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‘Beautism’ and ‘ablebodyism’ are also areas of concern
Social workers need to learn about “forms of oppression” against the elderly, according to a Florida State University course offered this fall.
“Gerontological Social Work” covers many topics expected in a graduate level course on aging, such as biology and psychology.
“Topics include the demography, physical, cognitive, and psychosocial aspects of aging,” the course description states. Students will also learn about “health-care and social policies that impact older persons, caregivers, and the aging network of services.”
But students in Jocelyne Fliger’s class will also learn about “forms of oppression (such as ageism, sexism, racism, ablebodyism, beautism, and homophobia).” Another instructor is also offering a similar course that covers the same list of “isms.”
Fliger did not respond to two emails sent in the past several weeks that asked for a definition of beautism and what role she thought it played in the larger context of gerontology. She did not respond.
She is a graduate of FSU herself and currently runs her own elder care company, according to her LinkedIn.
A university spokesman did not directly address questions about beautism and homophobia and possible concerns about political ideology seeping into the class.
“This is an elective, graduate-level course for students pursuing a master’s degree in social work,” the media team told The Fix.
One reason for the identity politics focused class might be accreditation standards for social work degrees, according to Timothy Minella with the Goldwater Institute.
The higher education expert explained to The Fix: “The national accreditor for Social Work—the Council on Social Work Education—has adopted politicized standards that require programs to integrate ‘anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion’ in almost every aspect of the curriculum.”
He brought up how these new standards “force students seeking a career in caring for others to receive indoctrination in a particular, widely disputed political ideology just to receive a degree.”
He called for the government to get involved, saying that “state legislatures and the governing boards must act to stamp out mandatory indoctrination in public universities.”
Another higher education expert also criticized the course.
Heritage Foundation’s Jonathan Butcher said “the course should stick to how best to care for the elderly.”
The ideology behind this coursework holds “that there are people who are just victims, and that there is some sort of social oppression that is keeping them down.”
Butcher said university leadership should investigate if classes offer “an educational value to the students who are taking it” and “is this correctly describing the way in which the job of a social worker needs to be done.”
This is not the only course at Florida State that includes an emphasis on homophobia.
A fall 2026 humanities class on Britain’s relationship to the United States promises to examine “the decline of sexism and homophobia in Britain.”
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