Measuring the Diversity Awareness of Social Work Students: The Dual Perspective Inventory

Abstract

The Dual Perspective Inventory was implemented to measure the diversity awareness of first‐year MSW students at a university in the western U.S. Data were collected at the beginning of the first semester from students who enrolled in a course on diversity, and again at the end of the semester when the students were about to complete the course. The mean scores of both the before and after surveys indicated that the average MSW student had an acceptable level of diversity awareness and that their awareness increased during the semester. Findings also showed that students who were racial minorities, GLBT, disabled, and/or of non‐U.S. origin had a higher level of awareness than students from the dominant culture (white heterosexual nondisabled and U.S. native) in the after survey, as well as a greater increase in awareness level over the course of the semester.

Keywords:

• Dual Perspective Inventory
• biculturality
• diversity
• cultural awareness