What are the most important things you learned about your ally group or group member/s

Becoming an Ally: Straight Ally

*3-4 page paper and answers to the question prompts for the presentation

As social workers, we will undoubtedly work with people from a different social identity group. Thus, working in solidarity and as an ally with people from diverse backgrounds in a way that is not harmful and that benefits the people we work with is important.

For this assignment, due in Session 15, you will have completed an experiential activity – between Sessions 9 and 15 – with a group (or group member) based on a dimension of diversity you do not personally share. This may be the same population you chose to focus on for Assignment: Historical Oppression, Resilience, and Transcendence or a different population. These dimensions may include: age, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, marital status, political ideology, race, religion/spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status.

The experiential activity you engage or participate in with your selected group (or group member) may be in or at an organized community event or gathering – or may be done in a more informal setting. If you have any questions about the activity or this assignment, reach out to your instructor or post any questions to the Help and General Questions forum.

The purpose of this experiential assignment is to begin to be an ally with a group you commit to working with long-term. To complete the assignment, address the following:

Paper

(100 points)

Having engaged in an experiential activity with your chosen group in a culturally sensitive and respectful way, address each of the following points in a 3-4 page paper:

●

Group/Group Member/s and Setting: When and where did this activity take place? Who was there (no names, but general descriptors)? How did people respond to your presence?

● Approach: What did you do to engage with the group/group members in a reciprocal, culturally sensitive way? What worked well in your approach?

What would you do differently?

● Contribution: How have you contributed to this group or group member/s by your alliance (i.e., advance human rights, advocate, connect with resources etc.)?

● Benefit: How have you benefited from your contribution to this group or group member/s? What have you gained from completing the experiential activity?

● Next Steps: What are you next steps to becoming an ally with this group? What short-term and long-term goals (can be a list with explanations)?

● Lessons: What are your biggest takeaways or lessons learned from this assignment?

Guidelines for Submission: Your paper should be 3-4 double-spaced APA formatted pages (title page and reference page not included in space limitations).

Important: In your paper, be sure to cite from the Session 9 and 15 Resources related to becoming an ally. Also, refer back to the Session 9 journal assignment (where you outlined your experiential activity) as well as instructor feedback that may have guided you in completing the activity.

Presentation

(50 points)

You should discuss the following in your 5-minute (maximum) Presentation in Live Session 15:

● Learning: What are the most important things you learned about your ally group or group member/s and about yourself from this assignment?

● Strengths: What strengths do you bring related to working as an ally with diverse populations?

● Concerns: What are your biggest fear/s or concerns about working with diverse populations?

● Goals: What are your future goals for working as an ally with your chosen group or group member/s?

*The paper must be written around an experimental activity that I would have conducted in my community to become a straight ally.

Title: Assignment: Becoming an Ally

Criteria

Ratings

Pts

Paper: Group/Group Member/s and Setting

Identify the ally group or group member that you engaged with, discuss their response to your presence, and describe the setting for the experiential activity