A qualitative research study that uses thematic analysis, a constructivist ontology, and interpretivist epistemology to examine whether institutional racism is being perpetuated in the counselling profession and education institutions through unconscious bias
This study’s objective is to examine unconscious bias within education institutions and the wider counselling community and whether this perpetuates institutional racism. To explore possible impacts both personally and professionally on Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) counsellors and their White counterparts. The rationale for my research is to align with broader issues related to equality, diversity, and inclusivity highlighting the need for a more inclusive and diverse curriculum that is culturally responsive within our training and counselling practices. The aim is to contribute to growing bodies of research to enhance our understanding of the interplay between bias, and racism, generating practical recommendations that effectively inform interventions and strategies to help mitigate or eradicate unconscious bias within these settings. The research seeks to foster a more inclusive and diverse educational and counselling environment embracing students from all cultural backgrounds.
The study involves a mixed-methods approach using both primary and secondary research. Utilising a Qualitative methodology, this study will primarily rely on a questionnaire to collect data from a purposively selected group of participants. The questionnaire will serve as a preliminary data collection method to provide insights into participants perceptions and experiences of bias and racism. This method will allow room for more open exploration of the topic, allowing participants to share their perspectives in more detail. I anticipate that each interview will last approximately 30 minutes.
A target sample size of 10 participants aligns well with my chosen analysis method. This target group is particularly relevant due to its inherent suitability for exploring how they may have experienced unconscious bias, racism, and discrimination in education and counselling settings. To comprehensively investigate the research objectives, I aim to recruit a broader cross-section of participants, offering more representative findings. My sampling strategy hopes to include students, tutors, and counsellors. However, I already anticipate the limitation of being able to recruit enough BAME individuals to reflect a balanced perspective due to the imbalance of BAME individuals in education and counselling settings within the context of this study.
Various recruitment methods will be employed to access a diverse and representative sample group. These include utilising college and university billboards, leveraging social media platforms like Linkedin, utilising notice boards of professional organisations like the BACP, UKCP, and Counselling Directory. Using this range of recruitment methods, I aim to ensure a diverse participant pool that encompasses different cultural backgrounds and personal and professional experiences. This breadth of perspectives will contribute to a balanced understanding of the presence, impact and perpetuation of bias and racism within the context of the study.
I will analyse the data using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), which is suitable for analysing smaller sample groups. IPA enables the identification of common themes within participant feedback. This approach will also highlight phenomena of bias and racism within the contexts of the study that are unconsciously linked.
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