“Not the Time For Kumbaya”
An Exploratory Study of Race-Based Caucusing in the Social Work Classroom
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18060/24092Keywords:
caucus, race-based, antiracism, social work education, race-based caucusingAbstract
This paper describes the use of race-based caucusing in a foundation-level MSW course focused on racism and other systems of oppression at a primarily White university in the Northeast. This technique was chosen based on the desire to allow space for students to examine and dismantle their internalized racialized socialization. This strategy was used in three sections of this course across two semesters, and this paper describes the findings of focus groups conducted with students at the end of each semester to understand their experiences with caucusing and their perceptions of the drawbacks and benefits of using this strategy in the classroom context. We discovered that student experiences of caucusing centered around the separate spaces that race-based caucusing created. Specifically, we learned from students that they had varied initial reactions to the idea of race-based caucusing as well as encountering challenges and seeing benefits to the strategy. As instructors, we provide our own experiences with caucusing and, based upon our analysis of the focus group data, conclude that this strategy yielded different results for BIPOC and White students and offer some suggestions to aid other instructors considering implementation.
References
Abdullah, C. M., & McCormack, S. (2008). Dialogue for affinity groups: Optional discussion to accompany facing racism in a diverse nation. https://www.everyday-democracy.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Dialogue-Affinity-Groups_Everyday-Democracy.pdf
Adams, M. (2016). Pedagogical foundations for social justice education. In M. Adams & L.A. Bell (Eds.), Teaching for diversity and social justice (3rd ed., pp. 27-53). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315775852-9
Arao, B., & Clemens K. (2013). From safe spaces to brave spaces. A new way to frame dialogue around diversity and social justice. In L. Landreman (Ed.), The art of effective facilitation: Reflections from social justice educators (pp. 135-150). Stylus Publishing.
Bailey, A. (1998). Privilege: Expanding on Marilyn Frye’s “Oppression.” Journal of Social Philosophy, 29(3), 104-119. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9833.1998.tb00124.x
Bell, L. A. (2016). Theoretical foundations for social justice education. In M. Adams & L.A. Bell (Eds.), Teaching for diversity and social justice (3rd ed., pp. 3-26). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315775852-8
Bell, L. A., Goodman, D. J., & Ouellett, M. L. (2016). Design and facilitation. In M. Adams & L.A. Bell (Eds.), Teaching for diversity and social justice (3rd ed., pp. 55-93). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315775852-10
Bell, L.A., Funk, M.S., Joshi, K.Y., & Valdivia, M. (2016). Racism and White privilege. In M. Adams & L.A. Bell (Eds.), Teaching for diversity and social justice (3rd ed., pp. 133-182). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203940822-16
Blackwell, K. (2018, August 9). Why people of color need spaces without white people. The Arrow. https://arrow-journal.org/why-people-of-color-need-spaces-without-white-people/
Blitz, L. V., & Kohl, B. J. (2012). Addressing racism in the organization: The role of White racial affinity groups in creating change. Administration in Social Work, 36(5), 479-498. https://doi.org/10.1080/03643107.2011.624261
Bonilla-Silva, E. (2001). White supremacy and racism in the post-Civil Rights era. Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Council on Social Work Education. (2015). Educational policy and accreditation standards for baccalaureate and master’s social work programs. https://www.cswe.org/getattachment/Accreditation/Standards-and-Policies/2015-EPAS/2015EPASandGlossary.pdf.aspx
Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43, 1241-1299. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039
Creswell, J. (2013). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). Sage.
Crossroads Ministry. (n.d.). Racial identity caucusing: A strategy for building anti-racist collectives. http://massnonprofitnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Racial-Identiy-Caucusing-Strategy.pdf
Demos, V, Lemelle, A., Jr., & Gashaw, S. (2007). Systems of oppression. In M. T. Segal & T. A. Martinez (Eds.), Intersection of gender, race, and class: Readings for a changing landscape (pp. 557-564). Oxford University Press.
DiAngelo, R. (2006). My class doesn’t trump my race: Using oppression to face privilege. Multicultural Perspectives, 8(1), 51-56. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327892mcp0801_9
DiAngelo, R. (2011). White fragility. International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 3(3), 54-70.
Dominelli, L. (2002). Anti-oppressive social work theory and practice. Palgrave Macmillan.
