IMPACT INSTITUTE 2020Racism and MicroaggressionsAugu

IMPACT INSTITUTE 2020
Racism and
Microaggressions
August 6, 2020
Centre for Global Citizenship
Education and Inclusion
Land Acknowledgement
Centennial College is proud to be a part of a rich history of
education in
this province and in Toronto. We acknowledge that we are on
the treaty
lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First
Nation and pay
tribute to their legacy and the legacy of all First Peoples of
Canada, as
we strengthen ties with the communities we serve and build the
future
through learning and through our graduates. We honour and pay
tribute to
their citizens and ancestors for the spirit and energy that allows

for
Centennial College to provide the educational opportunity for
all their
relations. The Mississauga Nation has a strong story about their
heritage and
history. Like them, we are a nation of stories, and these stories
are our legacy.
Today the traditional meeting place of Toronto is still home to
many Indigenous People from across Turtle Island and we are
grateful to
have the opportunity to work in the communities that have
grown in the
treaty lands of the Mississaugas. We acknowledge that we are
all treaty
people and accept our responsibility to honour all our relations.
Community
Guidelines
▪ Be kind and respectful
▪ Create a brave space
▪ Open and empathetic mind
▪ Seek support

Today’s
Agenda
▪ Framework: Anti-Oppression Tree
▪ Context: Systemic Racism in Canada
▪ Key Concepts: W hat are Microaggressions?
▪ Interventions: How to Respond
▪ Resources: Student Supports
THE ROOTS - SYSTEMIC/STRUCTURAL
Historical; Less visible; Collective; Difficult to change
THE TRUNK - INSTITUTIONAL
THE BRANCHES - INTERPERSONAL
Present; Visible; Individual; Overt; More
accessible to personal experience; Reversible;
Easier to change
Attitudes; Stereotypes;
Mistreatment; Jokes; Slurs;
Microaggressions; Visible symbols
Practices; Policies; Values; Norms;
Media; Language; Education; Laws &

Legal System
Colonialism; Capitalism; Racism; Anti-
Black Racism; Ableism; Sexism;
Heterosexism
Anti-Oppression Framework
"Not in
Canada?"
▪ 1628 - 1800s: 3,000 people of African ancestry who were
enslaved in the United States were brought to Canada and
forced to live here in slavery. The Slavery Abolition Act didn’t
officially become law in Canada until 1834
▪ 1886 - 1996: 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children
were
taken from their families and forced to attend residential
schools.
The trauma of residential schools and the ’60s Scoop (removal
through child welfare system) is still being felt today.
▪ 1881 - 1884: 17,000 Chinese labourers came to work on the
Canadian Pacific Railway. Many died during the construction.

Upon completion, Canada introduced a “head tax” that applied
only to Chinese immigrants. After collecting $23 million
through
the head tax between 1885 and 1923, Canada closed the door to
Chinese immigrants until 1947.
▪ 1939: Canada turned away the MS St. Louis, an ocean liner
carrying 907 Jewish refugees. Forced back to Europe, 254 of the
passengers later died in the Holocaust.
▪ WWII: the Canadian government forced 20,000 Japanese
people
— 75 per cent of them Canadian citizens — into internment
camps.
SOURCE: "Yes, there is systemic racism in Canada – our
history is filled with it"
(Estrada, 2020)
Systemic Racism in Canada
• Employment: Employers in Toronto and Montreal were 40%
more likely
to interview a job applicant with an English-sounding name than
someone with
an ethnic name, even if both candidates had similar
qualifications

and experience.
• Income disparity: First-generation Black Canadians make an
average income
of nearly $37,000, compared to an average income of $50,000
for new
immigrants who are not members of a visible minority.
• Incarceration: Indigenous adults account for 26% of
admissions to
correctional facilities despite representing only 3% of the adult
population in
Canada
• Hate crime: In 2018, Black Canadians were more likely than
any other racial
group in Canada to be the victims of a hate crime, according to
data reported
by police.
“Microaggressions are the everyday verbal, nonverbal,
and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether
intentional or unintentional, which communicate
hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target
persons based solely upon their marginalized group
membership.” - Derald Wing Sue

Types of Microaggressions
1. Microassaults: Conscious and intentional discriminatory
actions
2. Microinsults: Verbal, nonverbal, and environmental
communications that subtly convey rudeness and insensitivity
that
demean a person's identity
3. Microinvalidations: Communications that subtly exclude,
negate
or nullify the thoughts, feelings or experiential reality of a
person
from marginalized communities
Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life
Where are
you from?
Is this a microaggression?
1. Go to Menti.com
2. Code: 45 06 97
3. Or use the QR Code

Impact vs. Intent
Pyramid of Hate
Bias Motivated Violence
Murder, Rape, Assault, Terrorism,
Vandalism, Threats
Acts of Bias
Bullying, Ridicule, Name-calling, Slurs,
Social Avoidance, Dehumanization,
Biased/belittling jokes
Genocide
The act or intent to deliberately and systematically
annihilate an entire people
Discrimination
Economic, Political, Educational, Employment,
Housing, Segregation, Criminal Justice
Disparities
Biased Attitudes
Stereotyping, Insensitive Remarks,

Fear of Differences, Non-inclusive
Language, Microaggressions
Pyramid of Hate by Anti-Defamation League
...the cumulative impact
of microaggressions
Case Studies
1. What is/are the microaggression(s) in this case
study?
2. How would you respond?
CASE
STUDY
A group of students are attending the
annual Halloween party organized by CCSAI.
During the event, your friend becomes
visibly upset about the costume of another
student. When you ask her what's wrong, she
states, “My culture is not a costume” and
immediately leaves the event. The student in
question is wearing a sombrero
(a stereotypical hat associated with Mexico)
and holding a maraca. He overheard the
conversation and says, “What’s her

problem? It’s just a costume! Lighten up
its Halloween!”
CASE
STUDY
It's a hot day during the summer semester so
you and your friend decide to sit outside for
your lunch break. As you enjoy your
food, your friend points out a student with a
turban and states, "I don't know how they
wear that every day. It must be so hot,
especially in this weather" When you tell them
that's a racist statement, their immediate
response is: "I'm not racist. I have friends
who wear turbans. I'm just saying it seems
hot."
CASE STUDY
Due to COVID-19, the College decided
to close. In a group text message with
your friends, one of your friends sends
this meme to everyone and simply
texts, "hahaha."
What do you mean by
this joke?

So, are you saying that its
funny to say 'Kung Flu'?
How would you feel if you
were Chinese and you got
this meme?
I think this could be
offensive to Asian people.
CASE STUDY
Due to COVID-19,
the College decided
to close. In a group
text message with
your friends, one of
your friends sends
this meme to
everyone and simply
texts, "hahaha."
Responding to
Microaggressions
(When you offend
someone)
❑ Apologize
❑ Don't be defensive

❑ Active listening
❑ Take responsibility
❑ Say 'thank you'
Responding to
Microaggressions
CHALLENGE THE IDEA
(NOT THE PERSON)
PICK YOUR BATTLES
HAVE COMPASSION FOR
YOURSELF AND OTHERS
Support for
Students
❑ Centre for Accessible Learning and
Counselling Services
❑ Student Experience Office
❑ Centre for Global Citizenship Education
and Inclusion
❑ Success Advisors
❑ Life Safety and Security Services

