Identity & Inclusion
In Fall 2019 Dr. Elyssa Klann (now at Towson University) and I co-taught the Identity & Inclusion undergraduate course at the University of Utah as part of our pre-doctoral internship. Our primary aims were to help students develop a greater awareness of multicultural issues in the United States, increase their understanding of their own worldviews, allow space to have difficult dialogues about identity, and apply an intersectional (Crenshaw, 1989) framework to understanding identity.
We emphasized real-world application and understanding of issues of diversity in this course. "Readings," then, included news articles, podcasts, Youtube videos, blog posts, and other media where students could hear from real people about their real experiences.
While we structured the course to be around specific identity groups, we spent the first few weeks of class talking about power, privilege, oppression, and intersectionality. We also spent time talking about how to dialogue, or have conversations about our personal experiences without debating. Classroom discussions and activities were structured to encourage students to consider each weekly topic from an intersectional lens.
Assignments in the course asked students to reflect on their own experiences, connect to the course material, and demonstrate increasing awareness over time. Our syllabus, cumulative reading list, and assignment outlines are listed below. For a week-by-week glance at the course, check out our different topics on this page!
Week 4: Ability Status & Ableism
As we transitioned into identity-specific topics, much of our class time was devoted to discussing readings and reactions to these readings.
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In small groups, students were asked to consider the ways that different disabilities would impact the way they get to and from class and the experience in the classroom. Then, students talked about what changes our campus would need to make to create a more inclusive, accessible space.
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For this week, students read:
S.E. Smith "Why I Say Disabled Person Instead of 'Person With Disabilities'"
https://rewire.news/article/2016/09/14/say-disabled-person-instead-person-disabilities/
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Job Accommodation Network A to Z List of Disabilities and Accommodations
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Clare Marie Edgeman's "The Tightrope Concept: An Alternative to Spoon Theory"
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Lydia Denworth's "Science Gave My Son the Gift of Sound"
https://time.com/76154/deaf-culture-cochlear-implants/
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Stella Young's "Inspiration Porn and the Objectification of Disability"
Week 6: Gender & Sexism
In class, students were given time to develop a gender socialization timeline. They were asked to draw a timeline of their life so far, and to indicate the different things they learned about gender at various points in life (e.g., when you were five, what messages were you given about gender as they relate to toys or clothes).
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Additionally, in small groups, students looked for relationship advice on the internet (e.g., Cosmopolitan, Men's Journal, Tinder). We discussed the similarities and differences between advice for different genders, what messages are commonly given to people of different genders, etc. Students were encouraged to use a feminist, intersectional lens for this discussion.
Students also completed the following assignments before class:
Aviva Shen's "Students See Male Professors as Geniuses, Female Professors As Bossy and Annoying"
PBS "A Map of Gender Diverse Cultures"
https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/content/two-spirits_map-html/
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National Geographic's "Hear Kids' Honest Opinions on Being a Boy or Girl Around the World"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B3ea7IGwLA
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Audrey Mason-Hyde's "Toilets, Bowties, Gender, and Me"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCLoNwVJA-0
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Suzannah Weiss's "7 Examples of Benevolent Sexism"
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As/Is "What It's Like to Be Intersex"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAUDKEI4QKI
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Week 8: Race & Racism
Our discussions mostly centered around these readings, as well as how to intervene in situations with microaggressions. We also discussed the way that "safety" is used to to frame public policy, and the ways this is coded language to talk about race. Students read the following to prepare for class:
NPR's "Hear Something, Say Something: Navigating the World of Racial Awkwardness"
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Fernanda Echavarri's "I've Heard Anti-Latino Racism for Years. But the El Paso Massacre Weaponized It"
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/08/el-paso-shooting-latinx-targeted-violence-essay/
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Kat Chow of NPR "Model Minority Myth Again Used as a Racial Wedge Between Asians and Blacks"
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Robin DiAngelo on NBC News "Debunking the Most Common Myths White People Tell About Race"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjHg65JORi8&t=39s
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Angela J. Hattery & Earl Smith's "Policing Black Bodies"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGrC-a6hVRU&t=33s
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Choose any episode of the podcast Code Switch
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch
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Week 9: Nationality, Geography, & Xenophobia
In small groups, students were assigned to look up the history of United States public policy related to different ethnic groups coming to this country (e.g., Indigenous people who were forced off their land, African people who were enslaved). We discussed the ways that public policy is informed by and informs public perception.
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Students also talked about immigration as a political issue in the current climate, specifically around "Build the Wall" sentiments, the El Paso shooting, anti-immigration laws, and children being locked in cages at the border.
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We also spent time talking about the ways that rural communities have less access to physical and mental health care, and how this can impact these communities.
