Black Identity Development Model Case Study

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My initial conceptualization is that Biko is under a lot of stress. It’s his second year of college and he is pursuing a double major. That alone in itself can cause substantial stress. Not only is he dealing with academic stress but he is also having problems with his girlfriend Tanisha. Biko and Tanisha are not on the same page when it comes to premarital sex. Biko wants them to be sexually active and Tanisha doesn’t because of her religious beliefs. Biko also struggles to control his anger and has said that he feels like he is losing control and feels helpless and hopelessness. He is concerned how his anger will continue to cause problems with his social relationships. He has tried to channel his anger into other activities like working …show more content…

These are relevant because I wouldn’t counsel a white atheist female the same way I would counsel a black African Methodist Episcopal male. By using the Black Identity Development Model I would say that Biko is in the preencounter stage. Biko’s parents went to a historically black college (HBC) and wanted him to go to one as well. Biko decided not to because he doesn’t want to follow in his parent 's footsteps so he went to a primarily white college. This means that Biko doesn’t want to attend an HBC because he thinks it will make him an angry person. He is unconsciously devaluing African Americans and his culture. Biko may think that he identifies with being African American but by choosing a white school over a black school because he believes that attending a black school will make him an angry aggressive person is discrimination. “Blacks at this stage evidence self-hate, low self-esteem, and poor mental health” (Vandiver, 2001). Biko’s self-esteem is low because he has had females use him and this also caused him to have problems trusting people. Also, his girlfriend goes out and parties and doesn’t answer the phone for him while he is at home worrying and getting angry at her. If he had better social skills then he could go to parties with her or go out with his own …show more content…

I am older so I could have a bigger influence because of status. Biko might take what I’m saying more seriously than if I was around his age. I could ask Biko what is being said about him and who is saying it. In a predominantly white school a 21 year old, tall, big, African American male can be seen as “an angry black man” to the people around him and on campus. Biko could be seen as a threat and if he were to get in a minor argument it could be taken out of context and twisted into something completely different. I could talk to his professors on campus and talk to someone who is over an anger management class given on campus. I could ask Biko if there are any campus activities or clubs that he could be a part of. This could help him to be more social and can help build his reputation around campus. Because he is in the preencounter stage it could be a little difficult working with him because I am African

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