❑ Centennial College Student Association
Inc. (CCSAI)
Contact Us:
[email protected]
Number 1 post: CF
Nurse practitioners (NPs) look beyond routine screenings to
anticipate a patient's health needs in the future. By providing
relevant educational information and encouraging regular
follow-up visits to assess progress and alter wellness plans, NPs
can not only assist patients in managing their existing problems,
but also to avoid future conditions (Edelman & Kudzma, 2018).
Based on their educational level, NPs have the skills and
knowledge to communicate effectively, plan individualized care
with team members, and use shared decision making to
determine treatment which is very important in health
promotion and prevention in the community (Georgiev et al.,
2019). APNs can provide lifestyle modification, treatment
regimens, care coordination, tailored patient care, and health
promotion, among other things to promote health in the
community. (Edelman & Kudzma, 2018). Community nursing is
very important to help promote good health and prevention of
disease. It is important for the APN to discuss topics that is
relevant to the individual patient and create individual goals.
Health promotion and prevention in the community includes
promoting vaccines, healthy diet and lifestyles as well as
important health screenings such as prostate exams,
colonoscopies, mammograms, PAP smears, screening for
diabetes, etc. A lot of diseases are preventable and/or can be

reversed with proper health promotion and lifestyle changes. As
diseases are a burden on our healthcare and financial system.
Nurses have a unique role in building trust and rapport with
patients to help achieve individual goals, quality of life for the
individual as well as the community.
Number 2 post: MS
Community nursing is not just health teaching or preventative
medicine in a place other than an office setting, but has been
developed from a social model of health generated from
community models of practice (St John & Keleher, 2020). These
services include epidemiology, public health, social science,
health promotion, and general nursing knowledge. Community
nursing does not necessarily mean caring for someone in their
home, but rather caring for the community as a whole and
exploring what obstacles, barriers, and needs of the community
are and helping to address those needs. A nurse practitioner can
help to establish initiatives, respond to the community’s needs,
and create an environment that addresses local health
issues (Mathieson, Grande, & Luker, 2019). These services
include preventative care and education as well as
interventional care. Nurse practitioners working in a community
health role also advocate for the community and research policy
developments that can help to eliminate
healthcare disparities. Examples of community health nursing
include addressing poverty and hunger, promote primary
education, reduce child mortality, combat HIV/AIDS and other
diseases, ensure environmental sustainability, and develop a
global partnership for development (Anderson & McFarlane,
2020).
Earlier in this class we learned about health disparities and how
certain populations are more susceptible to sub-par care and
higher disease rates, such as in the LGBT community. When
implementing community-based programs, it is important to be
informed on the culture you are working with to ensure
culturally appropriate and culturally sensitive care. Rather than

focusing on disease-specific problems, we should develop new
programs with the goal of primary prevention. People in
communities “deserve comprehensive nursing care aimed at
improvement of health for all” (Anderson & McFarlane,
2020). The community as well as the nurse practitioner should
have common goals in healthcare with accessibility and services
available to all.
Questions?
Centre for Global Citizenship
Education & Inclusion
941 Progress Avenue
Toronto, ON M1G 3T8
Progress Campus, Room B2-12
416-289-5000, ext. 2464
STAY CONNECTED
#CCGlobalCitizen
@centennialgcei
@ccgcei
centennialcollege.ca/global-citizen
See where experience takes you.
OPPRESSION
A
N
T

I
Fostering Inclusive Teaching and Learning Faculty Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Lilla Watson
Welcome
What is Oppression?
• The Oppression Tree
• Five Faces of Oppression
Impact vs Intent
What is Anti-Oppression?
• Centennial’s Anti-Oppression Framework
Anti-Oppression Principles Unpacked
• Intersectional Approach
• Analysis of Power and Privilege
• Dialogue
• Allyship
• Learning and Reflecting
• Listen to all voices
• Oppression is Cumulative
• Participatory
Anti-Oppression in the Classroom
Case Studies

Glossary
References
3
5
15
31
37
41
If you have come to
help me you are wasting
your time. But if you
have come because your
liberation is bound up
with mine, then let us
work together.
12
13
33
Writer/Designer - Gabriel Bedard
Editors - Nita Saini, Jaclyn San Antonio and Silvia D’Addario
A special thanks to members of the Anti-Oppression
Framework Advisory Committee for their dedication and
support.

WELCOME
Welcome to the Anti-Oppression Faculty Guide. This guide will
provide general information and a
starting point to learn about anti-oppression, power, privilege
and other related concepts, as well as
provide knowledge and a reflective space as you begin to
explore teaching and learning principles
within Centennial College’s Anti-Oppression Framework.
Critical reflective practice is very important when beginning to
incorporate anti-oppression principles
within your teaching and learning practices. Teachers must
reflect on their social location, values,
knowledge bases, teaching styles, materials and assessment
strategies while supporting students to
reflect on their own social location, develop their critical
thinking skills and acknowledge themselves
as actors in their own lives.
It’s important to remember that reflective practice can happen
in many ways. Some write their ideas
in a journal, while others may reflect through music or sit in
nature and contemplate their ideas. Find
what works for you! There will be opportunities throughout this
guide for you to reflect on what you
are learning.
As outlined in its Statement of Diversity, Centennial College
values and embraces diversity, equity
and inclusion as fundamental to its mission to educate students
for career success within a context
of global citizenship and social justice. Centennial values the
educational and life experiences its
students bring with them and encourages the sharing of those

experiences as part of the learning
environment.
It also recognizes that historical and persistent inequities and
barriers to equitable participation
exist and are well documented in society and within the
College. Centennial believes individual and
systemic biases contribute to the marginalization of designated
groups. These biases include race,
sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability and religion, to
name just a few. Centennial also
acknowledges that resolving Indigenous sovereignty issues is
fundamental to pursuing equity and
social justice within Canada.1
Anti-oppression is a framework or approach for understanding
and responding to the experience
of oppression. Anti-oppression is a way of recognizing and
naming injustices that happen against
people based on their identities, and then a way to work toward
ending that mistreatment,
oppression or violence towards the particular group(s).
C
Let us remember
One book
One pen
One child, and
One teacher
Can change the world.
- Malala Yousafzai
- 3 - - 4 -

WHAT IS OPPRESSION?
Oppression is a concept that describes the relationship between
groups of people in which one
benefits from the systemic abuse and exploitation of the other.
It occurs whenever one group holds
power over another through the control of social and cultural
institutions, along with society’s laws,
customs and norms and resources.
Oppression is more than the prejudicial thoughts and actions of
individuals,
oppression is institutionalized power that is historically formed
and
perpetuated over time. Through the use of that institutionalized
power, it
allows certain groups of people or certain identities to assume a
dominant
(privileged) position over other groups and identities and this
dominance is
maintained and continued at institutional and cultural level s.2
This means oppression is built into institutions such as
government and educational systems and
includes white supremacy, racism, sexism, heterosexism,
transphobia, classism, ableism, ageism,
and xenophobia, just to name a few.
In order to incorporate anti-oppressive practices and thinking
into your teaching and learning, one
must first have a deep understanding of oppression and how it
works. Below is the Oppression
Tree,3 a great visual tool to demonstrate the layers and
complexities of oppression and helps with

understanding where one can disrupt these systems through anti -
oppressive practices.
THE OPPRESSION TREE
Let’s start with THE ROOTS. The roots are systemic in nature
and they are directly informed by our
historical legacies, such as colonialism, capitalism, the
transatlantic slave trade and the genocide
of Indigenous peoples. These legacies have created deeply
rooted systemic and structural systems
of oppression such as racism, anti-Black racism, sexism,
ableism and heterosexism, that are much
harder to change. The roots will always be there and requires a
deep understanding of the issues to
make change at the root level. The roots will impact how the
trunk and branches grow.
THE TRUNK represents institutional oppression and includes
the practices, policies, values and
norms which are informed by those same historical legacies that
have shaped our world. These
values and norms are embedded within the institutions of our
society, such as the criminal justice
system, policing practices, the education system, hiring
policies, public policies and media images.
For example, when women make roughly two thirds of what
men make in the same job, it is
THE ROOTS - SYSTEMIC/STRUCTURAL
Historical legacies, less visible, difficult to change,
colonialism, capitalism,
racism, ableism, sexism and homophobia
THE TRUNK - INSTITUTIONAL
Practices, policies, values, norms, media, language, education,
laws and legal

system
THE BRANCHES are the visible outcomes from the roots and
trunk and play
out and manifest in interpersonal relationships most readily.
Oppressive systems
and norms can give permission and reinforcement for individual
members of the
dominant group to personally disrespect or mistreat individuals
from oppressed
groups through jokes, stereotypes, harassment, threats, and/or
violence. It is on
this level that oppression becomes more visible and readily
reveals itself.
THE BRANCHES - INTERPERSONAL
Present, individual, overt, attitudes, stereotypes, mistreatment,
jokes,
slurs, microaggressions, visible symbols
The branches, trunk and roots all form a cycle that reinforce
each other. It is impossible to do anti-oppression work
without dismantling all parts of the tree.
- 5 - - 6 -
institutionalized sexism.4 When one out of three Black young
men is currently in jail, on parole, or
on probation, it is institutionalized racism.5 When psychiatric
institutions and associations ‘diagnose’
transgender people as having a mental disorder, it is
institutionalized gender oppression and
transphobia. The trunk supports the main structure of
oppression and serves as a conduit between
the systemic (roots) and the interpersonal (branches).

