Social Justice and Cultural Responsiveness: Innovative Teaching Strategies for Group Work

Abstract

This article presents a teaching strategy for group work that enhances the social justice consciousness of course participants by increasing their knowledge of their own cultural identity, worldview, acculturation, privilege, and oppression to improve their cultural responsiveness and understanding of social justice issues. The focus is on group teaching strategies designed to help counselors-in-training learn about culture (their own and others) so they can better understand cultural differences and social issues, and learn group process and practice, keeping culture and social justice issues in the forefront.

Keywords:

• culture
• group work
• social justice
• training

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Farah A. Ibrahim

Farah A. Ibrahim, Ph.D., is a professor of counseling psychology and counselor education in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Colorado Denver. The author wishes to thank the special issue editors for their feedback and support throughout the review and revision process and all the educational institutions that she has been affiliated with that allowed her to develop and teach from social justice and cultural responsiveness perspectives.