Running Head: SELF-REFLECTION & SOCIAL JUSTICE

Social Justice Project Part II: Project Outline

Mindfulness as Self-Reflective Practice for Social Justice
Brooklyn Glaser & Whitney Balog
SOWK 697: S02 - Winter 2016
Faculty of Social Work
University of Calgary

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Mindfulness as Self-Reflective Practice for Social Justice

Self-Reflective Practice
The International Federation of Social Workers (2004) articulates human rights, human
dignity, and social justice as the distinct, fundamental, and organizing values of the social work
profession (pp. 1-3), which are intended to guide the action of social workers and protect the
interests of service users (Parrott, 2010, p. 17). Accordingly, this social justice project seeks to
articulate that both the unique value-base and ethical framework of the social work profession
necessitates that social workers engage in a distinct and rigorous practice of self-reflection
(Tsang, 2007). This is because self-reflection invites a continual and unfolding process of
locating ourselves within...operations of power [and] is seen as an intensely moral action...that
we cannot find refuge from (DCruz & Jones, 2014, p. 12).
Tsang (2007) stresses that self-reflection is not a superfluous luxury, but is an absolute
necessity and an essential element in practice, research, and education (p. 681). This project
places primacy on the process rather than the outcome of reflection, and offers mindfulness
practice as one possible tool to support reflective practice. Thus, we draw on Barskys (2009)
definition of reflection as an ongoing process of considering and questioning ones own values,
attitudes, beliefs, motivations, emotions, capacities, challenges, and social context (p. 260).
Mindfulness as a Tool for Self-Reflection
The unraveling awareness of subjectivity calls for an established, meaningful, and
supportive self-reflective practice; the how of self-reflective process is secondary to the when
and the what. Therefore, this project draws on daily mindfulness-based practices as the how, to
create a structure for each participant to explore his/her what and to encourage a more consistent
when. However, in choosing mindfulness as a practice to explore, we acknowledge the various

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other forms of meaningful self-reflective practice, such as journaling, drawing, log books,
recordings, artwork, and reflective teams.
Several sources (e.g., Barsky, 2009; Costa & Kallick, 2008) support a more holistic
approach to self-reflection and explain the importance of drawing forth cognitive and emotional
information from several sources: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile (Costa & Kallick,
2008, para. 3). Mindfulness is a holistic practice in this sense as it illuminates the broad range of
embodied and phenomenological experiences of the individual. Namely, attending to the breath,
the physical body, and visualizations invites a noticing of the rich and complex exchanges that
occur between emotional, physical, cognitive, and spiritual experiences (Griffith & Griffith,
1994).
Awareness for Ethical Social Work Practice
Mindfulness also inspires non-judgment, compassion and loving kindness, which can
transform into, as the Dalai Lama indicates, a wish for others to be free of their suffering and
a sense of commitment, responsibility, and respect towards the other (Hick & Bien, 2008, p.
114). Similarly, Macy (1991) likens mindfulness to that journey into the wilderness where we
confront our own tricks and delusions, [which] can empower social action, [and] free us to
respond in simplicity and immediacy to our fellow beings (p. 217). Therefore, we have chosen
to focus on mindfulness as a practice element of self-reflection with the intention of illustrating
the connection between meaningful awareness and intentional social justice action.
The necessity and significance of intentional self-reflection is also intrinsically tied to
social work ethics. Pipher (2013) stresses the need for an awareness-to-action cycle, which
encompasses an active and cyclical engagement in action and reflection (p. 3). Accordingly, a
practicing social worker must make a real space for articulating, interpreting, theorizing, and

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reflection (Lugones & Spelman, 2005, p. 21) in an effort to understand the impact that race,
class, culture, and other vectors of subjugation have on experience (Spade, 2011, p. 55).
Therefore, developing and maintaining ethical social work practice involves the perpetual
process of becoming more aware of power relations and an unbecoming of our perpetuation of
oppressive and harmful actions.
Social workers are encouraged to operationalize the core value of social justice within
clinical, research, and community work by welcoming pluralisms in experience, method, and
interpretation (Reissman, 1994. p. 138). This non-judgmental and receptive approach requires
mindful engagement with the immediacies of encounter (e.g., language, gestures, tone of
voice, eye contact) (Barbara, 2008, p. 141). When distracted by the busyness of daily routine,
one may not have the time and space to pause and explore the plethora of thoughts, emotions,
and bodily sensations that one experiences in response to interpersonal encounters.
Consequently, making time for self-reflection is necessary to interrupt the routine and to fully
recognize oneself and others as the embodied-sentient, living and breathing, thinking, feeling,
subjects who are intersectionalitys empirical subjects, in all their categorical variety and situated
specificity. (Lewis, 2013, p. 888).
Peer Feedback & Project Timeline
We plan to implement our social justice project in several phases. On February 25th, we
requested that the Faculty of Social Work distribute an announcement email inviting social work
students and staff to participate in the mindfulness sessions we will be facilitating. We also
posted the announcement on our online discussion board as a second reminder for our SOWK
697 classmates.