FIVE FACES OF OPPRESSION
Let’s now take a look at oppression from another angle.
Remember, people who experience
oppression are not only discriminated against, but they can also
be subjected to physical and
psychological violence. According to Iris Marion Young, there
are five faces or types of oppression:
marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism,
exploitation and violence. The following
section is adapted directly from Lisa Heldke and Peg
O’Connor’s chapter in Oppression, Privilege
and Resistance.6 Let’s break down the Five Faces of
Oppression.
- 7 - - 8 -
MARGINALIZATION or also known as social exclusion, is
social
disadvantaging or relegating those who do not fit within
dominant group norms to the
margins of society. Most commonly, people are marginalized
based upon race, yet
marginalization is by no means only the fate of racialized
people. Many are marginalized
because of age (elderly people fired from their jobs), sexual
orientation (refused housing
for being gay), or because of a disability. Overall,
marginalization is a process of exclusion
and relegates a whole group of people from equitable
participation in social life.
TIP
Faculty can actively reduce marginalization by modeling

inclusive practices in their classrooms.
This creates a safe space where students are encouraged to work
together and respect one
another. Faculty can also address omissions in the curriculum
by bringing in materials and world
views that highlight the perspectives of groups excluded from
mainstream textbooks.
POWERLESSNESS is when individuals or groups cannot
regularly
participate in making decisions that affect the conditions of
their lives and are unable
to determine or influence their own destiny. Basically, there are
those that have power
in society and those that are denied.
However, powerlessness can go much deeper and become
internalized to the point
where a person experiencing oppression can engage in
upholding the same system
that marginalizes them. Educational philosopher Paulo Freire7
echoed this notion when he wrote
about how powerlessness is the strongest form of oppressi on
because it encourages people to
oppress themselves and others.
It is easiest to explain by making a connection to Harriet
Tubman, a famous
freed African American runaway slave and abolitionist. Tubman
once wrote
“I would have freed thousands more, if they had known they
were slaves.” In

these words, Tubman conveys that some slaves felt so
powerless, thought
so little of themselves, and were so indoctrinated by the
mindsets of their
slave masters that they didn’t realize that they were slaves. In
fact, it’s quite
possible some slaves didn’t even realize that something was
wrong with
society and that they were being treated unjustly.3
In this case, white supremacy actively operated to
disenfranchise enslaved people through denying
basic rights, including literacy, education and information.
TIP
One of the best ways to counter powerlessness is by infusing
democratic education practices into
the classroom. Democratic education sees learners not as
passive recipients of knowledge, but
rather as active co-creators of their own learning.8 For example,
allowing students to determine
the classroom rules, the learning materials or even the
assessment criteria can distribute power
between faculty and students in the class.
CULTURAL IMPERIALISM involves taking the culture,
customs,
traditions, religion, and language of the dominant group and
establishing them as the
social and moral norm. The groups that have power in society
control how people
in that society communicate and interpret the world around

them based on those
norms.
Across the world, sexuality is a common example of cultural
imperialism. The dominant group in society is heterosexual, so
all other types of sexuality are grouped as Others and viewed
as inferior or abnormal. Culture and education systems reinforce
the notion that heterosexuality is normal and better (a social
phenomenon called heteronormativity). Those who have
different
types of sexuality are told to become heterosexual.3
Those who experience oppression by cultural imperialism are
commonly reduced to
stereotypes and/or rendered invisible within the social norms of
society.
FIVE FACES OF OPPRESSION
- 9 - - 10 -
EXPLOITATION is the act of the dominant group using
people’s knowledge,
culture and labour to reap benefits while not compensating them
fairly. Such benefits
include material wealth, as well as non-tangible goods such as
status and power.
Exploitation enacts a structural relation between social groups.
Social
rules about what work is, who does what for whom, how work is
compensated, and the social process by which the results of
work
are appropriated, operate to enact relations of power and

inequality.
These relations are produced and reproduced through a
systematic
process in which the energies of the have-nots are continuously
expended to maintain and augment the power, status, and wealth
of
the haves.10
TIP
Teachers can actively challenge stereotypes and myths about
oppressed groups by developing lesson
plans that avoid bias and include positive representations of
communities. Emily Style introduced the idea of
curriculum as a window and a mirror. Curriculum can serve as a
mirror when it reflects individuals and their
experiences back to themselves. At the same time curriculum
can serve as a window when it introduces
and provides the opportunity to understand the perspectives of
those who have different identities and
experiences. Curriculum should be balanced and include various
windows and mirrors for each student.9
TIP
Faculty might begin to counter exploitation by engaging
students in discussions about the
larger systems of exploitation that exist and how they can be
reimagined today. Topics such as
colonization (why is Spanish spoken throughout Latin
America?), globalization (who benefits

from free trade agreements?), white supremacy (why is there a
multi-billion dollar whitening
cream industry in Asia?) or consumption choices (where do
your clothes and food come from?)
VIOLENCE is probably the most obvious and visible form of
oppression and
consists of physical harm, harassment, stigmatizing, or
degrading behaviour of any kind
based on social group status.
All forms of sexual violence and hate crimes are prevalent
examples
of violent oppression. Most, if not all, violent oppression is the
direct
result of xenophobia (an intense and irrational fear of people,
ideas,
or customs that seem strange or foreign).3REFLECT. . .
In what ways has the discipline you teach perpetuated
cultural imperialism? How might you disrupt this within your
own teaching practice?
Throughout this guide there will be places like below, where
you will be guided to reflect on some
content. Please take this time to pause and reflect in the way
that benefits you the most.
TIP
Faculty already know that having zero tolerance for any forms
of violence in the classroom is
number one priority, however, facilitating discussions about
privilege and who is dis/advantaged

in society can lead to deeper understandings that may help
counter all forms of oppression,
including violence.
IMPACT vs INTENT
- 11 - - 12 -
C
REFLECT. . .
In what ways do you see oppressive systems within
the College, in your discipline and within your teaching
practices? How might you change those systems to be less
oppressive?
There exists an often underestimated difference between what
we mean, and how a message is
received. We often interpret what happens in life by our
intentions; we generally believe ourselves
to be kind, caring and thoughtful people. The problem is that
other people are not always able to
interpret our intentions, and we shouldn’t expect them to. What
matters in social interactions is how
we interpret what has happened to us – this is known as impact.
Kalie is walking their dog down a familiar street. Pat is also
walking, but swiftly and in
the opposite direction to get to an appointment. Kalie suddenly
experiences a blow,
and gets knocked down by Pat who is rushing up the street.
Kalie topples over on

their dog. Kalie yells out at a fast moving Pat, “Hey, you
knocked me over and you’ve
hurt me and my dog!” Pat continues moving along, and responds
back abruptly, “Oh
I didn’t mean to, I was just trying to get on my way”. Kalie
says, “You owe me an
apology”. Pat stops and says, “I never intended to push you, but
if it helps, I am sorry
you and your dog got in my way”.
This situation signals that unwelcome behavior should not be
decided by the initiator but instead
by the recipient. The impact is what’s important here, not the
intent. The difference between impact
and intent can get far more complex when we factor in
intersecting identities, oppressive language
and varying power dynamics. This a critical distinction between
intent and impact is important as we
build an anti-oppressive practice in our daily lives because
centering the experience on intent rather
than impact has the very real consequence of further
marginalizing people, particularly historically
oppressed folks.
When we centre experiences on intent and not on impact the
result is inherently oppressive
as it privileges the experiences of the initiator (the person who
said or did something hurtful or
oppressive) and places them at the centre of the conversation or
action. This consequently negates
the experience or the impact of the comment or action on the
receiver.
Being in a position of privilege can sometimes prevent us from
decentering our intention from
the impact experienced by others. Saying something oppressive

(or something that negatively
impacts someone) does not necessarily mean that we are racist,
homophobic, sexists, xenophobic,
transphobic or ableist. An important shift to remember, is that
we do not unknowingly reinforce
everyday and systemic forms of oppression by silencing or
erasing people’s lived experiences.
Centre the impact.
Written by Silvia D’Addario
WHAT IS ANTI-OPPRESSION?
- 13 - - 14 -
The student experience is situated between the institutions’
commitments and the anti-oppression
principles for teaching and learning, as they will be most
affected. On the outer rim of the circle are
the 8 Anti-Oppression Principles: Intersectional Approach,
Analysis of Power and Privilege,
Dialogue, Allyship, Learning and Reflecting, Listen to
all Voices, Oppression is Cumulative,
and Participatory.
ANTI-OPPRESSION
INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT
ST
UD
ENT
EXPERIENCE