Ferguson, I., & Lavalette, M. (2013). Critical and radical social work: An introduction. Critical and Radical Social Work, 1(1), 3-14. https://doi.org/10.1332/204986013x665938
Frye, M. (1983). The politics of reality: Essays in feminist theory. Crossing Press.
Gans, H. J. (2017). Racialization and racialization research. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 40(3), 341-352. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2017.1238497
Hardiman, R., Jackson, B.W., & Griffin, P. (2013). Conceptual foundations. In M. Adams, W. Blumenfeld, C. R. Castañeda, H. W. Hackman, M. L. Peters, & X. Zúñiga (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social justice (3rd ed., pp. 26-35). Routledge.
Helms, J. E. (2008). A race is a nice thing to have: A guide to being a White person or understanding the White persons in your life (2nd ed.). Microtraining Associates.
Helms, J. E. (2014). A review of White racial identity theory: The sociopolitical implications of studying White racial identity in psychology. In S. Cooper & K. Ratele (Eds.), Psychology serving humanity: Proceedings of the 30th International Congress of Psychology, Volume 2 (pp. 12-27). Psychology Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315777184
Hudson, K. D., & Mountz, S. E. (2016). Teaching Note- Third space caucusing: Borderland praxis in the social work classroom. Journal of Social Work Education, 52(3), 379-384. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2016.1174633
Jones, C. P. (2000). Levels of racism: A theoretical framework and a gardener’s tale. American Journal of Public Health, 90(8), 1212-1215. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.90.8.1212
Ladhani, S., & Sitter, K.C. (2020). The revival of anti-racism: Considerations for social work education. Critical Social Work, 21(1), 55-65. https://doi.org/10.22329/csw.v21i1.6227
McIntosh, P. (1989, July-August). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. Peace and Freedom Magazine. https://nationalseedproject.org/images/documents/Knapsack_plus_Notes-Peggy_McIntosh.pdf
Michael, A., & Conger, M.C. (2009). Notes from the field - Becoming an anti-racist white ally: How a white affinity group can help. Perspectives on Urban Education, 6(1), 56-60. https://marypendergreene.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/affinity_groups_White_allies_56-60-Michael_and_Conger.pdf
Mullaly, R. P. (2007). The new structural social work: Ideology, theory, practice (3rd ed.). Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
Myers, K., Trull, L. H., Byrson, B. J., & Yeom, H. S. (2019). Affinity groups: Redefining brave spaces. The Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work, 24, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.18084/1084-7219.24.1.1
National Association of Social Workers. (2017). Code of ethics. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
Obear, K., & martinez, b. (2013). Race caucuses: An intensive, high-impact strategy to create social change. New Directions for Student Services, 2013(144), 79-86. https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.20071
Omi, M., & Winant, H. (1994). Racial formations in the United States. Routledge.
powell, j. a. (2013). Deepening our understanding of structural marginalization. Poverty & Race, 22(5), 3-5. https://belonging.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/Sept-Oct%202013%20PRRAC%20Disparities%20Article.pdf
Racial Equity Tools. (2020a). Caucus and affinity groups. Retrieved from: https://www.racialequitytools.org/act/strategies/caucus-affinity-groups
Racial Equity Tools (2020b). System of White supremacy and White privilege. https://www.racialequitytools.org/resources/fundamentals/core-concepts/system-of-white-supremacy-and-white-privilege
Rasmussen, B. B., Klinenberg, E., Nexica, I. J., & Wray, M. (2001). Introduction. In B.B. Rasmussen, E. Klinenberg, I.J. Nexica, & M. Wray (Eds.), The making and unmaking of Whiteness (pp. 1-24). Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780822381044
Sue, D. W. (2003). Overcoming our racism: The journey to liberation. John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
van Manen, M. (1990). Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive pedagogy. State University of New York.
Walls, N. E., Roll, S., & Sprague, L. (2010). Teaching about privilege: A model combining intergroup dialogue and single identity caucusing. Understanding & Dismantling Privilege, 1(1), 1-32. http://www.wpcjournal.com/article/view/6262
Western States Center. (2003). Dismantling racism: A resource book for social change groups. http://www.resourcesharingproject.org/dismantling-racism-resource-book-social-change-groups
Young, I. M. (1990). Justice and the politics of difference. Princeton University Press.
