This course explores racial microaggressions among African Americans. Racial microaggressions, their impacts on clients, and strategies for prevention and intervention will be examined. The course focuses on conceptualizing the construct and identifying examples of microaggressions that may occur in the lives of clients and practitioners. Although microaggressions can be directed toward gender, religion, sexual orientation, and other marginalized identities, this course focuses on the experience of racial microaggressions among African Americans. You will learn strategies and techniques to recognize when microaggressions occur and various approaches for intervening on an interpersonal and macro level. Attention will be given to the cultural context in how racial microaggressions are experienced and dilemmas about how to respond. The effect of power differentials on the interpretation of racial microaggressions will be examined. Using an African-centered perspective, the course will be knowledge-, skills-, and values-based. You will practice alternative methods of intervening when in the presence of racial microaggressions.
Pathway Elective For
- Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host)
Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Describe three forms of racial microaggressions, their relation to racism, and the themes observed in the various forms.
- Examine the impact of encounters with racial microaggressions on outcomes of social work services.
- Demonstrate intervening strategies in the occurrence of a racial microaggression.
- Analyze competing perspectives in labeling or interpreting the occurrence of a racial microaggression.
- Assess effects of racial microaggressions on the physical, social, and well-being of African Americans as identified in current research literature.
Design
This course will include assigned readings, PowerPoint presentations, video clips, case studies, and small-group problem-solving.
Intensive Focus on Privilege, Oppression, Diversity and Social Justice (PODS)
This course integrates PODS content and skills with a special emphasis on the identification of theories, practice and/or policies that promote social justice, illuminate injustices and are consistent with scientific and professional knowledge. Through the use of a variety of instructional methods, this course will support students developing a vision of social justice, learn to recognize and reduce mechanisms that support oppression and injustice, work toward social justice processes, apply intersectionality and intercultural frameworks and strengthen critical consciousness, self-knowledge and self-awareness to facilitate PODS learning.