PR
IN
CI
PL
ES
FOR
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Intersectional
Approach
Analysis of
Power & Privilege
Listen to
all Voices
Dialogue
Anti-Racism
Learning and
Reflecting
Participatory
Allyship
Before we begin defining anti-oppression, it’s important to
remember that anti-oppression can
be seen as an ‘umbrella theory’ that informs/supports other
concepts such as Universal Design
for Learning (UDL), Indigenization, Inclusive

Internationalization, Global Citizenship and Equity
course learning outcomes, Positive Space/Trans Inclusion and
Centennial’s Signature Learning
Experience. Anti-oppression also intersects with the College’s
Statement of Diversity and our Book
of Commitments. So, it’s important to understand that you may
already be including some pieces of
anti-oppressive practice in your classroom already!
Anti-oppression can be defined as the lens through which one
understands systems of oppression
and marginalization that people experience based on factors
such as race, gender identity, sexual
orientation, dis(ability), religion, class background, physical
appearance (body size), and the list
goes on. It’s also a tool to help challenge the ways people are
treated based on these identities, for
example, when a person of colour experiences racism.11
Integrated anti-oppression requires that faculty examine their
own experiences, actions and social
location while critically analyzing social structures of power
and privilege. Adopting the principles
of anti-oppression invites faculty to unlearn or disrupt what
they hold to be knowledge and begin
a journey of self-reflection. Self-reflecting on their own
identities and how they may contribute to
or benefit from systems of oppression and privilege is an
important step. Faculty must also begin
divesting in systems of oppression historically created to
benefit particular people. Our educational
systems and pedagogical philosophies are framed within these
systems of oppression and benefit
some students while oppressing others.
Centennial College’s anti-oppression framework has been

divided into eight principles for teaching
and learning.
CENTENNIAL’S ANTI-OPPRESSION FRAMEWORK
This resource has been created to guide faculty through these
principles. The diagram on the
right illustrates Centennial’s deep commitment and
responsibility to anti-oppression as it places it,
as an institution, at the centre of the framework. This is
evidenced in the fact that Centennial has
already moved forward on advancing the work of Global
Citizenship and Equity education, Inclusive
Internationalization, UDL and Indigenization.
ANTI-OPPRESSION
PRINCIPLES UNPACKED
- 15 - - 16 -
This section of the guide is going to unpack each of the 8 Anti-
Oppression Principles to give more
information and context to each principle. At the same time,
there will be places for faculty to self-
reflect on the information that is being shared.
It’s important to remember that when applying an anti-
oppressive framework spaces are needed
for educators to reflect on their own social locations, values and
beliefs when creating curriculum,
pedagogical approaches and learning strategies. Faculty must
also support students to reflect on
their own identities, deepen critical thinking skills and
acknowledge themselves as actors in their
own lives.

Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term “intersectionality” to
explain the compounded experiences of
both sexism and racism experienced by Black women. She
recognizes that the experiences of Black
women could not be examined by only looking at racism or only
looking at sexism, but rather that
there was an interlocking system that created unique
experiences of oppression.12
Oppression does not occur in silos, in fact, oppressions
reinforce each other. Oppressive institutions
such as racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism,
xenophobia, and classism are
interconnected and cannot be examined separately from one
another. As Audre Lorde stated, “there
is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not
live single-issues lives.”13
Faculty are all located at the intersection of multiple identities.
That is, we all walk around the world
with multiple interconnected identities, making up who we are.
Some identities are sites of privilege
and power while some identities may be experienced as sites of
oppression. Faculty as well as
students enter the classroom with these intersecting identities.
Centennial values an intersectional approach to understanding
identity and the inequities
that exist. Social, economic and ecological issues are
interconnected and interdependent.
All oppressions are interrelated, and so are the solutions.
RACE
EDUCATION

SEXUALITY
ABILITY
CLASS
AGE
LANGUAGE
CULTURE GENDER
ETHNICITY
INTERSECTIONALITY OF STUDENT IDENTITY
Taking an intersectional approach to the classroom means
becoming aware of the multiple
forms of oppression and privilege each individual faces and how
they interact with one another.
Two transgender students from different class or racial
backgrounds are going to have different
perspectives and life experiences, even though they have a
particular identity in common. An
intersectional approach attunes faculty to the wide range of
experiences that they and their students
bring to the classroom.
REFLECT. . .
What ways do you understand your own identities and their
connection to oppressive systems? What ways can you
engage your students to critically reflect on their identities?
PRINCIPLE
ONE INTERSECTIONAL APPROACH

- 17 - - 18 -
Let’s connect our discussion of intersectional identities to
power and privilege. Privilege and power
are given to people because of certain aspects of their identity.
As mentioned before, aspects of a
person’s identity can include race, class, gender, sexual
orientation, language, ability and religion,
to name a few. It’s important to remember that privilege, like
oppression, is intersectional. This
means that one person can experience both privilege and
oppression (for example, someone may
experience racial privilege for being white, but gender
oppression for being transgender).
Privilege and oppression are directly linked. This means that
systems, social norms, and biases
that are advantages for some people, for others, those same
systems, norms, and biases are
disadvantages. Privilege also operates on personal,
interpersonal, cultural and institutional levels
and gives advantages, favours, benefits and power to members
of dominant groups.
Privilege is characteristically invisible to people who have it.
People in
dominant groups often believe that they have earned the
privileges that
they enjoy or that everyone could have access to these
privileges if only
they worked to earn them [meritocracy]. In fact, privileges are
unearned and
they are granted to people in the dominant groups whether they
want those

privileges or not, and regardless of their stated intent.14
Many people who begin the work of analyzing their own
privilege can sometimes carry feelings
of guilt when struggling to understand the privileges they hold.
This is sometimes referred to
as Privilege Guilt.15 Remember, guilt is an unhelpful feeling to
stay stuck in. It makes one feel
ashamed, which prevents one from speaking out and bringing
about change. As Jamie Utt notes,
“If privilege guilt prevents me from acting against oppression,
then it is simply another tool of
oppression.”
At this point it’s important to recognize that privilege guilt is
common and this guide provides a
simple tool to help faculty navigate through those feelings.
Jamie Utt’s editorial True Solidarity:
Moving Past Privilege Guilt, outlines five steps that may help
faculty to move through guilt to a place
of allyship and solidarity.
Through an analysis of institutional power and the power
associated with particular
identities, we can identify and unpack systems of oppression.
We analyze the narratives that
help legitimize and hold power in place, as well as create
systems of privilege. Privilege is a
set of unearned benefits given to people from the dominant
social group. Privilege is directly
connected to systems of power. Context matters. Power and
privilege is situational and can
shift depending on context. We must bring the analysis of
privilege and power as a lens to
all of our work.

Self-Reflect
If you’re struggling with guilt about your identity and your
privilege, take the time to self-
reflect on where that guilt is rooted. Understanding those roots
is important to moving
past those feelings. Is your guilt coming from your active
complicity in oppression? Is
it rooted in past action? Is it rooted in feelings of powerlessness
about the big-picture
problems of oppression? Without a strong understanding of
where our guilt comes
from, it is impossible to overcome it and truly move towards an
anti-oppressive practice.
APPROACHES TO MOVING THROUGH OR PAST
PRIVILEGE GUILT
Understand and Accept Your Role in Oppression
We have all been raised within a social system that is inherently
oppressive, so it’s
difficult to say we do not participate in oppressive behaviour
because it’s part of our
everyday life. Understanding the fundamental ways in which
oppression operates and
how we may reinforce oppression every day, can empower one
to act against it. If
faculty are aware of the ways in which they contribute to
oppression in the classroom,
they can seek the knowledge and understanding they need to act
for change in ways
that might have an impact on their students.
Recognize that Knowledge of Privilege is not Enough
Acknowledging and understanding one’s privilege is not
enough. Action is required and
vital to moving through and past privilege guilt. When actively

working to dismantle
oppression is not part of our everyday process, then we can get
stuck in a cycle of
continued oppression and further guilt.
As faculty move toward action, it’s important to understand the
distinction between
acting for or acting on behalf of, as opposed to acting with and
in solidarity across
difference. While privilege can sometimes be leveraged as part
of action, to see our
privilege as something we can use to ‘help’ only recreates and
reinforces the very
systems of oppression we claim to oppose. Rather than ‘help’
those from oppressed
groups, faculty must push for change, and take action against
oppression by speaking
out, advocating, listening, and learning.
ANALYSIS OF POWER AND PRIVILEGEPRINCIPLETWO
sex racesexual
orientation
geographic
region (now)geographicregion (origin)
gender
ab
ilit

