Understanding Intersectionality and Identity

This course can be applied to the UBC Certificate in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and UBC Micro-certificate in Anti-Racism.

This course is also accredited for 15 International Coaching Federation (ICF) Continuing Coach Education (CCE) credits and is part of the Equity, Inclusion and Intercultural Leadership for Coaches program.

Intersectionality is a framework for understanding how social identities and systems of power interact to shape people’s experiences, opportunities, relationships, and outcomes. Explore the origins and contemporary relevance of intersectionality while reflecting on your own identities and positionality.

Engage with narratives shaped by race, gender, sexuality, disability, religion, ethnicity, class, and other social locations. Examine how systems of oppression operate through these intersections and influence workplaces, communities, coaching contexts and the labour market.

The course supports professionals in moving beyond assumptions or single-identity explanations when working with  individuals, teams, organizations and communities. You will develop a grounded approach to understanding context, asking thoughtful questions, and recognizing how identity, positionality and institutional power shape relationships and decisions.

This course is designed for professionals who want to work respectfully and effectively across differences in identity, experience, and access to power, including equity and inclusion practitioners, coaches, consultants, facilitators, leaders, managers, human resources professionals and workplace educators.

Consider this course if you are interested in:  

• Exploring the origins and contemporary relevance of intersectionality
• Applying intersectionality within workplace, community, coaching and social contexts
• Reflecting on your identities, positionality, assumptions, and professional authority
• Examining how intersecting systems affect individuals, teams, organizations, and labour-market experiences
• Developing practices and resources that support context-responsive professional practiceRecognizing where organizational strategies overlook or flatten people’s complex experiences

By the end of the course, you will:

• Explain the origins, principles, and contemporary applications of intersectionality
• Apply an intersectional lens to social, workplace, community and coaching contexts
• Examine how your identities and positionality influence your perceptions and professional relationships
• Analyze how intersecting systems of power shape lived experiences and workplace outcomes
• Identify the limitations of approaches that isolate identity from social and institutional context
• Use intersectional questions, frameworks, and resources in workplace, coaching or community practice

Course format and hours

The format of this course is online and asynchronous. 

This course is 15 hours long. Be prepared to spend approximately seven hours per week completing learning activities, including readings, assignments, posting and responding to online group discussions, and other projects.