Free Feminist Therapy On African Americans In The United States Essay Sample

Feminist therapy has an aim of bringing about change in the society by addressing issues such as gender and racial discrimination. Individuals who feel that they are discriminated against by the society may suffer from depression and eventually the society may have some unwanted behavior as the individuals try to find solace in other activities. Feminine therapy is not limited to women, but even men can use it to overcome the social and gender role constraints such as demand for strength, competition, and autonomy. The therapy contends that women are the most disadvantaged members of the society when it comes to discrimination against gender, race, religion, ethnicity and age. The issue of racism has been in existence in the United States since the slave era. Due to the racism, some of the privileges were not granted to other races except the white Americans. The law did not recognize the rights of other races such as African Americas, Latin Americans, Asian Americans, and European Americans. They were denied rights including the right to education, citizenship,immigration and voting. In addition, they could not acquire land legally (Nunnally 14).
Stereotypes are the generalizations about a given community race or culture. The African American stereotypes date back to the colonial years of settlement particularly after the slave trade. The African Americans are said to be joyous, superstitious, naïve, ignorant, and they are inclined to music. These stereotypes arise from the observations that the slave owners had about the slaves who are the ancestors of the African American race. The stereotypes continue even today to other people depicting the African Americans as primitive and simple-minded individuals. They are often portrayed as being lazy, love watermelon, corn bread, and fried chicken. The idea of racism in the United States is mainly based on the skin color of individuals.
One of the stereotypes associated with the African Americans is the Sambo, a book that was written in 1898 describing the black men as lazy, happy and irresponsible. The black men were said to be obsessed with sex, but the misunderstanding was brought about by the culture of polygamy in African countries. The Europeans mistook the culture for uncontrolled sexual desire. The black woman in particular faced stereotypes as she was described as ugly, loyal, energetic and superstitious. The Mandingo Negro concept was introduced by the slave owners who promoted the notion that the male African slaves were animalistic and bestial. Other names used to describe African American women were Jezebels since it was claimed that they were more sexually promiscuous than the white women. The notion was brought about by the European colonialists when they found the African women wore semi-nude clothes in their countries. The climate in Africa was hot thus they wore light and short garments, but the Europeans mistook this for promiscuity. With this mindset, the women have been labeled as immoral and promiscuous. The women were said to have strong sexual drives just like the men thus the white men took advantage of this and raped the black women.
There are modern stereotypes associated with the African American such as the impression that they are drug lords and crack victims especially for men. Women are said to be gold diggers mostly due to their financial independence. The traditional black woman used to depend on the husband's meager earnings but the trend changed when the women became equally competitive in the job market just as their male counterparts. Black women are said to be moody and irritable thus they do not relate well to the community. Some movies such as the Birth of a Nation (1915) questioned whether the blacks were able to run the government or not. That is an example of a stereotype where the blacks are considered to be less intelligent that the whites. Women have been described as the black bitch, with a character that resembles that of jezebel. The promiscuity of the black women can be shown by the role played by Halle Berry in Leticia Musgrove character in the movie Monster’s Ball. The black women are depicted as angry, in a book by Kantor Jodi, a New York Times reporter, Mrs. Obama is said to be an angry black woman.
Once the feminist therapists identify the distress symptoms in the client, they may encourage them to get involved in activities such as social work involving their problem such as educating other women on how to fight racism. These activities are aimed at helping the clients relate their personal experiences to the social context in which they live. The clients can also be encouraged to join group works where they are helped to empower themselves as well as the realization that there are other people who equally face the same challenge. Gender role analysis can be used to help the client understand the impact of gender-role expectations in the society so that they can overcome the gender stereotypes in the society. Somatic psychology is concerned with the relationship between one’s physical matter and their energy. It studies the interaction between the body structures with one's thoughts and actions. The concept is based on the principles of vitalism that holds that one can be healed after they get sufficient knowledge on their psychological problems. Somatic therapy uses a wide variety of techniques including sound, movement, touch and breath . The social, psychological and cultural forces are said to affect the mind-body unity thus affecting the individual’s mental, relational and biological health (Mirowsky et al.19).
Despite being discriminated against since the colonial era, the African Americans are said to have stronger family ties that form the basis of their unity. Majority of successful sportsmen and women in America are the black Americans. They are more religious and thus can remain active in belief that God will deliver them from the racial discrimination. Further, they have high aspirations and drive towards success.
In conclusions, clients may develop different symptoms of distress as a result of emotional torture they go through. Some may develop intrapsychic conditions such as hysteria due to lack of psychological control. Somatic symptoms result from the psychological stress leading to bodily pain, anxiety and increased bodily reactions as a consequence of the distress. Many observational studies have shown a strong link between social contexts and depressive symptoms. Other clients could be depressed leading to the existential crisis. The individuals start questioning the foundation of their live, its meaning and purpose. Personal explorations can be used to help the client realize their strengths and interests by analyzing their strengths and encouraging them to work towards enhancing their personal and cultural strengths.