Engaging in Anti-Oppressive Public Health Teaching: Challenges and Recommendations

Abstract

Introduction. Public health students are not systematically trained how positionality and power impact public health practice. A grounding in anti-oppression equips practitioners with tools to recognize the impact of present and historical contexts, foster critical self-reflection, and address systems of oppression. The goal of this study was to gather evidence of how anti-oppression is incorporated in public health teaching. Method. Purposive sampling was used to identify public health faculty who engage in anti-oppressive practice across accredited schools of public health espousing an explicit commitment to social justice. Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted between January and April 2020 via Zoom; analyses were informed by constructivist grounded theory. Results. Twenty-six faculty from eight schools of public health and one school of medicine participated. Participants highlighted challenges in and techniques on how to engage in anti-oppressive teaching. Three overarching methods for incorporating anti-oppressive principles in pedagogy were identified: facilitating critical consciousness, creating equitable and mindful classrooms, and discussing historical context and systems of oppression, alongside discussing challenges associated with using an anti-oppressive lens in teaching. Conclusions. Anti-oppression is an explicit framework that can be incorporated in training future public health practitioners to work toward dismantling systems of oppression through addressing issues of power and privilege. Findings from this study indicate that faculty are interested in and engage in anti-oppressive teaching but lack consistent training and institutional support. This study offers tools that faculty can employ in the classroom toward practicing anti-oppressive public health pedagogy.

Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a New Course on Essential Skills for Women’s Leadership in Global Health

“…We recognize the essential value of context in course material and propose to develop country-specific examples and case studies, use local/national/regional statistics, and invite local guest speakers to share their stories. We also believe it is important to incorporate anti-oppressive teaching principles in course delivery mechanisms to address power differentials and colonialism [ 22 ]. This includes co-creation of leadership competencies, materials, and delivery approaches with in-country partners, interactive and equal participation opportunities regardless of social status, regional origin, and culture, as well as opportunities to lead in the local setting.…”

Using antioppressive teaching principles to transform a graduate global health course at Johns Hopkins University

“… 8 However, research into teaching practices in US schools of public health that declare social justice as part of their mission has shown that AOPs have had limited reach within public health pedagogy to date. 6 Rather, the focus has tended to be on the conceptually more limited notions of equality, equity, and diversity which do not seek systems change but instead focus on increasing individual awareness of differences without giving us tools to change the systems that sustain inequities among us. Even in situations when equity and diversity-related topics emerge in the classroom, faculty tend to avoid these conversations because they feel ill-equipped and hope to evade negative feedback from their students.…”

An Anti-Racism Public Health Graduate Program: Mentoring of Students and Igniting Community

“…Numerous public health studies have documented the impact of threats to belonging—the feeling of being unseen, unwelcome, or unrepresented—not only on academic achievement but also on health itself (Gopalan & Brady, 2020; Paradies et al, 2015). A diverse public health workforce, trained at inclusive institutions of public health, is critical in ensuring anti-racism approaches are amplified and health disparities are effectively addressed (Aqil et al, 2021; Derreth et al, 2021; Goodman et al, 2020; Liburd et al, 2021; Merino, 2019).…”

“…The creation of a people-centered, inclusive educational climate—one in which not only content but also instructional activities are grounded in evidence-based anti-oppressive practice, is essential to the realization of inclusive institutions (Aqil et al, 2021; Hagopian et al, 2018; Hussain & Jones, 2021; Perez et al, 2021). Anti-oppression is the strategy of mitigating the social harms of those historically oppressed in society and rebalancing power within communities, institutions, and systems.…”