The School of Social Work Welcomes M. Candace Christensen

M. Candace Christensen’s research takes a critical feminist approach to community-engaged, qualitative, arts-based research methodologies that prevent and respond to gendered, racial and anti-LGBTQ+ violence. Their commitment to this approach is grounded in their positionalities as a Femme genderqueer, poly-sexual, artist-activist and survivor of sexual violence. They aim to deconstruct paradigms and practices that perpetuate power-based violence and to build cultures focused on self-determination, a sense of connection and mutual empowerment. They use Theatre of the Oppressed to construct sexual violence prevention interventions, and they have experience with community-based theatre, sexual violence-prevention activism, queer liberation and racial justice, and with helping students implement creative approaches to social work practice. Their recent work focuses on queer and trans youth development. 

“I came to the U-M School of Social Work because the school values arts-based social justice research,” Christensen said. “Using the arts in research, teaching, and practice creates a brave space for folx to take risks that enrich and expand our understanding of social justice topics like interpersonal violence, anti-Black racism, and queer and trans phobias. Bringing an arts-infused lens to these issues shows why these problems exist and what we can do about them.”

Christensen holds a BA in theatre and literature from the University of Texas at Dallas, and an MSW and a PhD in Social Work from the University of Utah.