Do not use Celie. I did the first part on Celie . Use Mr.Albert Character. The Color Purple (Part II) – Stages of Change Assignment Select another character from the book/case study The Color Purple, different from the one selected in the first part of this assignment and identify The Stage of Change that the character appears to demonstrate and provide a detailed description of which characteristics are present that supports the identified Stage of Change. Discuss how the Stage of Change you selected relates to macro-level systems of oppression. Be sure to cite all source(s) in APA format.

Stages of Change: Mr. Albert Character

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Stages of Change: Mr. Albert Character

Introduction

Mr. Albert, in the Color Purple book/case study, is an antagonist who has an evil character when he mistreats Celie, his wife, with unnecessary cruelty and animosity. In the contemporary world, this character and behavior are unthinkable and intolerable. He is mean, abuses his wife Celie, is uncaring of her sexual or ordinary life pleasures, and insensitive. When Celie wishes to get an education, he dismisses that idea claiming Celie is too dumb to understand or excel in education (Walker, 2011). When he is granted Celie to marry instead of Nettie, he subjects Celie into not only abusive but also oppressive married life. His old-fashioned views and perceptions of women and the feeling of male authority and dominance results in the ill-treatment and abusive marriages, which he does not realize affect his family. He hides Nettie’s letters to Celie, an action that breaks their communication for over a year.

However, in the course of the book, an impressive and unexpected transformation and change are seen in Mr. Albert’s character. He transforms from the mean and callous husband to an understanding and loving man, who tries to rekindle the love and love Celie, providing her with a happy marriage, which she turns down. He hands Celie her letters and tries to live his life listening to people and forging all broken relationships (Walker, 2011). This transformation is caused by the dramatic misery he faces when Shug, his lover, leaves him and Celie, his wife. This transformation and change form the basis for this assignment, using Mr. Albert’s character to understand the stages of change as well as their relationship to macro-level system oppression.

Stages of Change: Action Stage

The Transtheoretical or Stages of Change model provides for six stages used to help explain why and understand the possibility of change and transformation among people. The six primary steps include pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation or determination, action stage, maintenance, and finally, termination stages (Prochaska, 2018). In the pre-contemplation stage, an individual does not realize his behavior, as they are unaware of their actions and the near future complications. Individuals in this stage underestimate the importance of changing their behaviors and emphasize on the cons of changing their behavior. In the contemplation stage, individuals begin realizing and noticing their unhealthy behaviors, which forms a grave problem for others. However, when deciding to change, individuals weigh carefully and equally, the advantages and disadvantages of changing their problematic and unhealthy behavior without a final resolution (Hashemzadeh, 2019). In the determination stage, individuals are ready to take a step in changing their behavior, with the belief that change may result in a healthy and happier life. The action stage involves the actual changed behavior with recent improvements, trying to move forward with the behavioral change, and acquiring new and healthier behaviors. The maintenance stage involves sustainable behavior change, while in the termination stage, the individual lacks any desire to relapse or return to their unhealthy behaviors.

According to the above analysis, Mr. Albert demonstrates the fourth stage, which is the action stage of change in the model, as he takes direct action towards a healthy living and happy goal. In his transformation, Mr. Albert demonstrates actual changed behavior with recent improvements, trying to move forward with the behavioral change and acquiring new and healthier behaviors. Primarily the change is current, and he is actualizing it having contemplated previous dangerous and unhealthy behaviors. After weighing, he finds that his conduct, treatment of his wife, and overall life he lived were unhealthy, unhappy, and caused harm among his immediate families (Hashemzadeh, 2019). Actions and characteristics that show Mr. Albert is in the action stage include the actual act of returning and handing Celie her letters, a move that previously broke Celie and Nettie’s communication and relationship for over a year. Secondly, Mr. Albert decided to change his old-fashioned stereotypical views on women when he took the step to change his ways, forge broken relationships, and profess love to Celie. Thirdly, the harsh treatment, cruelty, insensitiveness nature seizes, and he transforms into a more understanding and loving man and husband, showing a decision and action to forego previously unhealthy habits and embrace new, modified, and healthy behaviors of love, compassion, and empathy (Prochaska, 2018).

