Abstract:Classroom-based microaggressions are a critical problem, associated with a range of negative impacts for students in targeted groups. Central to the problem of microaggressions is that they are often unacknowledged or unaddressed by educators in their own classrooms. Findings from the Social Work Speaks Out! mixed-method survey demonstrate that LGBTQ+ undergraduate and graduate students experience a range of microaggressions in social work classrooms, as they would in classes in other fields. This article draw… Show more
“…By contrast, Byers et al. (2020), reporting on a study involving Canada and the United States which examined social work students' experiences of homophobic and transphobic noted the following accounts from social work students in the United States:I have a professor who, when one student brought in information about a gay marriage (pro) rally, made a point to say that not everyone agrees and that the school isn’t affiliated with the rally. Then basically backed up his side with his religion.We had an instructor who made it clear that he was uncomfortable with homosexuality because of his religion.…”
There is a dearth of research on how negative religious attitudes towards LGBTQ people inform professional practice. This paper reports on a scoping review of 70 selected studies from 25 different countries. It explores key issues and knowledge gaps regarding the delivery of services to LGBTQ adults by religious healthcare, social care and social work organisations and/or practitioners with faith-based objections toLGBTQ people and their lives. The review identified four main themes: (1) a close connection between religious affiliation and negative attitudes towards LGBTQ people, among both students and professionals; (2) a heightening effect of religiosity, particularly among Christian and Muslim practitioners/students; (3) educators' religious attitudes informing curriculum design and delivery, and some highly religious students resisting and/or feeling oppressed by LGBTQ-inclusivity, if present; (4) examples of practice concerns raised by professionals and lay LGBTQ people. The article considers the ethical, practical, educational and professional standards implications, highlighting the need for further research in this area.
“…By contrast, Byers et al. (2020), reporting on a study involving Canada and the United States which examined social work students' experiences of homophobic and transphobic noted the following accounts from social work students in the United States:I have a professor who, when one student brought in information about a gay marriage (pro) rally, made a point to say that not everyone agrees and that the school isn’t affiliated with the rally. Then basically backed up his side with his religion.We had an instructor who made it clear that he was uncomfortable with homosexuality because of his religion.…”
There is a dearth of research on how negative religious attitudes towards LGBTQ people inform professional practice. This paper reports on a scoping review of 70 selected studies from 25 different countries. It explores key issues and knowledge gaps regarding the delivery of services to LGBTQ adults by religious healthcare, social care and social work organisations and/or practitioners with faith-based objections toLGBTQ people and their lives. The review identified four main themes: (1) a close connection between religious affiliation and negative attitudes towards LGBTQ people, among both students and professionals; (2) a heightening effect of religiosity, particularly among Christian and Muslim practitioners/students; (3) educators' religious attitudes informing curriculum design and delivery, and some highly religious students resisting and/or feeling oppressed by LGBTQ-inclusivity, if present; (4) examples of practice concerns raised by professionals and lay LGBTQ people. The article considers the ethical, practical, educational and professional standards implications, highlighting the need for further research in this area.
“…The Council on Social Work Education in the USA produced a guide for addressing microaggressions in social work classrooms. Steps suggested are to notice, acknowledge, make space, and engage group (Byers et al, 2020;McInroy, 2019). We highly recommend exploring further their recommendations for your classroom.…”
Section: Reproduction Of Power Asymmetries Through Microaggressionmentioning
Based on the recent call to expand the discussion about sex and sexuality in social work, and coming from an international perspective, this paper offers a theoretical and practical strategy for teaching sex and sexuality in social work. The pedagogical strategy aims at creating a critical thinking classroom. Specifically, the paper presents six key topics for teaching sex and sexuality critically in social work: 1. Sexuality in social work fields; 2. Sexuality as a social constructed phenomenon; 3. Categorizations and sexual identities; 4. Structural based privileges and disadvantages; 5. Reproduction of power asymmetries through microaggressions; 6. Expanding the conception of sexuality in social work. Each topic is presented with suggestions for literature and critical questions for classroom.
“…Few studies have examined teaching and learning about gender diversity at the university level. The scant literature on teaching about gender diversity within helping professions in universities has predominantly focused on delineating the problem of lack of material about gender diversity and on the changes needed to address it in curricula within social work education (Acker, 2017;Austin et al, 2016;Byers et al, 2019;Craig et al, 2017). The limited literature focusing on how these issues apply to child and youth care workers explores how to support young gender-diverse people by focusing on general awareness and terminology (James, 2019;Skott-Myhre & Wagner, 2014), providing ethical care (Clark, 2017), examining the roles child and youth care practitioners can play (Clark, 2017;James, 2019), developing theoretical frameworks (Skott-Myhre & Wagner, 2014), and detailing lived experiences (Skott-Myhre & Wagner, 2014).…”
To better understand how using a novel in a child and youth care classroom impacts empathy in relation to gender diversity, a qualitative study was constructed. Data were gathered using an online questionnaire administered to child and youth care practitioner students. These students had engaged with the novel Scarborough (Hernandez, C. [2017]. Scarborough: A novel. Arsenal Pulp) in a course about foundational therapeutic knowledge. The study sought to identify: (a) what perceptions and emotions were evoked by engaging with the narrative of a young person exploring gender; (b) what, if any, aspects of empathetic connection emerged in relation to this exploration; and (c) what, if any, connections were made to the theoretical material taught in the course. The study incorporated child-and-youth-care-specific and critical social theory frameworks, and theorized about evocative objects and the concept of empathetic distress. The findings suggest that novel-based teaching can elicit from students, or help them express, higher-order empathy in relation to gender diversity, and that a narrative about the struggle to live as one’s genuine self is one possible pathway towards achieving this empathetic connection. Additional research is needed to investigate these preliminary findings and to address bias in the existing literature on adult education and the use of fiction.
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