Respecting Religious & Spiritual Differences

1. Respecting Religious & Spiritual Differences Marti Doyle, MSW, PhD Aug. 20, 2019

2. Learning Goals In this session we will : • discuss diversity of religious\spiritual beliefs in higher education • explore the difference between religion and spirituality • communicate the importance of tolerance, sensitivity, and respect in creating a more welcoming environment for students with different religious\spiritual beliefs.

3. Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 • Prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion in institutions of higher learning. • The Educational Opportunities Section works to ensure that all persons regardless of their religion are provided equal educational opportunities. • The Section's work includes addressing discrimination and harassment on the basis of religion, and spans all religious affiliations. U.S. Dept. of Justice

4. Mercy College’s Non-discrimination Policy • It is Mercy College of Health Sciences’ policy to conduct all academic programs and business activities in a manner that is free from unlawful discrimination and to provide equal opportunity for and equal treatment of students and employees regardless of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion/creed, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability or status as a U. S. veteran or any other factor protected by law MCHS 2019-2020 catalog

5. What is Inclusion?

6. Why should the creation of a welcoming & inclusive environment be an important goal of health care education? • Improve the quality of education by enhancing opportunities to learn from individuals with diverse life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. • Address pervasive inequities in health care by ensuring the preparation of healthcare professionals will improve the care that is provided to diverse communities • Enhance the civic readiness and engagement potential of health care students who will be in positions of leadership in health care, as well as in society.  AACN Position Statement

7. What happens in inclusive health care educational environments ?

8. What does an inclusive and welcoming educational environment look like? Students, staff, faculty, and administrators: • recognize the value of and need for diversity to achieve excellence in teaching, learning, research, scholarship, service, and practice. • seek to acquire new knowledge, skills, and attitudes to foster success of the student learner • are willing to examine any unconscious and conscious biases that may undermine efforts to enhance diversity, inclusion, and equity, including the use of everyday verbal, nonverbal, intentional or non- intentional messages which devalue the perspectives, experiences, and/or feelings of individuals or groups National League for Nursing, 2016

9. Micro-Inequities

10. Example of Religious/Spiritual Micro-inequities • Endorsing Religious Stereotypes: statements or behaviors that communicate false, presumptuous, or incorrect perceptions of certain religious groups (e.g., stereotyping that Islam is a violent religion or that a Jewish person is cheap). • Assumption of Religious Homogeneity: Statements in which individuals assume that every believer of a religion practices the same customs or has the same beliefs as the entire group (e.g., assuming that all Muslim people wear head coverings). • Pathology of Different Religious Groups: Statements and behaviors in which individuals equate certain religious practices or traditions as being abnormal, sinful, or deviant (e.g., telling someone that they are in the “wrong” religion). • Assumption of One's Own Religious Identity as the Norm: Comments or behaviors that convey people’s presumption that their religion is the standard and behaves accordingly (e.g., greeting someone “Merry Christmas” conveys perception that everyone is Christian or believes in God).

11. Campus Religious and Spiritual Climate Survey • Data collected from 8,463 students attending 38 US colleges and universities during the 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2013-14 academic years

12. World View Make-Up of Students in Higher Education

13. Perceptions of Space for Support and Spiritual Expression • This measure included questions that assess whether the faculty are supportive of religious observance needs and the degree of safe space for expression in classes. • 72% of students feel that their campus is a “very” or “extremely” safe place for the expression of their worldview • Fewer students experience the same degree of support in the classroom. • Feelings about safe expression in the classroom are more mixed: 42% of students feel “moderately,” “slightly,” or “not at all” safe in class.

14. Influence of Type of Institution • Students at public and Catholic colleges and universities have somewhat higher levels of satisfaction with campus world view diversity than students attending Protestant and private nonsectarian institutions. • Data demonstrates that students at Catholic institutions have a stronger perception of their institutions’ ability to draw people of diverse worldviews into the campus community.