The action stage fits adequately in Mr. Albert’s character as, according to the book, his transformation is for a short period. He begins having a human connection that lacked previously, as seen through his harsh and abusive treatment to Celie. The fact that Mr. Albert is apologetic for his brutal and inhuman treatment towards Celie, his wife, shows taking action to mend his previously destructive and unhealthy behaviors with the goals of changing into a better man, father, and husband (Walker, 2011). Mr. Albert, at this stage, has made overt and specific modifications to his behavior, perceptions, and lifestyle, with everyone surprised that he changed. Moreover, the change is observable, and the entire change process is equated with actions showing he surpassed not ready, getting ready and ready steps of change (Prochaska, 2018).

Action Stage of Change and Macro-Level System Oppression Relations

Social oppression refers to systematic mistreatment or exploitation and abuse of specific groups of people, mostly a subordinate group exploited by a dominant group. Macro-level systems of oppression describe social oppression that occurs when a dominant group or society has more power than the subordinate does (Bécares, 2015). This results in social hierarchies and intersections of race, social class, sexuality, gender, and ability, among others. At macro levels, oppression is experienced in institutions such as schools, legal systems, and media, to mention a few. The action stage of change relates to the macro-level system of oppressions in that when effecting change; there are collective actions and behavior. At the macro-level, individual action is negligible and almost ineffective; however, social action is more effective seen through social movements against oppressive social institutions. Flash mobs, social movements, crowds (casual, conventional, expressive, and acting) and industrial actions are examples of collective behavior and actions, which involve actual demonstrations, strikes, and lobbying against oppressive schools, governments, or judicial systems to affect and change that oppressive behavior (Bécares, 2015). In most cases, once the collective action and behavior are completed, recent improvements and changes are made in these social institutions, trying to move forward with the behavioral change, and acquiring new and healthier behaviors while integrating opinions and policies providing by social movements.

Our contemporary world is faced with numerous macro-level system oppressions that can be explained and understood through the intersectionality theory. People are facing systematic social oppressions based on their sexuality, gender, race, and social status, among others. For instance, today and even in the older days, women are highly oppressed, which explains gender inequalities in the workplaces, discriminated salaries and wages, sexual discriminations, oppressive marriages, they are associated with poverty, and minimal representation in governments, among others (Louis, 2018). In response, social movements on gender equality and women empowerment have arisen as social actions, social movements, and macro-level intervention strategies to address social oppression among women and effect social change. This example establishes the relation between the action stage of change and macro-level system oppression. There is collective action among women and men through lobbying, women empowerment training, and seminars, among other social movement activities. All these actions are directed towards social change and the improvement of women’s perception of society. The ultimate changed goal and behavior, in this case, would be gender equality and directing social institutions to embrace women empowerment and equality.

Conclusion

Mr. Albert is a dynamic and round character in Color Purple who changes and transforms from a mean and callous husband to an understanding and loving man. In relation to the Stages of Change model, Mr. Albert demonstrates the action stage of change model, as he takes direct action towards a healthy living and happy goal. This is seen through the actual act of returning and handing Celie her letters, Mr. Albert changes his old-fashioned stereotypical views on women and forges broken relationships. The harsh treatment, cruelty, insensitiveness nature seizes transforming into increased understanding and love. The action stage of change relates to the macro-level system of oppressions in that when effecting change; there are collective actions and behavior. Collective behavior and actions involve actual demonstrations, strikes, and lobbying against oppressive schools, governments, or judicial systems to affect and change that oppressive behavior. In most cases, collective action and behavior result in improvements and social changes among social institutions. Moving forward necessitates integrating opinions and policies providing by social movements and development of comprehensive as well as conclusive policies.

References

Bécares, L. P. (2015). Understanding the Influence of Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and Class on Inequalities in Academic and Non-Academic Outcomes among Eighth-Grade Students: Findings from an Intersectionality Approach. PLOS ONE.

Hashemzadeh, M. A.-F.-N. (2019). Transtheoretical Model of Health Behavioral Change: A Systematic Review. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, Vol 24(2), pp; 83-90.

Louis, D. M. (2018). Discrimination and Oppression of Women: A Social Work Exploration in Zimbabwe. Sociology and Criminology-Open Access, Vol 6(2).

Prochaska, P. K. (2018). Stages of change and psychotherapy outcomes:A review and meta‐analysis. Journal of Clinical Pyschology, Vol 29(17), pp; 1-16.

Walker, A. (2011). The Color Purple: Volume 1 of The Color Purple Collection. Open Road Media.