Barker, L. A. (2008). Review of Racism in the United States: Implications for the helping professions [Review of the book Racism in the United States: Implications for the helping professions, by J. Miller & A. M. Garran]. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 14(4), 392–393. https://doi.org/10.1037/1099-9809.14.4.392
Abstract
Reviews the book Racism in the United States: Implications for the Helping Professions (2008) by Joshua Miller and Ann Marie Garran. The primary purpose of this book is to provide a comprehensive examination of racism as it exists in the United States and to demonstrate how helping professionals can respond to racism in their clinical work. The first half of the book explains what racism is, while the second offers suggestions for how clinicians can work to dismantle it. The book is founded on critical race theory. Some of the major tenets of critical race theory include: (a) the significance of race and racism as forces in our society that intersect with other forms of social oppression; (b) an interdisciplinary perspective; (c) the need to challenge dominant racial ideology; (d) the validity of experiential knowledge; and (e) a commitment to social justice. These are recurring themes throughout the book. The intended audience for the book is the helping professions, including social work, psychology, counseling, nursing, medicine, education, and law, from students to seasoned professionals. However, As a psychologist, I found this a bit frustrating, noting that seminal works in multicultural psychology were missing.