Improving the Cultural Competency of Social Work Students With a Social Privilege Activity

This article describes the development and utilization of an instructional activity created by the authors for the purposes of preparing social work students for culturally competent practice with members of historically oppressed populations. Experiential activities in the classroom provide an alternative approach to traditional pedagogical methods by positioning the learner at the center of an educational process that is grounded in reality. The activity is designed to highlight the social privileges of individuals and the inherent risks that are taken when deciding to challenge or confront oppressive structures, attitudes, and behaviors.