UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Department of Social Work

SW 8100 – Section 1

Social Work with Diverse Populations

Fall 2007

Tuesday 10 -12:50 Bohannon 343

INSTRUCTOR:Anne Tellett, MSSW, Ed.D.

OFFICE:Bohannon 203

PHONE:(218) 726-7679

FAX:(218)726-7185

EMAIL:

WEBSITE:

OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday 4:00–5:30 and by appointment

Course Overview:

The purpose of this course is for MSW students to have the opportunity to examine social work intervention and practice with a variety of diverse populations. Special attention will be given to issues of cultural competencewithin the context of social work practice; “To be culturally competent doesn’t mean you are an authority in the values and beliefs of every culture.What it means is that you hold deep respect for cultural differences and are eager to learn and willing to accept that there are many ways of viewing the world” (Okokon O. Udo, Executive Director, Center for Cross-Cultural Health, n.d.).Students will also examine societal issues generated by systemic discrimination and explore methods for reducing discrimination on a personal and societal level. Particular focus will be on advanced social work practice with diverse populations.

Course Objectives:

At all levels of social work practice students will:

1. Develop skills required for competent practice with diverse communities, including self-reflection, self assessment techniques, and seeking feedback to evaluate one’s awareness of diversity and one’s ability to work cross-culturally.
2. Describe theories of oppression in order to understand the impact on institutions and individuals.

3. Demonstrate the ability to challenge oppressive conditions and empower others to intervene at multiple systems levels.

4. Develop assessments within a culturally relevant framework, and specify culturally relevant problems, goals and desired outcomes at all levels of social work practice.

5. Develop culturally congruent services and interventions.

6. Apply a process for learning about specific cultures or diverse groups in order to provide competent social work practice.

7. Identify and implement strategies to address systemic issues of oppression.

8. Develop and practice a process for discussing issues pertaining to diverse populations including racism,sexism,homophobia,etc.

Course Format:

The format for this course will be a combination of large and small group discussions, focusing on applying the course content. Class meetings may also include lecture, media presentations, guest speakers, and activities outside of class where community events are applicable to course topics.

Required Text:

Sue, Derald Wing (2006).Multicultural Social Work Practice.Hoboken,New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Required Readings – on Reserve:

Excerpts from:

Johnson, A. (2006). Privilege, Power, and Difference, 2nd ed. NY, NY: McGraw Hill.

Rothenberg, P. (2007). Race, Class and Gender in the United States, 7th ed. New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Zinn, H. (1995). A People’s History of the United States: 1492-Present. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

Other Suggested Readings

Fadiman, A. (1998)The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. New York, NY: Farrar Straus & Giroux

NASW Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice

Department of Social Work Cultural Competence Materials

Assignments

Students are expected to know and follow the Writing Guidelines for the Department of Social Workfor all assignments for this course.

Critical Reflection Assignments. The written critical reflection assignment provides an opportunity for you to process your thoughts and feelings about the course content.This is not a summary of the reading but rather should include your critical reaction to the issues covered. A hard copy of the assignments (8) will be handed in at the beginning of class on the eight class sessions noted in the course schedule. These papers are to be dated, typed and no longer than two pages and should clearly state which content you are addressing. Late reflection assignments will not receive credit but must be turned in to meet the course requirement.

These reflections may be used to extend the ideas of the readings, raises questions, apply reading content, or develop conceptual frameworks to study social work from the perspective of diverse populations. Critical reflection assignments will be graded on a 0 to 5 scale.

  • A score of 5 is clearly an outstanding piece of writing and reflection, demonstrating new and creative insights on the concepts covered.
  • A score of 4 is better than average work. It is well-written and demonstrates concepts learned with applications and examples.
  • A score of 3 is average work that reviews the concepts and your interpretations.
  • A score of 1-2 is below average work with errors in writing and little content.
  • A score of 0 is for journals not completed on time.

