ABSTRACT
The task of teaching about intersectionality becomes especially challenging when addressing social justice issues and resisting ideals of unearned American exceptionalism and privilege. This chapter highlights intersections at which learning became challenging and liberating, like resistance to acknowledging systems of privilege and oppression and the authors' roles in maintaining them. It discusses positive outcomes of the course for recognizing how the authors unconsciously perpetuate inequality and what they are currently doing to change that. The chapter shows key learning goals for the master's level course psychology were based on Kim Case's intersectional pedagogy model and Cole's recommendations for studying groups of people. A feature of intersectionality theory is that social identities are embedded in culturally specific systems of power and hierarchy. Students led two class discussions which applied key concepts to one of the assigned books and completed the intersectionality project. For the Intersectionality Project, Jackie researched implications of marriage laws on same-sex couples who wish to adopt a child.
