Interacting Oppressions

Abstract

Women of color stand at a critical juncture, subject to the interactions of racism and sexism in every arena of their lives. Yet, social work educators most often present issues of race and gender separately, drawing upon two distinct bodies of literature. The author reviews the existing literature on women of color, focusing on five dominant themes that address interactions among race, gender, and other factors in the lives of women of color. Several curriculum models are described that offer approaches to teaching material on women of color to social workers. She then suggests the use of the case example as an effective method for conveying this material. A specific case example, African American mothers of disabled children, is used to address each of the five themes presented in the literature review. Specific pedagogical techniques are suggested for using the case example approach and the five themes in class.