Teaching Cultural Diversity and Oppression

Abstract

The paradox of courses on cultural diversity and oppression is that they produce both positive and negative consequences. The paper reviews the recent literature to examine the efforts to use teaching/class settings as a vehicle for educating students and modifying their behavioral attitudes regarding cross-cultural content. As an alternative to didactic or clinical appraoches, the paper offers a format (Coverdale) which manages the risks inherent in such a course. Borrowed from management consulting, Coverdale provides a skill based, experiential format which allows a class to work in teams in order to come to grips with their own diversity. Realistic in what it can offer, the application of Coverdale concepts to the course offesr practical skills to social work students who must often work cooperatively with diverse others at the individual, group and community level. Students takin gthis course evaluated it positively.