Psychology & Buddhism.pdf

Buddhist Empowerment 177
Some have asked why psychologists would be interested in empowerment.
Whether a psychologist is a clinical therapist or a community activist, both are
interested in helping people gain a sense of personal control over their lives.
Whether working with an individual person or an entire community, the issue of
control remains. When people feel they can control their personal lives and what
happens in their neighborhood/community/society, they have better psychological
and physical adjustment. When organizations, communities, and societies
expand their influence and control over access to resources, they can improve the
quality of life of their citizens. Community psychologists are interested in
empowerment as a means of fostering healthy individuals and healthy communities,
and a growing number are interested in the role of religion in this regard.
Psychological Perspective
Empowerment at the Individual Level
Individual empowerment, or psychological empowerment, refers to a process
through which individuals gain control over their lives (Rappaport, 1981). It
focuses on increasing self-perceptions of competence and control, understanding
one’s environment, and taking actions to produce change (Zimmerman, 1995). It
also “includes a concern for the common good and a sense of connectedness to
others” (Zimmerman & Rappaport, 1988, p. 747).
Personal control is also a central trait in Suzanne Kobasa’s (1982) “hardy”
stress resistant personality and, for purposes of this paper, psychological empowerment
will be discussed within that context. Based on her research in highly
stressful situations comparing persons who did not develop psychological or
physical illness with those who did, Kobasa identified a hardy personality style
that is unusually resistant to stress. According to Kobasa, hardy persons have
a general orientation toward life that is characterized by three traits: commitment,
control, and challenge. Essentially, hardy persons are those who have:
a deep sense of personal commitment to self, family, relationships, work,
and other stabilizing values.
a belief in personal control over the events in their lives.
an orientation toward life change as a challenging opportunity for growth,
rather than a threat.
Commitment. Deeply held commitments, especially to self, provide a sense of
purpose and meaning to the activities of one’s life. Commitments denote what is
important to the individual. They underlie the choices one is willing to make to
achieve one’s goals, and motivate the individual to persist in pursuing a goal in