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dis
ab
ilit
y
te
ac
he
r /
st
ud
en
t
ed
uc
at
io
n
age group
social class
family status
religion
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d
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- 19 - - 20 -
Remember, you don’t need to feel guilty for having privilege
because having privilege is a reality.
You can choose to use your privilege in a way that challenges
oppressive systems instead of
perpetuating them.
Relationship Between Privilege and Power
Privilege has a very close relationship with power. Those who
walk through the world with certain
privileges benefit from the power connected to that privilege.
Max Weber posits “power is the
probability that one actor within a social relationship will be in
a position to carry out [their] own
will.”16 Or to put it simply, power is the ability to control
people, events, or resources and to make
what one wants to happen in spite of obstacles, resistance, or

opposition.
Let’s take a look at the Power Flower as a tool to reflect on
one’s social identity in relation to power
(see diagram below). The Power Flower was developed by
Canadian Social Change Educators
as a way “to identify who we are (and who we aren’t) as
individuals and as a group in relation to
those who wield power in our society.”17 The centre of the
flower is divided into 16 segments, each
representing one category of our social identity. One section has
been left blank for you to put an
identity that we may not have included. The centre is
surrounded by a double set of petals, one outer
(gray), one inner (yellow). The outer petals describe the
dominant identity in society, in other words,
identities that experience more power. For example, the sex
section of the flower, one would put
male as the identity that holds the most power within society.
Participate In - Create Community Acting for Justice
A good way to remain stuck in a place of guilt about privilege is
to wallow alone or
simply spend time with those who do not talk about privilege
and oppression. Action,
when done alone, is unlikely to be either accountable or
effective. Thus, one should
seek out community, joining the many communities working to
overturn systems of
oppression.
In some cases, that means finding ways to participate in those
communities that
already exist, or in other cases, you may have to foster and
create community

yourself. Regardless, participating in community is vital for
holding oneself
accountable and for learning and growing.
Stay in Touch with Why You Feel Guilty
As you move through and past privilege guilt, it’s very
important to never forget
why you felt guilt in the first place. After all, you felt guilty for
a reason. Keeping the
reasons for your guilty feelings close can help make you less
likely to collude with
oppression moving forward, and it can also help you understand
why you choose to
act against oppression in the first place.
By knowing, understanding and holding onto the reasons behind
our guilt, we are
better able to remember that we have a responsibility to act. As
Lilla Watson stated,
“If you’ve come here to help me, you’re wasting your time. But
if you’ve come
because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work
together.”
Note: This flower does not include all
identities. You are encouraged to add your own
categories.
The inner petals describe your social identity. The object of the
exercise is to discover how close, or
how distant, each person is to the dominant identity of society.
The more inner petals that match the
outer (dominant) ones, the more social power that person
possesses. This will help you understand

- 21 - - 22 -
where some of your identities may be sites of privilege and
some others may be sites of oppression.
Please take the time work through the Power Flower and reflect
on where your identities sit in
relation to power, privilege and oppression.
This activity is designed to guide faculty towards an
understanding of how power and its partner,
privilege, are connected to certain identities. Once you are able
to understand these power relations
between yourself and students and also among students, that
helps you to predict where differences
and tensions may emerge within the classroom.
C
REFLECT. . .
Review the flower power. Identify yourself by each petal. In
what ways do you experience privilege? Less privilege? How
do your identities fit into the discussion of power? How might
these identities and positions of power, and marginality
influence how and what you teach?
PRINCIPLE
THREE DIALOGUE
Dialogue and discussion are necessary tools in anti-oppression
work. Faculty are encouraged
to listen non-defensively and communicate respectfully in order
to have effective anti-oppressive
practices. Challenge yourself to be honest and open and take
risks to address oppression head on.

Respectful dialogue in your classroom includes:18
• Keeping space open for anti-oppression discussions. Try
discussing a form
of oppression (sexism, racism, classism, etc.), and/or the
intersectionality of
oppressions.
• Respecting different styles of leadership and communication.
• Trying not to call people out because they are not speaking.
Some people
may not feel safe to speak yet and trust will need to be built
through respectful
dialogue.
• Recognizing and acknowledging a person’s lived experience as
a form of
expertise.
• Being conscious of how much space you take up or how much
you speak.
• Being conscious of how your language may perpetuate
oppression.
• Speaking for yourself, and let others speak for themselves.
• Practicing the ability to disagree with an idea without
attacking the speaker.
• Seeking to make connections between diverse ideas, because
ideas from
multiple perspectives and knowledge domains can deepen and
broaden
understanding of complex issues.
• Building on ideas enables a dialogue to go deeper.
• Not being afraid to disagree; disagreements can lead to

teachable moments,
however, ensure the discussion and disagreement is respectful.
Dialogue and discussion are some of the tools we can use to
overcome oppressive
attitudes, behaviours and situations in our classrooms. Anti-
oppression work requires active
listening and respectful communication.
PRINCIPLE
FOUR ALLYSHIP
Centennial is committed to being a visible ally. Acting
consciously and consistently to
challenge historic patterns of marginalization and oppression
including racism, sexism,
homophobia and discrimination in all its forms is core to
allyship. The College is committed
to action and the implementation of teaching and learning
strategies that address
oppression.
In order to challenge and dismantle systems of oppression,
faculty should take steps towards
understanding allyship and how to work in solidarity with
communities that experience oppression.
- 23 - - 24 -
The term ally is used a lot today, but what does it really mean
to be an ally? “Allyship begins when a
person of privilege seeks to support a marginalized individual
or group. It is a practice of unlearning

and relearning, and is a life-long process of building
relationships based on trust, consistency and
accountability with marginalized individuals or groups.”19
Responsibilities of an Ally
“Do not act out of guilt, but rather out of a genuine interest in
challenging the larger oppressive
power structures.”20 Dr. Lynn Gehl, Algonquin Anishinaabe-
kwe
Allies are necessary in the struggle to dismantle oppression, and
while any educator has the
capability to become an ally, the journey might look different
depending on their identity, experience
and familiarity with issues of power and privilege. This is why
self-reflection is critical. Through self-
reflection a teacher ally can gain a strong sense of their own
identity, as well as the ways in which
their identities are either privileged or oppressed.
Below are eight guidelines for becoming an effective ally, take
your time to read through these and
reflect on their meaning and how they may influence the way
you navigate the classroom.
• Actively acknowledge our privileges and openly discuss them:
recognize that as recipients of privilege we will always be
capable of
perpetuating systems of oppression from which our privilege
came.
• Listen more and speak less: hold back on our ideas and
opinions, and resist
the urge to “save” the people we seek to work with as they will
figure out their

own solutions that meet their needs.
• Do the work with integrity and direct communication: take
guidance
and direction from the people we seek to work with (not the
other way around),
and keep your word.
• Do not expect to be educated by others: do your own research
on the
oppressions experienced by the people we seek to work with,
including herstory/
history, current news, and what realities created by systems of
oppression look,
feel, smell, taste and sound like.
• Build your capacity to receive criticism: be honest and
accountable with
your mistakes, and recognize that being called out for making a
mistake is a gift -
that it is an honour of trust to receive a chance to be a better
person, to learn, to
grow, and to do things differently.
• Embrace the emotions that come out of the process of allyship:
understand that we will feel uncomfortable, challenged, and
hurt.
• Our needs are secondary to the people we seek to work with:
we
are responsible for our self-care and recognize that part of the
privilege of our
identity is that we have a choice about whether or not to resist
oppression; we do
not expect the people we seek to work with to provide
emotional support.

• Do not expect awards or special recognition for confronting
issues that
people have to live with every day.19
* These were taken directly from PeerNetBC.
There are several ways in which faculty can practice allyship
within the classroom. One way is to
look for ways to highlight and elevate diverse perspectives in
the curriculum. Adapting curriculum to
reflect student interests and identities is a great way to include
non-dominant ideas and perspectives
into the class. Teach about a different character, discuss the
absence of certain voices in the text or
bring in an analysis of the text from diverse points of view. You
might also give students opportunities
to analyze texts from the perspectives of their own identity
group memberships. In the end, students
are more likely to feel respected and understood, and all
students gain the benefits of an inclusive
curriculum.
PRINCIPLE
FIVE LEARNING AND REFLECTING
A big part of implementing anti-oppression into teaching and
learning strategies, is being open
to listening to different ideas, learning from those ideas and
being committed to unlearni ng
existing ideas. Anti-oppression work requires a rethinking of
the world around us, it requires an
understanding of one’s own position in society and how that is
connected to power, privilege and
oppression. Coming to this place of understanding will require
some deep learning and unlearning.

