Submission ID 78199
| Code | OF-2-5 |
|---|---|
| At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: | |
| Category | Medical Education |
| Type | Oral |
| Will the presenter be a: | Early Career Faculty - (Less than 7 years of practice) |
| Title | White Fragility Clinic as an Anti-Racism Intervention (and Innovation) |
| Background/Purpose | White fragility is the term coined by Dr. Robin D'Angelo to describe the psychological state created in white persons when forced to acknowledge the role of whiteness in upholding racism. This patterned response serves to frustrate attempts to disrupt racism in the environment. We have hypothesized that an important antidote to white fragility could be the building of "racial resilience" by creating conditions in which white people must confront racism while also exploring the fragile response. |
| Methods | Based on the work of Dr. Parasram and Dr. Alex Khasnabish (Mount Saint Vincent University) in their "Safe Spaces for White Questions" podcast series, the White Fragility Clinic in the Faculty of Medicine creates a facilitated space where white faculty members and staff can come to discuss the origins of white fragility; its manifestations within the Faculty of Medicine; and strategies for disrupting fragility and racism when they occur within the Faculty. Early results indicate that the clinics are well-attended, and create conditions for white faculty to improve their understanding of how fragility manifests in themselves and others. |
| Results | By observation and by review of evaluations of the Clinic, it appears that in some cases this has propelled attendees to take steps to disrupt racism that they might previously have felt too "fragile" to try. |
| Discussion | This presentation will present further background and observational and evaluation findings from the ongoing clinics. |
| Keyword 1 | anti-racism |
| Keyword 2 | white fragility |
| Keyword 3 | anti-oppression |
| Abstract content most relevant to: (check all that apply) | Continuing Professional Development (CPD) (faculty development, CME) |
| Abstract Track - First Choice | Equity, Diversity and Inclusion |
| Authors | Dr. Gaynor Watson-Creed Dr. Gaynor Watson-Creed Dr. Ajay Parasram Dr. Eli Manning |
