RELIGION AND PRIVILEGE
For citizens in some countries, religious oppression is common and long-standing. Although freedom of religion is protected in the United States, religious intolerance and discrimination remain. Consider Islamophobia and the backlash against those of the Muslim faith following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Social workers must be alert for the complex ways that religious oppression and privilege function. By creating an awareness of the privilege given to some while marginalizing others, social workers can understand how this bias impacts their clients. In this Discussion, you explore the relationship between privilege, oppression, and religion.
To prepare:
Review the Learning Resources on religions. Consider how religion connects with privilege and oppression, and generate examples of these connections.
Write a post in which you:
Explain the connection between privilege and religion.
Describe a situation in which members of a religion experience privilege.
Then, describe a situation in which members of a different religion experience religious oppression.
Required Readings
Marsiglia, F. F., Kulis, S. S., & Lechuga-Peña, S. (2021). Diversity, oppression, and change: Culturally grounded social work (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Chapter 3, “The Intersectionality of Race and Ethnicity With Other Factors” (pp. 46–64)
Read the “Religion” section.
Chapter 13, “Culturally Grounded Community-Based Helping (pp. 273–284)
Pew Research Center. (n.d.). Religious landscape studyLinks to an external site.. https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/
Note: Scroll down to the map and click on your state or city to reveal religious affiliation statistics.
Wienclaw, R. A. (2021). World religionsLinks to an external site.. In Salem Press encyclopedia. Salem Press.
Required Media
The Social Work Podcast. (2020, August 22). Religion and spirituality in social work: Interview with Holly Oxhandler, PhDLinks to an external site. [Audio podcast episode]. In The Social Work Podcast. https://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2020/08/Oxhandler.html
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 45 minutes. You may listen to the podcast or scroll down to read the transcript.