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To prepare for this week, students completed the following:
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NPR's "How One Colorado Town is Tackling Suicide Prevention - Starting With the Kids"
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PBS "6 Charts Illustrate the Divide Between Rural and Urban America"
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/six-charts-illustrate-divide-rural-urban-america
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The Atlantic "Undocumented Immigrants Tell Their Stories"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPEme47p33o
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Miranda Cleland's "13 Powerful Refugee Stories From Around the World"
https://medium.com/globalgoodness/12-powerful-refugee-stories-from-around-the-world-5c0a54d2e2ed
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Try Guys of Second Try, LLC, Originally of BuzzFeed, "The Try Guys Try Immigrating to America"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-eLrAw-gGc
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Zolan Kanno-Youngs' NYT article "Squalid Conditions at Border Detention Centers, Government Report Finds"
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Week 12: Size and Sizism
As our final identity-centered week, the focus of our class time was discussing the readings and emphasizing an intersectional lens to understanding size and other issues discussed this semester.
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Students prepared for this week with the following:
Sonya Renee Taylor's "Bodies as Resistance"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWI9AZkuPVg
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O'Riordan's "The Hidden Curriculum in Desks"
https://canweallgo.com/2019/09/04/college-seating-and-desks/
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Linda Bacon & Amee Severson"Fat is Not the Problem - Fat Stigma Is"
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/fat-is-not-the-problem-fat-stigma-is/
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Your Fat Friend's "A Draft Agenda for Fat Justice"
https://medium.com/@thefatshadow/a-draft-agenda-for-fat-justice-db878d93cd98
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Gina Kolata's "Why do Obese Patients Get Worse Care"
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/26/health/obese-patients-health-care.html
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Your Fat Friend's "The Bizarre and Racist History of the BMI"
https://www.yourfatfriend.com/home/2019/10/15/the-bizarre-and-racist-history-of-the-bmi
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Week 1: Self-Awareness
This week, students did not have assigned readings. We spent time in class establishing ground rules, getting to know one another, orienting students to the course objectives, and establishing individual learning goals.
Week 2: Communication & Difficult Dialogues
This week, students did not have assigned readings outside of class. They were required to complete and present a cultural chest to the class, and complete an initial reflection. In class, we talked about the difference between dialogue and debate (Flick, 1998). We also discussed colorblind ideologies, cultural humility, and microaggressions, using multiple videos from Youtube.
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If Microaggressions Happened to White People:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPRA4g-3yEk
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How Microaggressions are Like Mosquito Bites:
Week 3: Systems & Intersections
We discussed power, privilege, and oppression. Students were required to read:
Maisha Johnson, "What Privilege Really Means"
https://everydayfeminism.com/2015/07/what-privilege-really-means/
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Johnson, A.G. (2006). Privilege, oppression, and difference. In A.G. Johnson (ed.), Privilege, Power, and Difference, (pp. 12-40). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
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In class, we used a modified form of a "Privilege Walk," reading privileges like those listed in Peggy McIntosh's Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack (1988) and asking students to take a piece of candy for each privilege they had.
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We also discussed intersectionality, with students considering their own intersecting privilege and oppression based on identity. Readings for this topic included:
Akila Obviously: "On Intersectionality in Feminism and Pizza"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgK3NFvGp58&t=38s
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Kerry Washington's Reading of Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry_i8w2rdQY
Students were reminded that this would be a critical concept repeated throughout the semester. In class, we watched clips of Kimberlé Crenshaw's "The Urgency of Intersectionality" (CW: Violence against Black folx):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akOe5-UsQ2o
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Week 5: Age & Ageism
In addition to thinking about the different privileges that may come with certain ages, we also asked students to consider some of the stereotypes of age portrayed in the media, using the following article as a guide:
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Students also prepared for the week with the following:
Paula Span's NYT article "Ageism: A Prevalent and Insidious Health Threat"
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/26/health/ageism-elderly-health.html
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Karina Martinez-Carter's "How the Elderly are Treated Around the World"
https://theweek.com/articles/462230/how-elderly-are-treated-around-world
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Eric Weiskott's "The Timelessness of Millenial Bashing"
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/millennial-bashing-medieval-times-180964003/
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John Bell's "Understanding Adultism: A Key to Developing Positive Youth-Adult Relationships"
https://www.nuatc.org/articles/pdf/understanding_adultism.pdf
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Selina Cheng's "Photos of Millenials' Bedrooms Around the World"
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Week 7: Sexual Orientation & Heterosexism
In class, students were asked to think about the development of their own sexual identity, and the associated awareness of this identity. In pairs, students answered:
1. When was the first, or a significant time, in which you recognized your own sexual identity? (When did it occur? How old were you? How did you feel about the situation? How did the situation influence your attitudes, values, or beliefs about sexual orientation?)
