Background
The question of religiosity and spirituality is increasingly relevant in modern society, as it is being discussed more frequently in public discourse. Panelist Jil Hus offers valuable insights into how she identifies with her religious and spiritual aspects, as well as how her upbringing influenced this aspect of her life. Hus says that the parents adhered to the Catholic faith, occasionally attended church, and periodically used some quotes from the Bible.
Even though she was baptized through communion and confirmation, she did not have a clear idea of religion and what role it had. During her formative years, she gained valuable experience interacting with diverse faiths, religions, and spiritual practices, which became a valuable asset for her. Currently, she is identified as a spiritual person who believes in higher powers but does not engage in traditional religious practices.
Privilege and Social Class
When considering the problem of privilege in modern society, I chose panelist Dianne Piggott. One definition of this phenomenon is the provision of advantages in society based on cultural identity (Hays et al., 2007). However, this aspect includes many other indicators, such as age, gender, race, or religion. This aspect has a special connection with the phenomenon of social class among individuals.
Therefore, the speaker points out that she was able to recognize her privilege due to having a modest to high income, which had several positive influences. One example of this influence was the opportunity to contribute to social causes through both money and time. Piggott is clearly aware that they have a privilege in this area, as they do not need to work multiple jobs to earn a sufficient income, allowing them to balance work and personal life.
The speaker also draws attention to aspects such as the relationship between age and maturity, as well as the concept of privilege. Hence, Piggott notes that in the field of counseling, this aspect makes a positive contribution, as she often becomes a person who is listened to. On the other hand, things are going to be entirely different for Piggott’s wife because, because of her age, she is having difficulty finding a job. This is because the privilege is often given to young, freshly graduated specialists who are perceived to have more energy and fewer potential issues for employers.
Regarding religiosity and spirituality, I had a similar experience with Jil Hus. I am close to what she said because, during the process of growing up, I did not have a clear understanding of what religion is and why people need it. I followed all the religious practices that were accepted in my family and attended church, but I did it only because my parents said so. I had a particularly positive reaction to the words about the awareness of the existence of different religions and how they affect the worldview and behavior of individuals. Regarding social class and privileges, I can also relate to Dianne Piggott. In my life, I also came across the fact that certain groups of people had privileges, which were presented as more advantaged by the common culture. Thus, my emotional reaction to this speaker was positive.
Self-Expression and Microaggressions
Panelist Jil Hus touched on the topic of self-expression, which is related to such aspects as affective or sexual orientation. In modern society, despite the active promotion of freedom of rights, speech, and choice, many people face events when they can be discredited because of their preferences in choosing a partner. Hus said that in her professional practice working as a clinical therapist, she learned that the choice of one of the patient’s parents was influenced by the fact that she is a representative of the LGBTQ+ community.
The incident was explained by the fact that the girl’s mother did not want to send her to a specialist younger because she saw too many images of her wife on her website, which caused her negative feelings. Therefore, in this case, there was a manifestation of microaggression towards the individual based on personal biases (Sue et al., 2007). This prevented the parent from paying attention to the more important qualities of Hus, which allowed her to conduct professional activities successfully.
Another problem that was highlighted in the case of Jil Hus is the unwillingness of other specialists in the workplace to discuss the problem directly with her. Hence, when a member of the team received an answer to the question of why the girl’s mother preferred an older clinical therapist in their place of practice, they turned to Hus’s wife. This caused a certain level of indignation among the panelists since this kind of information does not concern her partner and should be discussed directly with her.
This example can also be attributed to the topic under discussion, since, due to the depression experienced by members of the LGBTQ+ community daily, their loved ones may also suffer. In this context, this is because other people were involved in a problem that should have concerned only one person. Thus, the conditions were formed under which the depression, which Hus spoke about earlier, also affected her wife.
Intersectionality and Allyship
Jil Hus is a representative of the LGBTQ+ community, which clearly and proudly uses its own language. She wants to make her clients and people in general aware that they should not be afraid of themselves. In this context, the phenomenon of intersectionality is of particular importance. According to LaMantia et al. (2015), it is “awareness of difference, oppression, and the consequences of these interactions in terms of power,” which includes “exponentially difficult interaction between gender, race, and additional categories such as sexual orientation and class” (p. 139). Thus, Hus is fully aware of these limitations in its activities but strives to limit them as much as possible.
I think it is important to be an ally for the LGBTQ+ community. This aspect entails providing support and promoting awareness that this individual is no different from the rest. In other words, sexual orientation should not become a determinant of the choice of a specialist in a specific field or an indicator for the formation of a confident attitude. Affective or sexual orientation and gender identity are purely personal matters for everyone and do not deprive individuals of other, more valuable and practical skills and characteristics that make them full-fledged members of society. Thus, I believe it is critically important to support these members of the brotherhood in expanding people’s understanding of this aspect and mitigating harmful issues such as aggression, discrimination, and bias toward them.
References
Hays, D. G., Dean, J. K., & Chang, C. Y. (2007). Addressing privilege and oppression in counselor training and practice: A qualitative analysis. Journal of Counseling & Development, 85(3), 317-324.
LaMantia, K., Wagner, H., & Bohecker, L. (2015). Ally development through feminist pedagogy: A systemic focus on intersectionality. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 9(2), 136-153.