AOP Reflection Paper
15% of final grade – due end of Week 8
Our identities consist of many complex areas including age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability, socioeconomic status, education, employment, relationship status, etc. How we identify in each of these areas is
called our social location. Our social locations place us in positions of privilege or disadvantage in society. If
we experience privilege, that means we are closer to power and disadvantage places us further from power. For
this reflection paper, you will be reflecting on your social location and how it may impact the work you do as an
SSW.
Step 1: Begin by identifying yourself in the areas of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability, socioeconomic status, education, employment, relationship status, etc. If there are other areas (not mentioned above)
that you would like to include in this reflection, include them. [**Please note: you do NOT have to identify
yourself in any of these areas if you are not comfortable with doing that.]
Step 2: Then explore each of these areas and discuss how each of them places you in a position of privilege or
oppression/marginalization in society.
Step 3: Choose 2 areas and explore how they intersect resulting in additional privilege, oppression or
marginalization, or a combination of the two.
Step 4: Finally, reflect on & discuss how your social location may impact your work as a social service worker,
including (but not limited to) the impact on your communication and your comfort level with discussing the
topic of social location, and the privileges and disadvantages associated with that.
Additional Requirements:
- Incorporate concepts from class, readings and discussion – into your analysis of personal experience.
(Cite any concepts from class, text, other sources, etc.) - Min 3 -4 pages (word count 900 – 1200 words) (Page limit/word count limit does NOT include the title
page, appendix & reference page).
o APA format
Grading Rubric
Excellent Good Needs
Improvement
Identification of areas of
your identity (social
location).
Clear identification
of social location in
areas of diversity as
indicated in outline.
Identificaiton of
social location in
areas of diversity
as indicated in
outline.
Limnited
identification of
social location.
Identification &
discussion of areas of
identity and relevance to
position of power.
Clear identification
& in-depth
discussion of areas
of identity &
relevance to
position of power.
Identification &
detailed discussion
of areas of identity
& relevance to
position of power.
Identification of
areas of identity but
limited discussion of
relevance to position
of power.
Identification of 2 areas
& discuss the impact of
their intersection.
Clear identification
& thorough
examination of
intersections
between 2
dimensions of
oppression.
Clear
identification &
examination of
intersections
between 2
dimensions of
oppression.
Limited
identification OR
examination of
intersection between
2 dimensions of
oppression.
Discuss how your social
location may impact your
work as a SSW.
Comprehensive
discussion about
how your social
location may
impact your work
as SSW.
Discussion about
how your social
location may
impact your work
as SSW.
Basic discussion on
how your social
location may impact
your work as SSW.
APA format & page
requirement/word limit
Very few in APA
format.
Meets page
limits/wordcount
A few errors in
APA format.
Meets page
limits/wordcount
Many errors in APA
format.
Over or under page
limits/word count.