Taping project This project is designed for your own personal reflection and growth. The purpose of this project is for you to do an initial assessment of your own ideas and attitudes about racism/sexism/homophobia/other "isms". In order to complete this project, you will need the interview guide, a tape recorder, and a blank tape. See me if you need help to arrange to check out a tape recorder from UMD ITSS.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Answer each of the questions on the interview guideas though you were being interviewed by someone else. Try to make your answers as complete as possible so that if someone else were listening, they would understand what you meant by your response.
2. Be sure to tape all your answers. If you need to go beyond 60 minutes, an additional tape should be used.
3. Turn in the tape by Sept 25th (week 4 of class) labeled with your name or other identifying information.
4. Although the tape will be collected, you will be the only person who will listen to the tape. Your confidentiality is assured. Feel free to be as candid in your responses as possible. The tapes will be returned to you near the end of the semester. At that time you will be asked to listen to your own tape and do a written analysis of it according to the guidelines that will be provided at that time.Final paper due November 27th.
This exercise has been adapted from an activity by Beverly Daniel Tatum (1992) and is used with her permission. Further editorial changes have been made by the Simmons Dynamics of racism faculty. The interview guide was originally adapted by Ms. Tatum from an interview guide in Wellman, D. (1977) Portraits of white racism. Cambridge, England: CambridgeUniversity Press

Attendance and Class Participation

Class participation is important because the exchange of ideas is necessary in the quest for knowledge. Active class participation facilitates learning not only for the individual participating but for the other class members as well. In order to obtain full credit for participation students need to attend all classes.

Developing the ability to participate in a group discussion is essential in the social work field. Each student should come prepared for class with questions and ideas about the readings on the topic of the week. These thoughts and questions should be the springboard for discussion. Each student should come to class prepared to listen carefully and respectfully of others, regardless of the point of view shared by their colleagues. The class participation component of the grade in this course will be based on contributions to the class discussion.

Class participation over the semester is worth 30 points and will be scored based on attendance and participation. Participation will be assessed based on:

  • active participation
  • passive participation in class discussion
  • non-participatory in class discussion

Research PaperDue December 4

The purpose of this assignment is for you to have the opportunity to examine and research more in depth social work practice with a particular population. Over the course of the semester you will read about a variety of diverse groups in the assigned text but none of these can be given the attention they deserve. Through research, you should examine the issues that are relevant to a particular diverse population and their implications for culturally competent social work practice. More specifics will be provided separately.

Paper on Expanding Horizons Immersion Experience All students will be required to participate in an immersion experience facilitated by CHUM/Gabriel Project Organizer Kim Crawford. This is a 4 hour experience developed to teach about issues of homelessness and poverty in collaboration with area human service agencies. You are expected to write a two-page paper on what you learned in the Immersion Experience and how this information might help you serve diverse populations more effectively.

Presentation of researchEach student will be responsible for developing a presentation to share their research with the class. The presentation should demonstrate knowledge of the application of social work skills to working with a particular population/issue, based on their individual research. Students will clearly demonstrate the application of a process for learning about a specific cultures or diverse group in order to provide competent social work practice.

Learning planDue last day of class

Each student will create a learning plan based on what you learned about yourself through this course, your research and the taping project. What are you specifically going to work on to address your needs for your ongoing cultural competence development? Your learning plan should be specific and measurable (ie; how are you going to know that you’ve accomplished it?) Say why you’ve chosen these activities and how you think they will help your social work practice as it relates to cultural competence development. My hope is that you will continue to refer to this “learning plan” as you continue in your social work career so make it realistic with some long and short term goals. Be as creative and authentic as possible.

Evaluation of Students/Grading

In the MSW program, students are expected to maintain a 3.0 GPA and are evaluated on an ongoing basis with respect to the following: verbal and written communication skills; effective interpersonal skills; sensitivity to human diversity and special needs; conceptual skills to analyze situations; and other skills necessary for effective social work practice (see MSW Student Handbook). In addition to these evaluative criteria, students in this class are graded on percentage of accumulated points on the assignments.

