Praxis, Critical Intersectionality, and Social Work Practice

In this mini-course, we will provide an overview of a critical intersectional framework developed by the UM-SSW Critical Intersectionality Learning Community and provide opportunities for students to apply 7 sets of capacities in different aspects of social work practice (with examples, critiques, and skill practice). Participants will explore positionalities in their own lives, engage in a variety of interactive activities, practice applying analytic frameworks in various settings, and work together to identify how they will continue to apply these capacities in their future SSW experiences. We also emphasize explicit attention to goals for social and economic justice, and different ways of understanding and working for justice.

Intersectionality frameworks focus on multiple interacting systems of oppression associated with types of positionalities [e.g., race, ethnicity, economic class, age, disability, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression and other TLGBQQI issues]. Positionalities include multiple components: social locations (structural), social categories (symbolic and cultural), social processes (day to day organization, community and group dynamics), and situated social identities (at self and relationship levels). Combining these approaches helps us to make sense of complex human conditions and especially how to address patterns of oppression and privilege that deeply affect human opportunities and barriers, well-being, and health. If people are able to recognize, analyze and address these forces at multiple system levels, they will be better able to resist or change them.