Equity Case Studies Report - School of Social Work - University of ...
Equity Case Studies Report - School of Social Work - University of ...
Equity Case Studies Report - School of Social Work - University of ...
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UBC school <strong>of</strong> social work equity and diversity strategic plan: A compilation <strong>of</strong> case studies 17<br />
support students in their academic, pr<strong>of</strong>essional, and personal growth. Moreover, “effectively<br />
addressing content related to diversity and difference implies self-examination and selfawareness.<br />
Such learning can be emotionally and personally challenging: dealing with the<br />
affective as well as the cognitive components <strong>of</strong> learning is a key aspect <strong>of</strong> pedagogical practice”<br />
(MacDonald et al., 2003, p. 481). Strategies that the <strong>School</strong> has addressed as important include<br />
“incorporating relevant questions into program reviews, by structuring formal and informal times<br />
to analyze critically [their] pedagogical practices, and by involving students in more effective<br />
formative evaluations <strong>of</strong> pedagogy” (MacDonald et al., 2003, p. 481). The <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Social</strong><br />
<strong>Work</strong> at Dalhousie <strong>University</strong> has put much time, energy, and efforts into fully embedding a<br />
social justice lens within their pedagogical practice.<br />
Challenges<br />
Throughout their process <strong>of</strong> developing and implementing strategies for best practice in<br />
addressing equity and diversity issues, Dalhousie <strong>University</strong>’s <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Social</strong> <strong>Work</strong> has come<br />
across various challenges, which are common when battling inequity and oppression in<br />
educational institutions. Below are a couple examples <strong>of</strong> barriers they experienced, taken from<br />
MacDonald et al.’s (2003) article about the <strong>School</strong>’s journey in addressing equity issues.<br />
Community Relationships. MacDonald et al. (2003) discuss obstacles that can arise when<br />
attempting to establish and maintain positive relationships and linkages with communities:<br />
Potential barriers include scheduling difficulties, communication breakdown, increasing<br />
demands on community workers in a milieu <strong>of</strong> taxed resources, historical relationships <strong>of</strong><br />
groups, feelings <strong>of</strong> uncertainty and vulnerability, and the risk <strong>of</strong> being misunderstood.<br />
The length <strong>of</strong> time required to create institutional change is exacerbated by structural