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The action component of our project will involve the facilitation of three, 30 minute
mindfulness-based practice sessions from 12:15-12:45pm. The sessions will provide a safe space
of community support for participants to acknowledge and sit with tensions related to the
intersectionality of oppression that might otherwise be avoided or denied (J. Shaw, personal
communication, January 29, 2016). While all three sessions will include the same experiential
mindfulness practice, the participant demographic will change. The first two sessions on March
4th and 11th will be open to all social work students, while the third session on March 18th will
be inclusive of social work staff as well. The decision to invite staff to only one of the sessions
was based on peer feedback. We agree that this format will allow students to attend two sessions
exclusive to student participants, which will further inform their decision of whether they would
like to attend the final session where staff may also be present.
Each of the mindfulness sessions will follow a similar semi-structured agenda. In the
beginning of the session, we will invite participants to take time to adjust and get comfortable in
the space, after which we will share the timeline and intention of the practice session. Next,
participants will be guided through an experiential loving-kindness meditation, followed by a
short, optional discussion to prompt further reflection. After the mindfulness practice and
discussion, the session will come to a close; however, participants will have access to the quiet
room for an additional 15 minutes. Taking peer feedback into account, we will extend the
invitation to participants to continue using the space to engage in any other self-reflective
activities that they find meaningful, such as further meditative practice, journaling, colouring,
etc.
We also appreciate our peers recommendation to incorporate the use of physical items
during the sessions that may promote a greater sense of safety, comfort, and meaning to

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participants when practicing (e.g., cushions, blankets, journals, colouring books). While we can
appreciate this idea and understand the importance of ensuring participants feel comfortable, we
are unsure of the specific items that would bring this feeling to each unique individual. As such,
we will actively encourage participants to bring any item which may enhance their reflective
experience.
Another action component to this project is the creation of a resource document to share
with participants at each session. This aspect of the project is a direct result of peer consultation
and is one that we feel will allow for greater opportunity for participants (ourselves included) to
continue developing self-reflective skills through mindfulness practice. As recommended by our
peers, the document will include various resources that provide further information on
mindfulness and its relevance to anti-oppressive social work practice.
Finally, our social justice project will include a written component that will be greatly
influenced by the action element of the three mindfulness sessions. The paper will explore the
connections between self-reflective practice and social justice from a theoretical lens and will
incorporate reflections based on the practice sessions. Specific details regarding what was shared
during the sessions will not be disclosed; however, general reflections based on what was noticed
by participants and ourselves will be explored. Our intention in carrying out the aforementioned
action steps, is to highlight how mindfulness as self-reflective practice is one avenue for us as
social workers to develop a greater awareness of [our] own identities and of personal
experiences, socialization, values, attitudes, and patterned responses to human diversity (Shaw,
Winter 2016, Course Outline).

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References
Barbara, R. A. (2008). Relationships and the research process: Participatory action research and
social work. Journal of Progressive Human Services, 19(2), 140-159.
Barsky, A. E. (2009). Ethics and values in social work: An integrated approach for a
comprehensive curriculum. Cary, North Carolina: Oxford University Press.
Costa, A. L., & Kallick, B. (2008). Learning through reflection. In A. L. Costa & B. Kallick
(Eds.), Learning and leading with habits of mind. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/
publications/books/108008/chapters/Learning-Through-Reflection.aspx
DCruz, H., & Jones, M. (2014). Social work research in practice (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA:
SAGE.
Hick, S. F., & Bien, T. (2008). Mindfulness in the therapeutic relationship. New York, NY:
Guildford Press.
International Federation of Social Workers. (2004). Ethics in Social Work, Statement of
Principles. Retrieved from: http://www.iassw-aiets.org.pdf
Lewis, G. (2013). Unsafe travel: Experiencing intersectionality and feminist displacements.
Signs, 38(4), 869-892.
Lugones, M., & Spelman, E. (2005). Have we got a theory for you! Feminist theory, cultural
imperialism and the demand for the womans voice. In W. K. Kolmar & F. Bartkowski
(Eds.), Feminist theory: A reader (pp. 17-27). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Macy, J. (1991). Mutual causality in Buddhism and general systems theory: The dharma of
natural systems. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.

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Parrott, L. (2010). Values and ethics in social work practice (2nd edition). Glasgow, Scotland:
Learning Matters Ltd.
Pipher, M. (2013). The green boat. New York, NY: Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Reissman, C. K. (1994). Subjectivity matters: The positioned investigator. In C. K. Reissman
(Ed.), Qualitative Studies in Social Work Research (pp. 133-138). Newbury Park, CA:
SAGE.
Shaw, J. (2016). Course outline: SOWK 697:S02 Winter 2016. Retrieved from University of
Calgary SOWK 697:02 Desire2Learn website: https://d2l.ucalgary.ca/d2l/le/content/
119560/viewContent/1857441/View
Spade, D. (2011). Normal life: Administrative violence, critical transpolitics, and the limits of
law. Brooklyn, NY: South End.
Tsang, N. M. (2007). Reflection as dialogue. British Journal of Social Work, 37, 681-694.