Going Against the Grain: Dynamic Tensions in Social Justice Leadership
Saturday, February 24th, 2018 |11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Details
The American anarchist Emma Goldman said: “The history of progress is written in the blood of men and women who have dared to espouse an unpopular cause,” putting the fate of progress, as have so many others, in the hands of those willing to stand against the grain. Goldman, however, also advocated “a social order based on the free grouping of individuals,” implicitly expressing a faith in the mass of people who she apparently believed have the propensity to extract blood from those standing against the grain. These quotes suggest a dynamic tension in social change efforts that simultaneously call upon the willingness of individuals to stand against the grain, and of democratic faith in communities of people to organize together for a decent life. At the same time, history is replete with the horrors perpetrated when leaders have failed to be constrained by laws and social norms. Today’s anti-fascist can become tomorrow’s dictator. This talk explores this tension experienced by social change leaders, drawing upon psychoanalytic theory and empirical evidence.
Presenter:
Stephen Soldz, PhD, CertPsya, is a psychologist, psychoanalyst, social activist and researcher in Boston. He is the Director of the Social Justice and Human Rights Program at the Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis. He has been in the forefront of efforts to withdraw psychologists from aiding abusive interrogations. In addition to his productive psychological and public health research career, Dr. Soldz has published numerous professional articles, book chapters, and popular articles on U.S. torture, the roles of psychologists in military and intelligence operations, and the role of psychology and psychoanalysis in understanding social phenomena. He is a member of the Board of the National Association for the advancement of Psychoanalysis (NAAP), the Board of APA Division 39 (Psychoanalysis), a representative to the American Psychological Association Council of Representatives, an Adviser to Physicians for Human Rights and a past president of Psychologists for Social Responsibility. With Steven Reisner he shared the 2016 NAAP Vision Award and the 2017 Division 39 Leadership Award. Dr. Soldz was a consultant on several Guantánamo legal cases.
Continuing Education Objectives:
Participants will be able to:
- Identify positive and negative aspects of individuals defying social conventions in pursuit of social change.
- Discuss two moral systems, one based upon law (of the father) and the other based upon maternal love.
- Identify personal characteristics of those who act on moral imperatives against social convention.
- Incorporate understanding of social change group tensions and demands into clinical practice and personal responses to current events.
CE Target audience: Psychologists (all levels), Social Workers, Counselors
Fee: Free or $25 per event for 1.5 CE’s/Clock Hours*
*Full refund available if you cancel one week prior to the event. If you have any questions, email info@bgsp.edu.
CE Target audience: Psychologists (all levels), Social Workers, Mental Health Counselors
Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. BGSP maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP) and may offer NBCC-approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements. The ACEP solely is responsible for all aspects of the program.
Application for social work continuing education credits is being submitted. Please contact us at ContinuingEd@BGSP.edu for the status of social work CE accreditation.
For information on continuing education credits for nurses, social workers, or marriage and family counseling, call 617-277-3915.
The Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc., through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education.
Direct inquiries may be made regarding the accreditation status by the New England Association to the administrative staff of the institution. Individuals may also contact: Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, 3 Burlington Woods Drive, Ste 100, Burlington, MA 01803-4514, 781-425-7700 or email: cihe@neasc.org
