not only be seen but experienced by all those involved. The true meaning of advocacy is to plead the cause of another individual's plight and to represent them to all those that can influence that individual's (or group's) life[footnoteRef:4]. Advocating for another can facilitate fairer social change in a broader context, because those that are marginalized or exist on the outskirts of society are brought forward and integrated so that any change that occurs in brought about with these people in mind. [3: http://grjsite.com/attachments/article/31/K.%20Santos%20Advocacy%20Supervision.pdf] [4: http://grjsite.com/attachments/article/31/K.%20Santos%20Advocacy%20Supervision.pdf]