Diversity, Difference, and Anti-Oppression in CYC Practice

Overview

Course description

In an increasingly diverse Canadian society, child and youth care (CYC) students must develop and sustain a culturally sensitive, anti-oppressive, anti-colonial, anti-racist, and transformative practice that fosters equitable communities. Within a supportive learning environment, this goal will be achieved by critically examining one's own social location and the complexities of historical and contemporary challenges faced by children, youth, and families in Canada.

Course content

Critically explore key concepts in social justice and anti-oppression, such as:

Theories of justice, critical theory, critical thinking, culture, socialization, knowledge, power, biases, privilege, discrimination, oppression

Critically explore key conepts in diversity, equity, and inclusion, such as:

Gender, race, ethnicity, economic inequalities, language, sexual orientation, (dis)ability, intersectionality

Critically explore current and historical challenges in the Canadian context, in areas such as:

Colonization and colonialism, immigration, poverty, UNCRC (rights of the child), UNDRIP (rights of Indigenous peoples), TRC report, MMIWG report and the Accessible British Columbia Act.

Learning activities

Lecture
Seminar
Group work
Student presentations
Guest speaker

Means of assessment

This course will conform to the Douglas College Evaluation Policy regarding the number and weighting of evaluations.

Written assignments
Group/individual presentations
Self-assessment
Classroom activity participation
Other

This is a letter-graded course.

Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation as part of the student’s graded performance. Expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the instructor course outline.

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Understand and utilise key concepts in social justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-oppression to develop and guide their own practice.

2. Critically examine their own social location, cultural identity, and worldview as a requirement to becoming an advocate and an ally for children and youth.

3. Critically analyze the principles and practices of disability justice and the Accessible British Columbia Act (ABC), demonstrating an understanding of its intersectional nature and the Act's implications for fostering inclusivity and equity in various CYC settings.

4. Demonstrate awareness of and articulate the challenges that colonization, racialization, immigration, poverty, and particularly those described in United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) reports, and the Accessible British Columbia Act present to children, youth, and their families in the CYC field in the Canadian context.

Textbook materials

Textbooks and materials are to be purchased by students. A list of required textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of the semester.

Requisites

Prerequisites

CYCC 1220 with a minimum grade of C+

and

[CYCC 2432 or CFCS 2432 or (CYCC 2332 and CYCC 2212)] with a minimum of C+

and

Any four of the following with a minimum grade of C:

[CYCC 1110 or CYCC 1112]

CYCC 1130

[CYCC 1141 or CYCC 1142]

CYCC 1150

CYCC 1250

CYCC 1260

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

None

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

September 2026 (Current)

Course Transfers to Other Institutions

Below are current transfer agreements from Douglas College to other institutions for the current course guidelines only. For a full list of transfer details and archived courses, please see the BC Transfer Guide.

Institution	Transfer details for CYCC 2500
There are no applicable transfer credits for this course.