Optimizing Motivation and the Motivational Climate to Promote Social Justice

Embracing a social justice perspective means that I aim to realise, in my own life and promote in my research and applied endeavors, a society that is fair and equal for all. In this chapter, I highlight the aspects of my sport journey from school sport through participation in the university which sensitized me to societal stereotypes and inequities tied to gender, race, and socio-economic status. Brief illustrations of how sport experiences fueled my interest in the topic of motivation are provided. Tribute is then paid to some key people who supported my development (then and now) as an academic and practitioner, contributing ways in which my work on motivational processes align with social justice principles. I also address major concepts and theories which have guided my scholarship on motivation and the motivational climate such as achievement goal theory, self-determination theory, and the theoretically integrating empowering/disempowering model I have developed. These frameworks embrace pillars of social justice such as equal opportunity for all, diversity, and mutual respect. I conclude with a synopsis of how I have tried to support social justice in my applied efforts within the field of sport psychology (such as the development and dissemination of Empowering Coaching™ training).