Ohio State University is adding a provocative health sciences course that will require students to acknowledge the parts of their identity that hold privilege. The “Individual Differences in Patient/Client Population” class will work with students as they “unpack” the advantages found in their lives.
According to the Daily Mail, the course’s description was obtained by an advocacy group, Do No Harm. The group is
typically known for being comprised of healthcare professionals and individuals who oppose diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, including gender-affirming care, in the medical field. With these interests, their criticism of the course’s existence and lesson planning has garnered significant attention.One of the course’s lessons is in a reflective activity, “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” inspired by and named after anti-racist activist Peggy McIntosh’s 1989
essay on white privilege. As listed in the course’s information, the activity details multiple knapsacks under differing categories, such as ‘heterosexual’ or ‘able-body,’ to help students acknowledge how they may benefit if they belong to them.This lesson is accompanied by films and written works, including the documentary White People and additional essays that further deconstruct race in America. However, Do No Harm affiliates and its supporters have condemned the course, with its Chairman, Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, stating that it is “indoctrinating” students into a radical agenda.
“The curriculum within Ohio State University’s Health Sciences Program highlights a broader trend found in many universities nationwide – the adoption of divisive and political ideologies aimed at indoctrinating students,” expressed Goldfarb. The nephrologist is also a former Associate Dean at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine.
Despite this, a spokesperson for Ohio State shared that the university remains committed to “academic freedom and freedom of expression.” With this stance, students hoping to take the class should feel confident that the educational institution will not ban it anytime soon.