Critical Multiculturalism and Intersectionality in a Complex World Critical Multiculturalism and Intersectionality in a Complex World SECOND EDITION Lacey M. Sloan Mildred C. Joyner Catherine J. Stakeman Cathryne L. Schmitz 1 1 Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and certain other countries. Published in the United States of America by Oxford University Press 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States of America. © Oxford University Press 2018 First Edition published in 2008 Second Edition published in 2018 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, by license, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reproduction rights organization. Inquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above. You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer. Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data Names: Sloan, Lacey M., author. Title: Critical multiculturalism and intersectionality in a complex world / Lacey M. Sloan [and three others]. Other titles: Critical multicultural social work. Description: Second edition. | New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2018]| Earlier edition published in 2008 as: Critical multicultural social work. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2018003498 (print) | LCCN 2018005550 (ebook) | ISBN 9780190904258 (updf) | ISBN 9780190904265 (epub) | ISBN 9780190904241 (pbk. : alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Social work with minorities. | Social work with gays. | Social work with people with disabilities. Classification: LCC HV3176 (ebook) | LCC HV3176 .C75 2018 (print) | DDC 361.3— dc23 LC record available at https:// lccn.loc.gov/ 2018003498 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed by WebCom, Inc., Canada This book is dedicated to those who are inheriting our past and charged with creating our future. We hope this book supports the process of healing and growth so our children, grandchildren, and students will inherit a kinder world. Love and thanks to our children—Sarah; Jennifer, Nicole, and Jacqlyn; Jackson; Stacey and Joshua—and our grandchildren— David and Jacob; Olivia; Hayley, Natalie, and Clara—who inspire and inform our efforts to disrupt oppression and work with others to create a world with social, economic, and environmental justice and inclusion for all. At the core of this book is the work of Jose Sisneros, who was a lead author on the 2008 edition. He set the vision and helped shape the revisions. He has been guiding us in spirit throughout the writing. Jose was dedicated to his family and students, taking pride in their growth. He loved that he could continue to speak to the lives of future generations through his writing. Catherine Stakeman had a lifelong commitment to community change through teaching and advocacy. Across her career she worked tirelessly for social justice and equity. Even as she fell gravely ill, she continued her commitment to fight for equality. She was dedicated to her family, particularly Olivia, her 2- year- old granddaughter. CONTENTS Preface ix About the Authors xiii 1. Critical Multiculturalism, Oppression, and Action 1 2. Critical Self- Reflection and Identity Development 23 3. Race, Ethnicity, Color, Caste, Tribe, and Nationality 50 4. Gender, Sex, and Sexual Orientation 65 5. People With Disabilities 84 6. Intersectionality: Positioning Privilege and Marginalization 97 7. Critical Multicultural Practice 114 References 139 Index 161 ( vii ) PREFACE So much has changed in the last 9 years. The global context is now recognized in a new way and the complexity of the issues has changed, or at least the recognition of the complexity. We continue to approach diver- sity content from a critical multicultural perspective, which emphasizes the impact of power dynamics. We worked to keep the central focus as de- veloped with Dr. Jose Sisneros, while adding the global multicultural voice of Dr. Lacey Sloan. Combined, the authors have more than 150 years of experience as practitioners, researchers, scholars, and educators. With the revisions, the voices of the original authors still provide the base. These voices are ex- panded with the addition of a new author, broadening the lens and the global reach. We are fueled by the knowledge that the quality of our children’s, grandchildren’s, and students’ lives is dependent upon our ability to heal the wounds and dismantle the systems of oppression. We are also fueled by our passion for advancing antioppression education and practice at all levels. Our commitment goes beyond the writing of this book. Individually and collectively, we are dedicated to addressing growing inequality, the excesses of privilege, and the impact of oppression. Jose Sisneros and Catherine Stakeman reflect the responsibility we feel to be part of creating a more just world. Even as they faced illnesses that claimed their lives, they continued their anti- oppression work through their writing. The interactive process of teaching is a journey. This journey has changed us. We have taught, written, presented, and discussed critical multicultur- alism in multiple contexts. We have taught single-group courses on topics such as practice with Latinos and Latinas, African Americans, and women. We have taught and practiced in the United States, Mexico, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Liberia. We bring multiple views on diversity and multiculturalism; each of us, however, comes from a critical perspective, recognizing the impact of power as an agent of oppression. ( ix ) ( x ) Preface Our collective voice represents our racial, gender, sexual orientation, class, and religious diversity. Our writing team was African American, Latino, indigenous, multicultural, and white; poverty, working class, and middle class; lesbian, bisexual, and straight; Muslim, Christian, and other; and disabled and currently not disabled. We have all been active in devel- oping curricula and teaching courses on diversity, and we have faced frus- tration with the difficulty of finding materials to prepare students around the world for critical multicultural practice. As we used this text, we learned with our students that a global lens is needed to expand understanding the complexities of intersectionality from more than just the Western perspec- tive. As a result, with this edition we attempted to include a more global lens that we hope provides a foundation for students around the world. There are many books on cross- cultural practice and cultural competence. The study of multiculturalism from a critical perspective, antioppression practice, and social justice is still limited. This book engages readers in a process of personal reflection and knowledge building. After a discussion of oppression and the presentation of a basic theoretical framework for examining multiple issues of diversity and unequal access to power are presented in the first chapter, the focus shifts to identity development and critical self- reflection in Chapter 2. In Chapters 3, 4, and 5, specific identity populations are examined, analyzed, deconstructed, and explored within a critical multicultural context. The structural and power dynamics of priv- ilege, marginalization, and oppression are acknowledged and examined. Through the lens of intersectionality, issues of class, economics, nation- ality, and religion are interwoven. In Chapter 6 the intersections among race/ ethnicity/ color; gender, sex, and sexual orientation; and ability/disabilities are examined as they interact with national origin/language, class, and religion/spirituality. Readers are challenged to think critically about these dimensions and how they intersect. The metaphor of a web is used to explore the holistic com- plexity of intersecting privileges and oppressions along with the struc- tural mechanisms that support the power dynamics that maintain these systems. This model allows us to acknowledge that multiple oppressions are not simply additive in their effect; they are exponential. Chapter 7 introduces readers to practice from a critical perspective, including mul- tifaceted practice in arenas often defined as “wicked problems.” Within these arenas, the intersectionality of oppressions often experienced by marginalized populations most affected by these “wicked problems” is considered. Throughout the text, opportunities for self- reflection are interspersed with content on critical multiculturalism, power, and the complexity of oppression. Preface ( xi ) We bring these issues to life through the use of case examples and a process that we hope engages the reader in questioning their own hidden assumptions, oppressions, and privileges. The concerns, issues, and fears commonly raised by students as they begin to study diversity, privilege, and oppression are discussed. History is viewed through the multiple lenses of a kaleidoscope, and readers are encouraged to recognize the many worldviews that produce these stories. This framework prepares the reader to undertake a critical analysis of oppression and institutional injustices, the impact of