One of the best ways to facilitate this process is through self-
reflection.
According to Kondrat, “Self-reflection is defined in terms of
becoming awake to present realities,
noticing one’s surroundings, and being able to name one’s
perceptions, feelings and nuances of
behaviours.”21 To put it simply, it’s a process by which you
grow your understanding of who you are,
what your values are, and why you think and act the way that
you do. We can think of self-reflection
within an anti-oppressive framework happening in four stages.
The experience of oppression in
the classroom, the learning you seek out about this oppression,
the self-reflection about this
knowledge and then the action taken to change. And then repeat
the process with this new action.
Maintain an openness to listen, learn and unlearn, and a
willingness to challenge actions,
attitudes and beliefs. It is critical to identify and reflect on the
ways in which our positions
in society (social location, access to power, privilege,
resources) has shaped our actions,
attitudes and beliefs. This includes acknowledging the power
and privilege we hold and how
our actions impact others.
- 25 - - 26 -
This process is particularly important when planning your
teaching and learning strategies. Begin
reflecting on your own identities and how they inform your
teaching pedagogies as well as course

content choices. It’s vital to understand that your actions are
guided by your values, beliefs, thoughts
and assumptions. You can work to ensure that their actions
reflect the values, thoughts and beliefs
that are aligned with anti-oppressive practice. Action is one of
the most important components of the
self-reflective process. Without action, there is no real change.
Paulo Freire reminds us of the importance of using reflection
through his concept of praxis. Praxis
involves both reflection and action; it is putting theory
(knowledge plus reflection) into action. Freire
believed that “through praxis, oppressed people can acquire a
critical awareness of their own
condition, and, with teacher-students and students-teachers,
struggle for liberation.” 22
It is not enough for people to come together in dialogue in order
to gain knowledge of their social
reality. They must act together upon their environment in order
to critically reflect upon their reality
and so transform it through further action and critical
reflection.23
Self-reflection is critical to an anti-oppression framework. Take
time to self-reflect on:
• Being able to identify your values and beliefs, as they can
impact your attitudes
and behaviours.
• Remaining open to having your values, beliefs, thoughts,
attitudes and
behaviours be challenged.
• Being able to ‘check’ your assumptions, preconceptions and

biases and make
changes as necessary to eliminate any harm these may cause.
• Understanding how your values, beliefs, thoughts, attitudes,
assumptions,
preconceptions, and biases are influenced by the systems and
institutions you
live and work in.24
The process of learning, reflecting and acting on those
reflections is a cyclical process. It is highly
recommended when integrating anti-oppressive principles into
your pedagogical practices and
course content.
S T A G E O N E
THE EXPERIENCE
As faculty, it is common to experience
tensions in the classroom, whether it’s
student-to-student or student-to-teacher.
Sometimes these tensions can be in
response to systems (curricular) and/or
instances (interpersonal) of oppression in
the classroom. It is these situations that
often push faculty to seek out information
that could help with these tensions.
1 2
34
S T A G E T W O
THE LEARNING
As mentioned in the allyship section, we

need to continuously do our own research
on the oppressions experienced by the
people we seek to work with, including
histories, current news, and realities of how
systems of oppression are experienced.
We must also seek out other ways of
knowing and understanding the world
that don’t rely on western epistemologies.
S T A G E F O U R
ACTION
Synthesize what you have learned
through a self-reflective lens and begin
actively changing behaviours, content,
pedagogies, assessments and other
potentially oppressive practices within
the classroom. In other words, action
entails putting anti-oppression principles
to practice.
S T A G E T H R E E
SELF-REFLECTION
Reflect on this new knowledge. How does
it fit within your social location? What ways
do power, privilege and oppression play
out in your life and in this situation? How
do you reinforce these systems within
your learning and teaching methods?
What will you do differently?
ANTI-OPPRESSION
SELF-REFLECTION
REFLECTION ACTION CHANGE

- 27 - - 28 -
This principle of anti-oppression is a way of understanding how
our experiences are shaped in
the world. Since all of us have multiple, intersecting identities,
we experience the cumulative
effects of all our privileges and disadvantages based on those
identities. Diane J. Goodman
explains this relationship of “oppression and privileged [as] two
sides of the same coin.”26 Our
experiences of oppression and privilege are not simply
unrelated one-time occurrences, but are
persistent, cumulative and relational and are best understood
through a critical understanding of our
interconnected histories. Oppression and privilege come from
somewhere.
It is difficult to understand contemporary issues of power,
privilege and oppression without
understanding how the past has shaped the present and
continues to shape the future. As illustrated
by Goodman:
In the US, not only were black people enslaved, government,
housing,
and banking policies and practices after World War II denied
access to
homeownership and bank loans to blacks while providing them
for whites.
Along with other actions, this allowed white people to buy
homes in good
neighborhoods that appreciated in value and provided
intergenerational

wealth and opportunity. Blacks were shut out of those
opportunities and thus
have significantly less wealth on average than whites.26
Connecting these histories with todays’ realities, helps
educators understand the historical and
relational aspects of oppression and privilege. When building
relationships with students and
applying anti-oppression principles into your pedagogical
practices and strategies, it’s important to
understand that the historical legacies, such as slavery and
segregation, that are linked to current
experiences of oppression.
PRINCIPLE
SIX LISTEN TO ALL VOICES
Centennial takes responsibility for making a space for diverse
voices in the classroom. We
believe in listening to Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, youth,
women, LGBT2Q+ (lesbian,
gay, bisexual, trans, two-spirit and queer) and racialized
individuals. We listen to and trust
impacted communities’ experiences, stories and histories, as
told by them.
Oppression happens in many ways, and one way it can operate
is through the marginalization of
minoritized voices in the classroom. There are many factors that
serve to silence student voices and
ideas. This silencing can be a result of classroom dynamics,
pedagogy and/or class content.
One way to influence classroom dynamics is “by building
meaningful relationships with students
and creating classroom cultures that prioritize student voices,
teachers can work to make

school a place [students] feel free to honestly share their
beliefs, hopes, fears, and questions.”25
Including opportunities for students to relate learning to their
stories and histories, takes their lived
experiences from the margins and brings them to the centre.
Students feel drawn to the course
material when they can connect it to their realities.
Journaling and written reflections are a great way to get
students to begin thinking about their
experiences. It provides an opportunity to collect their thoughts,
organize ideas and understand their
stories in context to the classroom material.
Well facilitated large and small group discussions and activities
that get students talking to one
another is a great way to introduce students to diverse
perspectives. It provides the opportunity to
connect with those who may have differing or similar
experiences.
C
REFLECT. . .
Thinking about your own class, who’s voices are prioritized/
included in class content? In what ways can you include other
voices, and ways of knowing and understanding the world?
How can you connect student’s lived experience with the
class?
PRINCIPLE
SEVEN OPPRESSION IS CUMULATIVE
Oppression is the combination and the cumulative effect of all
of our privileges and
disadvantages that shape our experiences. One is not simply

oppressed or an oppressor;
privileged or disadvantaged. Instead, the social structuring of
race, class, gender, sexuality
and other identities, has created systems where one’s identities
and social location
intersect with structures of power and privilege to form unique
lived experiences. One social
location is not more important than another, although one can
be more salient than others,
dependent on time, place and situation.
- 29 - - 30 -
PRINCIPLE
EIGHT
6. Use Appropriate Assessment Methods: Clearly align
assessment methods
with intended course outcomes; provide clear criteria for
evaluation; emphasize
deep learning; scaffold assessments to ensure progressive
learning.
7. Commit to continuous improvement: Gather formative and
summative
feedback on your teaching; practice critical self-reflection;
consult scholarly
literature on teaching & learning; identify clear goals for
strengthening your
teaching practice.
PARTICIPATORY
Disrupting the notion of the faculty as the only ‘expert’ or

