Beyond Diversity Courses: Strategies for Integrating Critical Consciousness Across Social Work Curriculum

This paper was presented at the 51^st Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, New York City, NY, February, 2005 and the Asia Pacific Social Work Conference, Seoul, South Korea, September 2005.

Abstract

ABSTRACT. This paper advances the knowledge base of social work education by employing a critical social work framework to inform teaching strategies that 1) raise critical consciousness, 2) uncover privileged positions that inform research, and 3) conceptualize social work practice that disrupts privilege and oppression. The premise of a need for such strategies arises from examination of the social work educational policies and standards that require attention to the experiences and conditions of marginalized populations. The conceptual and teaching approach described in this paper extends this standard via the examination of the privileged social identities and the ensuing behaviors that perpetuate oppressive practices and conditions among marginalized groups. A conceptual foundation for this approach is elucidated and teaching strategies for exploring privileged social locations are presented.

Keywords:

• Social work education
• diversity
• multicultural
• critical consciousness

Notes

This paper was presented at the 51^st Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education, New York City, NY, February, 2005 and the Asia Pacific Social Work Conference, Seoul, South Korea, September 2005.