Advancing Allyship Through Anti-Oppression Workshops for Public Health Students: A Mixed Methods Pilot Evaluation

Abstract

This pilot mixed methods evaluation describes the impact of an antioppression workshop on allyship development among a group of public health graduate students. After completing a mandatory antioppression workshop, a survey including closed- and open-ended questions was administered to 41 public health students specializing in health promotion. Closed-ended questions gathered basic demographic data and Likert-type scale responses to assess changes in participant knowledge, awareness, and attitudes surrounding antioppression concepts discussed during the workshop, while open-ended questions asked respondents to reflect on how such changes might influence their development as allies. A response rate of 65.85% (27 respondents) was achieved. The majority of the study group were between the ages of 20 and 24 years (74.07%), self-identified as straight (77.8%), and self-identified as non-White (77.8%), while almost the entire group identified as female (92.59%). Five key themes emerged from a directed content analysis of qualitative data, identifying the importance of antioppression workshops for allyship development: conducive environments, positionality, knowledge, active listening and learning, and advocacy. These themes were used to construct a mixed methods joint display for comparative interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data. Mixed methods analysis revealed that antioppression workshops can promote allyship development by increasing knowledge of key terms and concepts associated with antioppression and facilitating critical reflections on power, privilege, and social location. Our findings demonstrate a profound need for ongoing antioppression training among future public health students and professionals.

Message from the Editor-in-Chief: Celebrating 10 Years of Pedagogy in Health Promotion: The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

“…Our special issue of December 2021 on the pedagogy of antiracism offered articles covering such topics as student voices in the struggle against racism, promising practices for addressing racism in the classroom, and engaging with communities to promote social justice. As a sample of these thought-provoking and instructive papers, I encourage readers to explore Djulus et al (2021) and Aqil et al (2021), who discuss approaches that help advance anti-oppression oriented pedagogy. Several papers in this issue address ways in which academics can transcend institutional reinforcement of social biases and constraints and foster equity-focused education and professional development (Carlos & Pallai, 2021; Perez et al, 2021).…”

Using the COVID-19 pandemic to reimagine global health teaching in high-income countries

“…13 Research has shown a profound need for ongoing anti-oppression and allyship training among future public health and global health students and professionals. 14 This need is urgent in the context of COVID-19, decolonisation efforts and Black Lives Matter.…”

“…Learning about oppression that includes racism—specifically how certain groups are disadvantaged and disproportionately impacted by the public health system, and how professors, as embedded in the system, can unconsciously and sometimes consciously misuse our power and privilege when working with vulnerable communities—is therefore key to disrupting the marginalisation of these groups and to integrate anti-oppression and anti-racism into practice in global health. 14 Indeed, every global health educator must actively contemplate and address their complicity in the very systems of inequality that cause health disparities. This includes but is not limited to understanding one’s implicit (and explicit) biases.…”

Positioning the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Firmly in the Center of Health Promotion Pedagogy

“…Pedagogy in Health Promotion provides examples of the rich variety and scope of the scholarship of teaching and learning. SoTL work observes and comments on teaching practice (Flores et al, 2021;Kratzke et al, 2021), develops and tests theories and evidence-based frameworks (Kuganathan et al, 2021;Miller et al, 2021), provides quantifiable explanations (Blavos et al, 2020;Foutch et al, 2020), pursues qualitative explorations (Muzaffar et al, 2020), engages in experimental research (Djulus et al, 2020), increases our ability to be compassionate and inclusive (James et al, 2020;Mezuk et al, 2021) and shares deep reflections about our collective experience of teaching and learning (Derreth et al, 2021). Combined, these scholarly endeavors help us to better understand how to provide effective and supportive education to health promotion and public health students, develop and challenge critical skills for health promotion and public health practice and ultimately, benefit communities and populations, and improve health outcomes.…”