knowledge keeper can work to
prevent the invalidation of students’ own knowledge, lived
experiences and ways of knowing/
being. Shared decision-making and opportunities to co-create,
allow us to shift the inherent
power structures that exist within the classroom in a more fluid
way.
One way to disrupt power structures within the classroom is
through the use of learner-centred
teaching techniques. Centennial College is a learner-centred
college, which means that it places
learners at the centre of the learning; students are responsible
for the learning while the faculty
are responsible for facilitating that learning and for recognizing
they are learners also. Cranton
& Thompson describe learner-centred teaching as “an approach
to teaching that focuses on the
learners and their development rather than on the transmission
of content; it addresses the balance
of power in teaching and learning, moves toward learners
actively constructing their own knowledge,
and puts the responsibility for learning on the learners.”27
Through the use of learner-centred practices, students become
more engaged with the class
content and participate more fully in the learning. Below are the
Taylor Institute of Teaching and
Learning’s seven principles of learner-centred teaching in
higher education which can help create an
environment that is more participatory and shifts the power
structures within the classroom.28
1. Actively Engage Learners: Ensure learning material is
stimulating, relevant
and interesting; explain material clearly; use a variety of

methods that encourage
active and deep approaches to learning, as well as adapt to
evolving classroom
contexts.
2. Demonstrate Passion, Empathy and Respect: Show interest in
students’
opinions and concerns; seek to understand their diverse talents,
needs, prior
knowledge, and approaches to learning; encourage interaction
between
instructor and students; share your love of the discipline.
3. Communicate Clear Expectations: Make clear the intended
learning outcomes
and standards for performance; provide organization, structure
and direction for
where the course is going.
4. Encourage Student Independence: Provide opportunities to
develop and
draw upon personal interests; offer choice in learning processes
and modes of
assessment; provide timely and developmental feedback on
learning; encourage
metacognition to promote self-assessment of learning.
5. Create a Teaching and Learning Community: Use teaching
methods and
learning strategies that encourage mutual learning, as well as
thoughtful,
respectful and collaborative engagement and dialogue between
all members of
the classroom community.
C

Education is the most
powerful weapon
we can use to
change the
world.
- Nelson Mandela
- 31 - - 32 -
Now that you have a better understanding of the eight principles
of anti-oppression, it’s time to begin
making some changes to your pedagogical practices, course
content and class dynamics. Please
use this guide as you go through this process and remember that
applying anti-oppression is a
continual process that requires self-reflection, action and
change.
Below are eight things to remember when applying anti-
oppression to your classroom:
ANTI-OPPRESSION
IN THE CLASSROOM
Teaching is never neutral. Power always exists within the
classroom,
and teaching practices serve to either support or disrupt
oppression.
Post-secondary institutions were created through our historical
legacies and are inherently oppressive. These historical legacies
include colonialism, capitalism, globalization, slavery and acts

of
genocides that directly affect students and faculty.
Every one of us needs to recognize our unconscious and implicit
bias, which if not acknowledged and addressed, perpetuates
negative stereotypes and continues the legacy of oppression.
Before beginning the work of anti-oppression, oppression must
be
understood and acknowledged. All must be given the
opportunity
to learn and discuss oppression and anti-oppression in a safe
and
respectful environment.
The work of creating an equitable environment is not only to be
done in the classroom environment, but also to be done outside
the
classroom as well.
Meritocracy is a myth that pervades our society and educational
institutions, which posits that people’s achievements are solely
based on their individual merit and does not take into
consideration
oppressive systems.
The elimination of oppression is everyone’s collective
responsibility:
students, faculty, support staff and management. Change is
everyone’s responsibility and no one person or position owns
this
change.
The classroom environment is designed to reward certain
individuals
and to oppress others. Merit/rewards are tied directly to

privilege/
membership in dominant groups.
REFLECT. . .
Consider these Anti-Oppression principles for the
classroom. What actions can you take to foster these
principles in the teaching and learning environment?
- 33 - - 34 -
CASE STUDIES
- 35 - - 36 -
- 37 - - 38 -
Gay
A man who is romantically/sexually attracted to or involved
with other men. It can also be used as an
umbrella term for everyone who has same-sex romantic/sexual
attractions or relations.
Global Citizen
One who is aware that they are members of a global community
with rights and responsibilities. A
global citizen does their part to ensure sustainability, engage in
social justice and support equity for
all, locally and globally.31
Global Citizenship Education

Nurturing respect for all, building a sense of belonging to a
common humanity and helping learners
become responsible and active global citizens. Global
Citizenship Education aims to empower
learners to assume active roles to face and resolve global
challenges and to become proactive
contributors to a more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive and secure
world.32
Heterosexism
The individual, societal, cultural, and institutional beliefs and
practices that favour heterosexuality
and assume that heterosexuality is the only natural, normal, or
acceptable sexual orientation.
This creates an imbalance in power, which leads to systemic,
institutional, pervasive, and routine
mistreatment of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals.29
Homophobia
An irrational fear or hatred of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and
others from the LGBT2Q+ spectrum.
I may be expressed in overt or covert ways, ranging from subtle
forms of behaviour to outright
violence.
Indigenization
Indigenization is a process of naturalizing Indigenous
knowledge systems and making them evident
to transform spaces, places, and hearts. In the context of post-
secondary education, this involves
bringing Indigenous knowledge and approaches together with
Western knowledge systems. This
benefits not only Indigenous students but all students, teachers,
and community members involved
or impacted by Indigenization.33

Inclusive Internationalization
The process of integrating an international, intercultural, or
global dimension into the purpose,
functions, or delivery of post-secondary education, in order to
enhance the quality of education and
research for all students and staff, and to make a meaningful
contribution to society.32 An inclusive
internationalization approach integrates key concepts that post-
secondary institutions can promote in
and through internationalization – concepts such as equity,
cultural diversity, social responsiveness
and mutual benefits in internationalization initiatives.35
Intersectionality
The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race,
class, and gender, regarded as
creating overlapping and interdependent systems of
discrimination or disadvantage; a theoretical
approach based on such a premise.36
Ableism
A system of oppression that includes discrimination and social
prejudice against people with
intellectual, emotional, and physical disabilities, their
exclusion, and the valuing of people and
groups that do not have disabilities.29
Ageism
The stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination against people
on the basis of their age.
Anti-Black Racism
Is prejudice, attitudes, beliefs, stereotyping or discrimination
that is directed at people of African
descent and is rooted in their unique history and experience of
enslavement and colonization. Anti-

Black racism is deeply embedded in Canadian institutions,
policies and practices, to the point that it
becomes a part of our systems.30
Anti-Oppression
Can be defined as the lens through which one understands
systems of oppression and
marginalization that people experience based on factors such as
race, gender, sexual orientation,
ability, age, class and citizenship. The term anti-oppression
reflects a number of different approaches
to the work of addressing the social and institutional
inequalities that are constructed in our society.11
Bisexual
A person who is romantically/sexually attracted to or involved
with both men and women/persons of
all genders. Bisexual persons may not be equally attracted to
persons of both/all genders.
Classism
The institutional, cultural, societal, and individual beliefs and
practices that assign value to people
based in their socio-economic class. Here, members of more
privileged socio-economic classes are
seen as having a greater value.29
Equity
An approach to ensuring that everyone has access to the same
opportunities and outcomes. It
recognizes the barriers that disadvantage some and the
privileges that advantage others, and strives
to address and remedy this imbalance. Equitable practices
ensure fair, inclusive, and respectful
treatment of all people in consideration of individual and group
diversities.

