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Presented by Iowa Civil Rights Commission, this guide explores the importance of diversity, cultural understanding, and steps individuals can take to promote inclusivity.
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Diversity Appreciation Presented by Iowa Civil Rights Commission
What is Diversity? What is Culture? Why does it matter? What can I do?
What is Diversity? • The differences which make us each unique • Recognizing the differences until the differences don’t make a difference anymore • All of our differences and similarities
What does Diversity Include? • Age • Race • Religion • Gender • National Origin • Disability • All of our differences and similarities
What is Culture? • Culture refers to all the accepted and patterned ways of behavior of a group of a given people. It is a body of common understanding. It is the sum total of the organization of arrangement of all the group’s ways of thinking, feeling, and acting.
Cultural Differences Visual Subconscious
First Thoughts Men Are... Women are… African-Americans are… Latinos are… Asians are… Caucasians are... Gays are… Lesbians are… Native Americans are… Teenagers are...
Factors Which Interfere With Diversity Appreciation • Stereotypes • Prejudice • Discrimination
Stereotype A misconception about an individual or group based on the belief that all people in a given group will act in the same way. Example: “All …………………….are lazy”.
Prejudice • An irrational suspicion or hatred of a particular group, race, or religion • Making up your mind about what a person or group is like before you get to know them
Discrimination The act of giving unequal treatment to an individual or group of people because they are members of a certain culture or race, or because of other differences. People are denied equal opportunities because of their differences.
Attitudes or Behaviors • Training involves teaching a person to perform a new skill, learn a body of knowledge, and display a new attitude. • Forklift – 80% skill, 10% knowledge, 10% attitude • Spreadsheet – 20% skill, 70% knowledge, 10% attitude • Diversity – 15% skill, 10% knowledge, 75% attitude
Diversity Appreciation in a Business Environment • Developing an atmosphere in which it is safe for all employees to ask for help • Actively seeking information from people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures • Including people who are different than you in informal gatherings such as lunch, coffee breaks, and spur of the moment meetings • Creating a team spirit of which every member feels a part
Recognizing, appreciating, valuing, and utilizing the unique talents and contributions of all individuals.
Iowa Civil Rights Commission Grimes State Office Building Des Moines, Iowa 50319 515-281-4121 800-457-4416 FAX 515-242-5840 http://www.state.ia.us/government/crc