Revisioning Activism: Bringing Depth, Dialogue, and Diversity to Individual and Social Change

by David Bedrick J.D.

Overview

Many forms of activism live within the margins of conventional strategies such as marching, speaking out, and fighting for one’s political representatives. This book of essays highlights, celebrates, and broadens the vision of activism to include the intersection between people and the social and political world, while encouraging dialogue across diverse viewpoints and exhorting psychology to become a social-change agent. The author deconstructs racism by looking at white denial and divergent views of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and he deconstructs sexism by critiquing the diet industry and the way women feel about their bodies. He brings this same psychological eye to understanding societal problems, national celebrities, and popular psychology’s failure to create sustainable change. Whether used in a classroom or with a group, a friend, or alone, this book provokes critical thinking, feeling, and dialogue.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780985266783
Publisher:	Belly Song Press
Publication date:	01/15/2017
Edition description:	None
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 3.80(d)

About the Author

David Bedrick, J.D., is a teacher, counselor, attorney, and organizational consultant, having taught in organizations including the U.S. Navy, 3M, the American Society of Training and Development, and the Process Work Institute. As a practitioner of process-oriented psychology, a branch of Jungian psychology, he has worked with groups, couples, and individuals for more than 20 years. He is the author of Talking Back to Dr. Phil. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xiii

Section I Racism, Anti-Semitism, and Homophobia: Witnessing Social Justice

1 The American Soul: Honoring Our Black Elders 1

2 MLK Today: Taking the Blinders off White Privilege 9

3 Dreaming King's Oream Forward: Reflections on America's Psyche 15

4 What's the Matter with "AH Lives Matter"? 21

5 America's Deadly Denial of Racism 25

6 How to Have a Conversation About Race 29

7 The Holocaust and the Inner Ghetto: The Psychology of Jewish Suffering 35

8 I'm Not a Hypochondriac-I'm Just a Jew 39

9 Skull and Crossbones: Projecting onto Folks with HIV/AIDS 43

10 Paging Dr. Ben Carson: Homophobia Calling 45

Section II Hunger, Self-Hatred, Failure, and Sexism: The Real Weight-Loss Story

1 Does America Really Need to Go on a Diet? 53

2 Do You Know Why You Eat? The Key to Losing Weight 57

3 Why Diets Fail: Seven Things You Should Know 61

4 Trying to Lose Weight? Satisfy Your Real Hungers 69

5 Shame, Body Image, and Weight Loss 75

6 Resolving to Lose Weight? Consider This First 79

7 Think Your Diet Needs More Discipline? Think Again 81

Section III What's Going On? Reflections on Current Events

1 Philip Seymour Hoffman and the Shadow of Individual Addiction 87

2 Diagnosing Depression in the Wake of Robin Williams's Suicide 91

3 The Lie of Brian (Williams) 97

4 Who Cheats? Who Lies? Moving Beyond Lance Armstrong 101

5 Upon the Murder of 20 Children and 6 Adults in Connecticut 105

6 Scapegoating, Stereotyping, and Projecting Won't Make Us Safer 107

7 Crazy About Gun Control 111

8 Upon the Boston Marathon Bombings 115

9 Racism on Trial: Reflections on the Prosecution of George Zimmerman for the Murder of Trayvon Martin 117

10 In Honor of Maya Angelou: This Caged Bird Sang and Sang 121

Section IV Beyond a Popular Psychology: Remembering the Shadow

1 Into the Dark: A Psychology of Soul, Shadow, and Diversity 127

2 Building and Repairing Trust: Keys to Sustainable Relationships 133

3 Six Reasons Not to Forgive-Not Yet 137

4 Understanding Stress: Beyond Reduction, Management, and Coping 143

5 Three Things to Learn from Failure 147

6 Resolutions, Commitments, and All That Jazz: Five Reasons Why Resolutions Fail 151

7 To Compromise or Not to Compromise 155

8 I'm Sorry: Three Components of an Effective Apology 159

9 What Is Shame? How Does It Color Our World? 163

10 When "Questions" Shame: Learning to Be More Direct 167

11 Beyond Individual Psychology: How Psychology Shames 171

12 Winning the Battle with Inner Criticism 175

13 Understanding Dreams About Inner and Outer Criticism 179

14 Getting Real: Seven Roadblocks to Becoming Our Authentic Selves 185

15 The Courage to Find Soul: A Call for More "Psyche" in Psychology 191

16 Death, Dying, and Altered States: Bridging Two Realities 195

Notes 199

Bibliography 221

Index 237

About the Author 259

Editorial Reviews

"Teacher, counselor, and attorney David Bedrick is the ideal guide to lead us through new doors of activism . . . Revisioning Activism helps us critically think and feel through a world in need of individual and social change, bringing depth, brilliant insights, and new strategies to heal ourselves and the world around us.”  —Arnold Mindell, Ph.D., author, Quantum Mind


“Revisioning Activism takes us into uncharted territories and breaks through the classical boundaries of politics, health, spirituality, and social divides, with an incisive underlying and unifying vision of these disturbances making us more whole.”  —Max Schupbach, Ph.D., President of Maxfxx and the Deep Democracy Institute


“With unflinching courage, Bedrick looks at tough issues—sexism, racism, anti-Semitism, and homophobia—and doesn’t just challenge us to see how society and psyche are intertwined, but provides solutions . . . In this way, Bedrick truly revisions activism. He doesn’t only call for a better world; he gives us a bridge to get there, offering us powerful new ways of thinking and doing to make the world he’s envisioning.”  —Julie Diamond, Ph.D., author, Power: A User’s Guide


“Revisioning Activism is a rare read that reveals the essential connections between individual psychology, social history, and societal marginalization. These essays provide a needed education as to how marginalized groups are targets for projection and systemic annihilation, and compromise everyone’s mental health.”  —Dawn Menken, Ph.D., author, Raising Parents, Raising Kids


“David Bedrick has a refreshing and often underappreciated understanding of what it takes to achieve greater success with weight loss and healthier living . . . His years of experience and passion for the topic will certainly yield incredible results.”  —Adam Putschoegl, M.D., Fellow, Pediatric Cardiology, Mayo Clinic


“Whether discussing gender, race, body image, or sexual inequality, [David Bedrick] speaks to the heart of the matter and impresses upon us the strength of overcoming our own inner ‘Goliath.’ Rather than running from our fear, frailties, and so-called flaws, Bedrick empowers us to find the wisdom in our wounds and use it to our advantage.”  —Crystal Andrus Morissette, founder, S.W.A.T. Institute

From the Publisher