GLOSSARY
- 39 - - 40 -
Two-Spirit
Traditional Knowledge Keepers, or Elders, tell us that before
Europeans came to North America,
there were people who were gifted among all beings because
they carried the male and female
spirit. Two-spirit people were often the visionaries, the healers
and the medicine people, respected
as a fundamental component of Indigenous societies. Today,
two-spirit people are Indigenous people
who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or other -
gendered.39
Universal Design in Learning/UDL
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) uses scientific insights to
improve learning for all students
and enable them to thrive. UDL is a best practice approach to
curriculum design, development and
delivery, and its integration meets each of these quality
elements. UDL is not prescriptive, but rather
encourages the consideration of options that remove learning
barriers and promote inclusion.
Queer
A once derogatory term reclaimed by some LGBT2Q+ persons.
It’s often used as an umbrella term
to encompass all of LGBT2Q+, or to refer to political activism
or academic inquiry on LGBT2Q+
issues, or as a self-identifying label for persons who experience
their sexuality as more fluid than the

individual LGBT2Q+ labels imply.
Xenophobia
The fear and hatred of that which is perceived to be foreign or
strange.29
Islamophobia
Islamophobia is a form of racism that is an irrational fear of
Islam and a hatred or dislike of Muslims,
or those perceived to be Muslim. Fear has led some to
discriminate against, demonize and
dehumanize Muslims. Political conflict, globalization and social
media have led to negative attitudes,
violence, harassment, discrimination and stereotyping of
Muslims.37
Lesbian
A woman who is romantically/sexually attracted to and/or
involved with other women.
LGBT2Q+
An acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit
and queer. The + sign signifies there
are more identities as part of the acronym.
Meritocracy
Meritocracy is a social system in which success and status in
life depend primarily on individual
talents, abilities, and effort. It is a social system in which
people advance on the basis of their
merits.38
Oppression
Is a concept that describes the relationship between two
categories of people in which one benefits
from the systematic abuse and exploitation of the other. It

occurs whenever one group holds
power over another through the control of social and cultural
institutions, along with society’s laws,
customs, norms and resources.
Racism
Oppression against individuals or groups based on their actual
or perceived racial identity.29
Sexism
A system of oppression that privileges men, subordinates
women, and devalues practices
associated with women.29
Transphobia
An irrational dislike, fear or hatred of transgender people or
people who are perceived as not
meeting society’s expectations around gender roles, appearance
or behaviour. Transphobia is
expressed through beliefs and actions that are discriminatory,
demeaning or violent towards trans
people.
Transgender/Trans
A person who identifies with a gender other than the one that
was ascribed to the biological sex of
their birth; or a person who views their gender as more fluid
than the strictly male of female gender
category allows.
- 41 - - 42 -
12 Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of
race and sex: A Black feminist

critique of anti-discrimination doctrine, feminist theory and
anti-racist politics. University of
Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), pp.139-167.
13 Audre Lorde, “Learning from the 60s,” in Sister Outsider:
Essays & Speeches by Audre Lorde
(Berkeley, CA: Crossing Press, 2007), 138.
14 Pollock,M. (2019). Understanding White Privilege and
Learning to Talk about Race. Retrieved
from https://diversity.asee.org/deicommittee/wp-
content/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/white_
privilege_2019-06-17_mp.pdf.
15 Utt, J. (2014). True Solidarity: Moving Past Privilege Guilt.
Retrieved from https://
everydayfeminism.com/2014/03/moving-past-privilege-guilt/.
16 Weber, Max. 1947 [1922]. The Theory of Social and
Economic Organization. Translated by A.
M. Henderson and T. Parsons. New York: Oxford University
Press.
17 Adapted from Educating for a Change by Rick Arnold, Bev
Burke, Carl James, D’Arcy Martin,
and Barb Thomas (Toronto: Doris Marshall Institute for
Education and Action and Between the
Lines Press, 1991).
18 University of British Columbia. Respectful Dialogue and
Debate: Principles and Practices.
Adapted from
http://equity2.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2015/01/Respectful -
Dialogue-and-Debate-
Principles-and-Practices.pdf.

19 PeerNetBC. (2016). Retrieved from
http://www.peernetbc.com/what-is-allyship.
20 Dr. Lynn Gehl, Algonquin Anishinaabe-kwe.
http://www.lynngehl.com/my-ally-bill-of-
responsibilities.html.
21 Kondrat, M.E., (December 1999). Who is the ‘self’ in self-
aware: Professional self-awareness
from a critical theory perspective. Social Service Review, 73(4),
451 – 477.
22 Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York:
The Continuum International
Publishing Group Inc., p.36.
23 Concepts Used by Paulo Freire. Retrieved from Freire
Institute: https://www.freire.org/paulo-
freire/concepts-used-by-paulo-freire.
1 Centennial College. Statement of Diversity.
https://www.centennialcollege.ca/about-centennial/
college-overview/statement-of-diversity/.
2 Simmons University Library. Anti-Oppression Retrieved from
https://simmons.libguides.com/
anti-oppression.
3 The Centre for Community Organizations. The Oppression
Tree Tool. Retrieved from https://
coco-net.org/the-oppression-tree-tool/.
4 The State of the Gender Pay Gap 2019. Retrieved from
https://www.payscale.com/data/
gender-pay-gap.

5 Knafo, S. (2013). 1in 3 Black Males Will Go To Prison in
Their Lifetime, Report Warns.
Retrieved from HuffPost US:
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/racial-disparities-criminal-
justice_n_4045144?ri18n=true.
6 https://mrdevin.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/five-faces-of-
oppression.pdf. The article was
originally a chapter in Oppression, Privilege, & Resistance
edited by Lisa Heldke and Peg
O’Connor (published by McGraw Hill in Boston, 2004).
7 Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: The
Continuum International
Publishing Group Inc.
8 Bennis, D. Institute for Democratic Education in America.
What is Democratic Education?
Retrieved from
http://democraticeducation.org/index.php/features/what-is-
democratic-
education/.
9 Style, E. (1996). Curriculum as window & Mirror. Social
Science Record. 33(2). 21-28.
10 Young, Iris M. (2011). “Five Faces of Oppression.” In Iris
M. Young and Danielle S. Allen
(eds.), Justice and the Politics of Difference. Princeton:
Princeton University Press, 39-65.
11 Singh, D. (2013). The 5 W’s and the H’s of the Anti-
Oppression Framework. Retrieved from
http://shamelessmag.com/blog/entry/the-5-ws-and-the-h-of-the-
anti-oppression-framewo.

REFERENCES
- 43 - - 44 -
36 Oxford University Press. (n.d.) Intersectionality. Oxford
English dictionary. Retrieved
November 25, 2019, from
https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/
acref/9780199599868.001.0001/acref-9780199599868-e-975.
37 How to be an Ally: Islamophobia at the Intersections. Panel
discussion. Toronto. November
2016. Retrieved from https://socialinnovation.org/wp-
content/uploads/2017/01/Islamophobia-
Knowledge-Production-Tool-D3-Jan-30.pdf.
38 Crossman, A. (2019). Understanding Meritocracy from a
Sociological Perspective. Retrieved
from https://www.thoughtco.com/meritocracy-definition-
3026409.
39 Who are Two-Spirit People. Retrieved from The Canadian
Centre for Gender and Sexual
Diversity: https://ccgsd-ccdgs.org/1-who-are-two-spirit-people/.
24 OAITH. (2010). A Guide to Critical Reflection:
Understanding and Using a Feminist Anti-
Oppression Framework. https://pathssk.org/wp-
content/uploads/2011/06/Feminist-Anti-
Oppressive-Manual-OAITH1.pdf.
25 Block, J. (2015) Educate to Liberate: Build an Anti -Racist
Classroom. Retrieved from
Edutopia: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/build-an-anti-racist-

classroom-joshua-block.
26 Goodman, Diane J. (2015). Oppression and Privilege: Two
Sides of the Same Coin. Journal of
Intercultural Communication. No.18. pp.1-14.
27 Cranton, P. & Thompson, P. (2014). Creating Collaboration
in Global Online Learning: Case
Studies. In Education and Technology in a Changing Society.
Chapter 7. pp.92-103.
28 Kenny, N.A. (2014). Learner-Centred Principles for
Teaching in Higher Education. Calgary,
AB: Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning.
29 Social Justice Terminology. Suffolk University, Boston.
http://www.suffolk.edu/
campuslife/27883.php.
30 Toronto for all: Confronting anti-black racism initiative.
Community conversation guide.
https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/97d4-
community-conversation-guide-
participants.pdf.
31 What is Global Citizenship. Retrieved from Oxfam:
https://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/who-
we-are/what-is-global-citizenship.
32 Global Citizenship Education. Retrieved from Academic
Impact: https://academicimpact.
un.org/content/global-citizenship-education.
33 Cull et al. (2018). Pulling Together: A Guide for
Indigenization of Post-Secondary Institutions.
BC Campus. Retrieved from:

https://opentextbc.ca/indigenizationfrontlineworkers/.
34 Knight, J. (2015). Updated Definition of Internationalization.
International Higher Education,
(33).
35 Egron-Polak, E. & Green, M. (2014). Inclusive
Internationalization: An initiative of the
International Association of Universities. Going Global
Inclusion, Innovation, Impact, 4, 219-
229. Retrieved from http://hedbib.iau-
aiu.net/pdf/EEP_and_MG_Going_Global_chapter_
Final_October_2014.pdf.

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