Teaching Intersectionality to Enhance MSW Students’ Understanding of Oppression and Privilege

Abstract

Despite the growing importance of teaching about diversity and its connection to intersectionality, privilege, and oppression in social work education, few studies have examined whether teaching interventions could enhance students’ knowledge of oppression. Thus, this study assessed the extent to which students assimilated content related to intersectionality, privilege, and oppression after an enhanced teaching intervention. Using a one-group pretest/posttest research design, this study measured the effect of an enhanced lecture and modified assignments on knowledge of intersectionality, privilege, and oppression among 30 MSW students enrolled in a generalist social work practice course at a public university in the Southwestern United States. Using the Diversity and Oppression Scale (DOS) and open-ended questions, non-parametric test results revealed a moderate-to-strong effect of the intervention indicating increased knowledge of diversity and oppression (Z = 3.30, p < .001, r = .43). Additionally, results from open-ended questions corroborated quantitative findings, as several students indicated that TED talks and interactive exercises were helpful learning modalities. Despite the limited sample size, findings from this study suggest that combined teaching interventions including pre-lecture activities, interactive lectures, and modified assignments may improve knowledge of diversity and oppression though additional research is needed to replicate these findings.