Assignment: / Percent of grade: / Points:
Critical reflections (8)
5 points per reflection / 20% / 40
Class attendance and participation / 15% / 30
Research Paper / 25% / 50
Taping Project / 20% / 40
Paper on Expanding Horizons Immersion Experience / 5% / 10
Presentation / 10% / 20
Learning Plan / 5% / 10
TOTAL POINTS / 100% / 200

A=90-100% (180-200 points)

B=80-89% (160-179 points)

C=70-79%(140-159 points)

Course Policies

Disabilities
My highest priority is for our classroom and course work to facilitate participation and exchange. I am eager to make accommodations to guarantee students with disabilities access to class sessions, course materials, and the activities of the class. You are encouraged to contact the Access Center-Disability Services to discuss and arrange reasonable accommodations (KirbyStudentCenter 256-258, tel. 726-8217or 726-6130),In addition, please let me know as soon as possible if you have a disability for which accommodations will be requested. Note that you are under no obligation to disclose the nature of your disability to me or other faculty.

Policy on Incompletes

Students wishing to take an incomplete for the course must submit a departmental incomplete form to the instructor for advance approval. Incompletes are discouraged, but if for some reason you are unable to complete the course requirements you must discuss this with the instructor. If you are requesting an incomplete for the course you need to be aware of the following:

  • Students who do not fill out and have the instructor sign the “Request for Incomplete Form” will receive a grade that reflects credit or points lost for work not completed.
  • All assignments for an incomplete must be completed by the end of the following semester. It is the student’s responsibility to keep track of what assignments have been completed and turned in for review.
  • If the incomplete is not made up by that time (the end of the following semester) students will receive the grade they have earned up to that point in the class.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to complete the form requesting an incomplete, and it is the student’s responsibility to get the instructor’s signature on the form, and it is the student’s responsibility to give a copy of the signed form to the Student Support Assistant and to the instructor. The student should also keep a copy for his or her own records.
  • If students do not fill out an incomplete form, obtain the instructor’s signature and get a copy to Student Support Assistant and the instructor, that student will receive the grade earned thus far in the class.

FeedbackFeedback is provided by both the instructor and other students. The class presentations and exercises encourage students to provide respectful and honest feedback to their classmates. This course encompasses adult learning techniques: the instructor and the students are partners in the teaching/learning process. Emphasis is placed on the students’ being responsible for self-directed learning. Feedback on performance from all partners is valuable. Students with questions about their performance should make an appointment to discuss this with the instructor.

Diversity

It is recognized that not all students have been provided extensive exposure to clients with cultural diversity, gay and lesbian issues, racial groups, etc., therefore, students are strongly encouraged to share multiple perspectives based on their experiences and backgrounds to enhance the learning of others.
Ground Rules for Class Discussion

Since this course includes a variety of topics that could raise controversy or conflict, the following ground rules for how we discuss sensitive topics are proposed. These ground rules are adapted from Lynn Weber Cannon's "Fostering Positive Class, Race, and Gender Dynamics in the Classroom" which appeared in Women's Studies Quarterly, 1990. 1&2, 130-132.

We can assume that discrimination exists in many forms (e.g., sexism, racism, classism, ageism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, etc.). Any critical understanding of these various “isms” means that we need to recognize that we have been taught misinformation about our own group as well as about members of other groups. This is true for dominant (e.g., white, male, upper class, heterosexual, able-bodied, etc.) and oppressed (e.g., people of color, women, poor and working class, gay/lesbian/bisexual, disabled, Jewish, etc.) group members.

Based on these assumptions, then, let’s agree that we cannot be blamed for misinformation we have learned, but we will be held accountable for repeating information after we have learned otherwise. People and groups are not to be blamed for their oppressed positions. Let’s assume that people are always doing the best they can. Let’s actively pursue information about our own groups and those of others. Let’s share information about our own groups with other members of the class but never demean, devalue, or in any other way put down people for their own experiences. We each have an obligation to actively combat myths and stereotypes about own groups so that we can break down the walls which prohibit group cooperation and group gain. Let’s create a safe environment for open discussion.

