SOCW601 Anti-Racism and Culture-Building Practice
This course prepares students for anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and culture-building social work practice. The course examines how historical and contemporary patterns of racism, discrimination, and oppression influence social work practice and the professional commitments to marginalized groups and social workethical standards. Students develop their awareness of power, privilege, and marginalization in individuals’ intersecting status dimensions, including race, ethnicity, class, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, dis/ability, religion, and immigration. The course prepares students for anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice at individual, group, organizational and community levels within the context of a commitment to dismantling the system of white supremacy and cultivating cultures of wholeness. Attention is given to contextualizing trauma experienced by diverse communities of color, the role of trauma and resilience across generations, and how race and racism become internalized and can be applied to other people of color. The course uses experiential and self-reflective activities and emphasizes critical thinking on controversial topics and challenging oneself to consider new viewpoints that promote human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.