2. When was the first time, or a significant time, when you became aware that some people had a different sexual identity than you? (When did it occur? How old were you? How did you feel about the situation? How did the situation influence your attitudes, values, or beliefs about sexual orientation?)
3. When was the first, or a significant time, when you became aware that people were treated differently because they had different sexual identities? (When did it occur? How old were you? How did you feel about the situation? How did the situation influence your attitudes, values, or beliefs about sexual orientation?)
4. When was the first, or a significant time, in which you learned about lesbian women and gay men from your parents, friends, or your religious experiences? (When did it occur? How old were you? How did you feel about the situation? How did the situation influence your attitudes, values, or beliefs about sexual orientation?)
5. When was the first, or a significant time, in which you were challenged about your beliefs and attitudes regarding different sexual identities? (When did it occur? How old were you? How did you feel about the situation? How did the situation influence your attitudes, values, or beliefs about sexual orientation?)
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We also discussed representation in the media. Students were asked to work in small groups to identify TV shows they have seen that include a character who is LGBQ-identified. We asked them to consider how this character was portrayed, what stereotypes were present, and how the portrayal impacts society's impressions of this community.
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Alyson Krueger's NYT article "Our Marriage Looks Straight - We're Not"
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/09/fashion/weddings/bisexual-wedding-marriage-couples.html
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HRC "Growing up LGBT in America"
https://www.hrc.org/youth-report/view-and-share-statistics
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Rebekah Allen's "10 Myths About Lesbians"
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/lesbian-myths-debunked
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BBC "Fetishized and Forgotten: Why Bisexuals Want Acceptance"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr6kpscV6iM
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Tinder "5 Asexual People Explain What Asexual Means to Them"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMhix4nr_0g
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Julie Moreau's "Can You Be Fired for Being Gay" *
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*Update recommended based on June 2020 Supreme Court Ruling
Ariane de Vogue & Devan Cole's "Supreme Court says Federal Law Protects LGBTQ Workers From Discrimination"
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/15/politics/supreme-court-lgbtq-employment-case/index.html
Week 10: Religion, Spirituality, Non-Religion, and Christian Privilege
Students were given a "bingo" card of facts about different religious groups (e.g., What is the sacred text of Hindu? What are the five pillars of Islam?). Students first filled in the answers they already knew, and then were able to ask their peers to complete the BINGO card. We discussed the religions students knew more or less about, and reasons for this.
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Students prepared for this week with the following:
Kenneth Davis's "America's True History of Religious Tolerance"
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/americas-true-history-of-religious-tolerance-61312684/
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CNN's "Has Anti-Semitism Returned with a Vengence?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJQ3x9YDiYE
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Infographics Show "Atheist VS Agnostic: How do They Compare and What's The Difference?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRmX9RVeNkU
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National Geographic "Growing Up Transgender and Mormon"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8FZewEPAAk&list=PLSulQB-GdiQhJtcAfcjAQWHv96sMI5DGF&index=8&t=311s
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Rebecca Clay for APA "Islamaphobia"
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2017/04/islamophobia
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Daniel Cox and Richard P. Jones's "America's Changing Religious Identity"
https://www.prri.org/research/american-religious-landscape-christian-religiously-unaffiliated/
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Week 11: Social Class & Classism
As a class, we watched the documentary Class Divide (CW: reference of suicide) and discussed the ways the education system is impacted by social class, and how this relates to many other intersecting systems of oppression. Students also played the game Spent (http://playspent.org/) online and discussed their experience.
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To prepare for this week, students completed the following:
PBS "The Story of American Poverty, as Told By One Alabama County"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytd06hadrsM
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Mirre Stallen's "Poverty and the Developing Brain"
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Tony Semerad's "Utah's Food Deserts"
https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=3267049&itype=CMSID
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Brookings Institute "The Dangerous Separation of the American Upper Middle Class"
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NPR "A Portrait of America's Middle Class by the Numbers"
https://www.npr.org/2016/07/07/484941939/a-portrait-of-americas-middle-class-by-the-numbers
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Anthony Abraham Jack's NYT article "I was a Low Income College Student"
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/09/10/magazine/college-inequality.html
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Morgan Spurlock's "30 Days on Minimum Wage"
​https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6n0k9y
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Finals Week
During our final time together, students were asked to present about themselves, the way they have grown throughout the semester, and the different ways that they will continue a multicultural journey in their lives (Myself & My Responsibility). As part of this assignment, students could present the material however they wanted - however, if they chose to use a Powerpoint, we asked them to ONLY include images and no words. Students were really creative in what they shared - one even wrote and sang a song while playing the Ukulele! Because we had a small class of 13 students, we had grown to really know each other as a group. These final presentations were as much about assessing learning as they were about having a final opportunity to learn and grow with each other.