Integrity and Conduct

Academic dishonesty tarnishes UMD's reputation and discredits the
accomplishments of students. UMD is committed to providing students
every possible opportunity to grow in mind and spirit. This pledge can
only be redeemed in an environment of trust, honesty, and fairness. As
a result, academic dishonesty is regarded as a serious offense by all
members of the academic community. In keeping with this ideal, this
course will adhere to UMD's Student Academic Integrity Policy, which
can be found at This policy
sanctions students engaging in academic dishonesty with penalties up to
and including expulsion from the university for repeat offenders.

The instructor will enforce and students are expected to follow the
University's Student Conduct Code ( Appropriate classroom conduct promotes an environment of academic achievement and integrity. Disruptive classroom behavior that substantially or repeatedly interrupts either the instructor's ability to teach, or student
learning, is prohibited. Disruptive behavior includes inappropriate use
of technology in the classroom. Examples include ringing cell phones,
text-messaging, watching videos, playing computer games, doing email,
or surfing the Internet on your computer instead of note-taking or
other instructor-sanctioned activities.

Class Schedule

Date / Topics / Readings (before class)
Sept. 4,
2007 / Syllabus review
Discussion of course assignments / Syllabus
Sept. 11 / Principles and assumptions of multicultural social work practice
Becoming culturally competent in social work practice / Sue: Chapter 1 & 2
Sept. 18 / The political dimensions of social work practice- Sociopolitical implications of oppression
Kim Crawford – overview of Expanding Horizons for class on 10/9
Toni Thorstad – speaker / Sue: Chapter 3
Sept. 25 / Power Privilege and Difference
Racial Formations ( Omi & Winant)
Constructing Race, Creating White Privilege (Pem Davidson Buck) / HANDOUTS
Johnson p.vii – 14
Rothenberg p. 13-22
Rothenberg p. 32-38
Oct. 2 / Holding Difficult Conversations /Dialogue session (in class) / Johnson, Chapter 3, p.15-41 R ( Reserve)
Columbus, the Indians and Human Progress,(Zinn),
p. 1-22. R
Oct.8th Watch for information on Indigenous People’s Celebration (Alternative to Columbus Day)
Oct. 9 / Expanding Horizons a Duluth Immersion Experience with Kim Crawford
Class will take the bus from KirbyPlaza-
Leaving UMD between 8:00 and 8:30 am exact time to be announced, returning at 12:30 pm. /

Class in America – 2006, (G. Mantsios), Rothman p. 182-197 R

Johnson, Chapter 4 and 5, p. 42-72

Oct. 16 / St. Louis County Social Services Conference
Oct. 23 / Worldviews
Cultural styles in multicultural intervention strategies / Sue: Chapter 4
Sue: Chapter 8
Oct. 30 / Racial/cultural identity development
White racial identity development / Sue: Chapter 5
Sue: Chapter 6
Nov. 6 / Barriers to effective practice / Sue: Chapter 7

Defining racism: “Can we talk” (Beverly Daniel Tatum), Rothenberg, p 123-130 R

C.P. Ellis, (Studs Terkel), Rothenberg, P. 507-518 R

How Jews became white folks and what that says about race in America, (Karen Brodkin), Rothenberg p.38-53 R

Nov. 13 / Multicultural Family counseling and therapy
Profiles / Sue: Chapter 9
Sue: Chapter 13
Nov. 20 / Non-western and indigenous methods of healing
Profiles / Sue: Chapter 10
Sue: Chapter 12
Nov. 27 / Organizational change and social justice / Sue: Chapter 11
Johnson, Chapter 10, p.137-171 R
Dec. 4 / Profiles
Catch up on topics / Sue: Chapter 14
Dec. 11 / Last class
Student presentations

Week of October 16th