When the Political Is Professional: Civil Disobedience in Psychology

Activists use civil disobedience as a means of putting social justice into practice. Psychologists can engage in civil disobedience to enact psychology's ethical principles, support marginalized communities, promote social welfare, and contest injustice. Drawing from the work of minoritized scholars within and outside of psychology, the American Psychological Association (APA) Ethics Code, social constructionism, intersectionality, and social justice movements, our article aims to empower psychologists to understand and use civil disobedience and advocates for expanding civil disobedience in the profession. Because psychologists' identities and contexts will inform their own civil disobedience, we utilize a social justice issue germane to our own work supporting transgender people as an exemplar where our ethical principles would conflict with law; thus, warranting civil disobedience. This example concerns Ohio House Bill 658, which, if enacted, would have mandated that psychologists "immediately notify, in writing, each of [a] child's parents if the child shows symptoms of gender dysphoria or otherwise demonstrates a desire to be treated in a manner opposite of the child's biological sex." We return to Ohio HB 658 and explore other contemporary social justice issues throughout to reveal how psychologists can conceptualize and enact civil disobedience in pursuit of transformative change. Public Significance Statement This article draws from the work of historically marginalized scholars, activists, and social justice movements to help psychologists understand and employ civil disobedience as a practice for transformative change. Additionally, it advocates for expanding the capacity for civil disobedience in professional psychology.