Diversity

1. Diversity

2. Your Turn Look around at your classroom. What kinds of diversity do you see? What other kinds of diversity might exist but can’t be seen? Discuss why some college students have an interest in diversity, both seen and unseen, and why other students avoid the topic.

3. Understanding Diversity and the Source of Our Beliefs • Diversity: • variations in social and cultural identities among people living together • Multiculturalism: • the active process of acknowledging and respecting the diverse social groups, cultures, religions, races, ethnicities, attitudes, and opinions within a community

4. Understanding Diversity and the Source of Our Beliefs (continued) • Many of our beliefs stem from personal experience and reinforcement. • Negative experiences or incidents involving members of a particular group may lead to development of stereotypes. • Tolerance is generally a good idea. • Your college campus may be your first experience of diversity.

5. Your Turn Think back to the earliest messages you received from family members about how you should react to people who are different from you. Which messages still affect your behavior? Which messages have you revised?

6. Ethnicity, Culture, Race, and Religion • Ethnicity: affiliation assigned to a group of people with common national heritage or language. • Culture: aspects of a group of people that are passed on or learned • Race: refers to biological characteristics shared by groups. • Religion: central to the American experience since the first settlers arrived • Age diversity provides an opportunity for students to learn from those with different life experiences. • Learning and physical abilities • Gender • Sexuality • Economic status

7. Your Turn Brainstorm in a small group how you might meet some older people on campus or in your community. Plan to meet and interview an older person about his or her experiences in college or in life after college, and write about the meeting.

8. Your Turn Make a list of careers or occupations that you are considering. Would anyone try to tell you that one or more of them are “inappropriate” because you are male or female? Write a persuasive statement that you could use to argue that gender should not narrow life choices or options.

9. Seeking Diversity on Campus • The curriculum • Student-run organizations • Fraternities and sororities • Career/major groups • Political/activist organizations • Special-interest groups

10. Discrimination, Prejudice, and Insensitivity on College Campuses • Raising awareness • Campus resources and centers provide acknowledgment of and support to the diverse student population • Establish of policies against any and all forms of discriminatory actions, racism, and insensitivity • What you can do to fight hate on campus • Will you do something about it, or do you think it is someone else’s problem? • Work with existing campus services

11. Discrimination, Prejudice, and Insensitivity on College Campuses (continued) • Challenge yourself to experience diversity • Diversity enriches us all • Challenge yourself to learn about various groups in and around your community • Gives you an opportunity to develop skills to function in a variety of settings • Can also be gratifying • Helps you become a more educated person

12. Your Turn Think back on your life. Can you recall an occasion when you were harassed for any reason or when you witnessed harassment? Discuss the event with a classmate, how it made you feel, and how you reacted.

13. Tech Tip: The Case For Volunteering • Volunteering will help build your résumé, explore career options, and broaden your horizons. • You’ll get to go to interesting places and do important work • You’ll learn to appreciate diversity • You might get to travel internationally • You’ll gain valuable experience that could help you in your career • Will help you become a happier, more fascinating, and less self-absorbed person • Employers say applicants who volunteer stand out