When pieces of cloth are sewn together, you might have trouble discerning the individual pieces of cloth that make the final garment, but by looking carefully, you can find the seams. You may have experienced similar difficulty in the first week of this course when asked to explore the individual aspects of culture that combine to create your unique self-identity. Forms of oppression can come together often in almost imperceptible ways to form the complex environment in which you and your clients live and interact. As a social worker, you must examine carefully the intersections between religious discrimination, sexism, classism, and racism so you can respond accordingly.

To prepare: Consider this week’s resources that describe how religion intersects with other forms of oppression.

Submit your response to those resources and analyze what you think is the role of religion in reinforcing sexism, classism, and racism. Provide at least one specific example for each -ism (sexism, classism, and racism). As a social worker, how can you address these issues on a micro and macro level?