Difficult Dialogues,Privilege and Social Justice - Uses of the Privileged Identity Exploration (PIE) Model in Student Affairs Practice

Oct 15, 2026

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The article introduces the Privileged Identity Exploration (PIE) model for student affairs practice, focusing on how individuals respond during difficult dialogues about diversity, privilege, and social justice. It explains key concepts such as diversity, social justice, multicultural competence, and critical consciousness, and outlines the challenges facilitators face when running workshops. The model identifies eight defense modes linked to behaviors in these conversations, supporting more meaningful campus discussions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Difficult Dialogues, Privilege and Social Justice

Multicultural Competence and Critical Consciousness

Difficult Dialogues

# Difficult Dialogues,Privilege and Social Justice:Uses ofthe Privileged Identity Exploration(PIE)Model in StudentAffairs Practice Sherry K.Watt This article will introduce the Privileged Identity Exploration(PIE)Model.This model identifies eight (8)defense modes associated withbehaviors individuals display when engaged in difficult dialogues aboutsocial justice issues.Implications for the model and ways it can be usedto assist facilitators as they engage participants in discussions aboutdiversity are discussed. If student affairs practitioners are to foster more diverse and welcomingcampus environments for our students,then we must find ways to have moremeaningful discussions about diversity,privilege,and social justice.Our collegecampuses as well as the global markets for college graduates are becomingmore diverse.Higher education administrators are searching for ways toprepare college students today to be productive workers in settings populatedwith individuals from various social,political,ethnic and racial backgrounds.While students attending college today may have been exposed to diversity(Coomes &Debard,2004),they likely have not thoroughly explored their ownidentity and what it means to function honorably in a multicultural community.Therefore,America's higher education institutions need to encourage the youthof today to engage in dificult dialogues that help them to thoroughly examinetheir privileged identities. The purpose of this article is to introduce the Privileged Identity Exploration(PIE)model that represents behavior often presented by individuals whenengaged in difficult dialogues about diversity,privilege,and social justice.I willbegin by defining the terms diversity,privilege,social justice,multiculturalcompetence,and difficult dialogues.Additionally,I will discuss the challenges Iface when facilitating workshops and classes on the topic of diversity.Finally,I will introduce the PIE model Diversity,Privilege,and Social Justice There are many ways to define diversity.For the purposes of this special issue,the term diversity refers to raising awareness about promoting inclusion ofhistorically oppressed groups(i.e.racial minorities,women,people withdisabilities)and developing an appreciation of cultural difference(Goodman,2001).Social justice goes beyond raising awareness and addresses “issues ofequity,power relations,and institutionalized oppression”(Goodman,2001,p. 5).Social justice requires that individuals challenge dominant ideology andadvocate change in institutional policies and practices(Goodman,2001).Toadvocate for social justice,individuals must raise their awareness and reevaluatethe dominant value system that operates within the American culture.Thisawareness about diversity comes as one develops critical consciousness abouthis/her own privileged status.According to Freire(1970),criticalconsciousness is the ability to assess and take action against the social,political,and economic elements of oppression in a society.As Peggy McIntosh's(1989)essay entitled White Privilege:Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack has pointedout,critical consciousness about sociopolitical issues often comes when oneconfronts his or her own privilege. ## Multicultural Competence and Critical Consciousness There has been a significant amount of research in the counseling and studentaffairs fields that describes the route to raising critical consciousness(e.g.Pope,Reynolds,and Mueller,2004;Arrendondo,1999).Regardless of the route,critical consciousness does not come without one engaging in difficultconversations and facing what it means to be privileged.According to Pope,Reynolds,and Mueller(2004),a multiculturally competent student affairsprofessional is aware of his/her own assumptions,biases,and values;possessesan understanding of the worldview of others;is informed about variouscultural groups;and has acquired the skills to develop appropriate interventionstrategies and techniques.Additionally,he/she has the

FAQs

What is the purpose of the PIE model in the article?

The article introduces the Privileged Identity Exploration (PIE) model to describe behaviors that arise when individuals engage in difficult dialogues about diversity, privilege, and social justice.

How does the article define social justice and diversity for the discussion?

Diversity is framed as awareness that promotes inclusion of historically oppressed groups and appreciation of cultural differences. Social justice goes beyond awareness by addressing equity, power relations, and institutionalized oppression, including advocacy for policy and practice change.

Why are difficult dialogues challenging in campus settings?

The article notes that discussions about diversity, privilege, and social justice often cause discomfort for faculty, staff, and students, which can lead people to feel attacked and move toward defending their views.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by jayni