Power, Privilege, & Oppression

SW-503LEC-D

University at Buffalo

  • Semester
    Spring 2026
  • Instructor
    Susan A. Green
  • Start Date
    01-21-2026
  • Total Credits
    3
  • Call to Register
    716-645-5698

Take your class online with SUNY

You will learn the same curriculum as our on-campus students

This course uses a critical lens to examine issues of privilege, power, oppression, and human rights in social work practice. The effects of social locations and identities (e.g., race, class, gender, gender expression, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion, physical or mental disability, and national origin) will be examined as they relate to interpersonal, intergroup, and structural inequalities. Central to this course will be an examination of the beliefs and values that individuals bring to their expectations of self and others. Students will develop an understanding of the historical, political, and sociological contexts of perceived and genuine differences, including variations in exposure to and consequences of trauma based on differences in power, privilege, and positionality. The course utilizes a trauma-informed, human rights, and anti-racist framework to examine the lived experiences of marginalized populations to critique the impact of white supremacist ideologies, ethnocentrism, ableism, sexism, and other human rights violations. Emphasis will be placed on the social worker's ethical obligation to recognize, acknowledge, and address these harms through reparative practices and culturally responsive interventions. This course is designed as a collaborative partnership between the instructor and students, fostering mutual learning, growth, and sustainable social change.
Course Area: Social Work
Level: Graduate
Dates: 01-21-2026 - 05-05-2026
Find books for your online class
Instructor: Susan A. Green
Local Course ID: 26SP_BUF_SW503_LECD
Books & Supplies
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