15. Student Perceptions Worldview minority students & non-religious students perceived less structural worldview diversity on campus.

16. Coercion • Non-religious students report experiencing or observing the most coercion. • In particular, they are more likely to feel pressured to listen unwillingly to others’ worldview perspectives and to keep their worldview to themselves when on campus.

17. Faith, Spirituality & Religion • Commonly seen as interchangeably • Can be interrelated but definitions are unique and distinct • Many people confuse spirituality with religion and so bring pre-existing beliefs to discussions about spirituality. • Religion is a common way that individuals express their faith & spiritualty but it is possible to be spiritual without necessarily being a part of an organized religious community.

18. Faith Definition

19. Spirituality Definition • Has to do with having a sense of peace and purpose • Relates to the process of developing beliefs around the meaning of life and connection with others. • Individuals attempt to live a life guided by the spirit of their faith • May meditate, pray, or make conscious decisions regarding their actions based on how they sense their spirituality is leading them. • State of “being” Newman, 2004

20. Religion Definition • Specific set of organized beliefs and practices that are related to a the belief in a higher power • Usually shared by a community or group • Can solidify community life, inducing a sense of attachment to the community and its values • Persons do things, such as attend worship services or pray, to show reverence and worship • State of “doing” Newman, 2004

21. Function of Faith Model • Faith is the guiding principle by which individuals are either religious or spiritual • One can be present without the other. • For instance, it is possible for someone to have faith (KNOWING), but not necessarily be religious (DOING). Or, someone may have faith and be religious, but not necessarily spiritual (BEING). • Religion and spirituality can both be indicators of the depth of faith. Newman, 2004

22. Use of the “Function of Faith” Model • Model allows the freedom to discuss the three terms interchangeably while giving a context for them. • With faith as a foundation, spirituality and religion can be seen as a way of life which allow an individual to live out his or her faith. • Even when one lacks the knowledge about other religions and spirituality, all expressions of faith are given respect Newman, 2004

23. Suggestions for Creating a More Inclusive and Welcoming Environment

24. Use of Provocative Experiences

25. Campus Religious and Spiritual Climate Survey Types of Provocative Experiences

26. Questions to Ask How present are diverse worldviews on campus and how is that diversity being engaged? How do people of diverse worldviews perceive and accept one another on campus? What opportunities do students have to engage with worldview diversity and what is the lasting impact? How many underrepresented/diverse voices are at the decision-making table? Does the mission of your educational institution explicitly identify diversity as an educational priority? If so, how is that assessed?

27. Discussion How can we create a more spiritually inclusive and welcoming environment here at Mercy College?

28. References American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2017). Diversity, inclusion, & equity in academic nursing. Retrieved from https://www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Position-Statements-White-Papers/Diversity Connecticut Nursing Collaborative Action Coalition. ( 2016). Diversity and inclusion tool kit. Retrieved from https://nursing.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/CNC-AC%20Diversity%20Toolkit.pdf National League for Nursing. ( 2016). Achieving diversity and meaningful inclusion in nursing education. Retrieved from http://www.nln.org/docs/default-source/about/vision-statement-achieving-diversity.pdf?sfvrsn=2 Nedal, K., Griffin, K., Hamit,S., Leon, J. & Tobio, M. ( 2012). Subtle and overt forms of Islamophobia: microaggressions toward Muslim Americans. Muslim Mental Health. 6 (2). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3998/jmmh.10381607.0006.203  Newman, L. (2014). Faith, spirituality, and religion: A model for understanding the differences. Special Issue on Faith, Spirituality, and Religion on Campus. 23 (2). Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ956981.pdf The Campus Religious and Spiritual Climate Survey. ( 2014). Engaging worldview: A snapshot of religious & spiritual campus climate. Retrieved from https://www.ifyc.org/sites/default/files/u4/Whitepaper-Worldview-7.pdf United States Department of Justice. ( 2018). Types Of educational opportunities discrimination. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/crt/types-educational-opportunities-discrimination