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Define diversity within the classroom
Perspectives on diversity
Define diversity within the classroom
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Before reading the first chapter of our textbook, my understanding of diversity was broad and full of misconceptions. I defined diversity as being about any differences that may exist between people. If I were to narrow that definition, I would have said that diversity, to me, was mostly about race, ethnicity and cultural differences between people. I also thought it was term used to describe a society or place that has unlike people within its borders and a term that load some people to discriminate other especially when they come from elsewhere. My conception of diversity has changes a bit after going through the chapter. However, I was not completely wrong when I defined diversity as being about any differences that may exist between people
Before watching the video, the sentence “Diversity is upside down” gave me a feeling that there was something wrong with diversity. Now, after watching it, I agree with Andres Tapia when he states that the world overall is upside down. In addition, I also agree with the three practices that Andres Tapia shares to us about how to thrive in upside down next generation diversity. These practices are, first, diversity and inclusion are different. Second, think about diversity in a multidimensional way. Third, inclusion is a skill, not an attitude. Before going further into these practices, I want to state my own definition of diversity. Diversity is variety, acceptance, knowledge, and respect. It is to be different, but similar to others. It is to enjoy different things, such as new languages and new customs. Finally, it is to understand how to adapt and evolve.
First, I will discuss the influences of different definitions of diversity in cultural unification. The major problem concerning this issue is that many people differ in the real meaning of the concept and how they view their personal involvement. Brook argues that “we do not really care about diversity all that much in America, even though we talk about it a great deal” (306). However, they are the general, erroneous interpretations of diversity that are really creating this wrong image of indifference. According to Kira Hudson Banks in her research entitled “A Qualitative Investigation of Students’ Perceptions of Diversity,” many people defined diversity as race and do not include other types of diversity (153).
“Commitment to diversity is at best a distraction and at worst an essentially reactionary position that prevents us from putting equality at the center of the national agenda,” ()according to Walter Benn Michaels, in his 2004 essay, “The Trouble with Diversity.” Upon hearing the word 'diversity,' members of society may immediately think of race. and political correctness urges society to support racial diversity. According to many, celebrating diversity is the best way to combat societal inequality. This is because people are convinced that the differences that divide society are the results of racial prejudices. Michaels, however, feels that the biggest problem in America is not that of sexism or racism, but instead the increasing gap between the rich and the poor. So if the problem is actually in the economy... The fact that people re-describe economic inequality as racial inequality is counterproductive to equality because people are simply trying to solve a different problem. But how did the notion that what separates us is race even start?
One of the best definitions for diversity I have come across says, “Diversity is the mosaic of people who bring a variety of backgrounds, styles, perspectives, values, and beliefs as assets to the groups and organizations with which they interact ” (Rasmussen, 1996, p. 274). This definition has three noteworthy points. First, it describes diversity as a mosaic, which is different form the traditional label of a melting pot. A mosaic enables people to retain their individuality while contributing collectively to the bigger picture. Second, this definition of diversity applies to and includes everyone; it does not rule out anyone. According to this definition, we are all diverse. Finally, this definition describes diversity as an asset, as something desirable and beneficial! When viewed from this perspective valuing diversity is openness, fun, and can even be a cause for celebrating in discovering how we can join together to create more as a united team than any one of us can on our own. It is vital to business survival that the workplaces strive to attain this ideal collaboration.
There are many aspects to include when defining diversity. Diversity is understanding biological variations, space, social organization, communication, time and environmental control of a culture. The first aspect is understanding the different biological variations within different cultures of people. Biological variations include: body structure,
Schwartz, Stuart, and Craig Conley. Human Diversity: A Guide for Understanding. 14th ed. New York: McGraw-Hills Primis Custom Publishing, 2000. 3-7. Print.
Traditionally, diversity refers to an assortment of races, ethnicities, genders, ages, disabilities and perhaps sexual orientations. A definition of diversity, however, should not be constrained by traditional categories such as these. Such a definition should also include categories such as religion, educational level, life experience, geographic location, socio-economic background, marital status and work experience. Indeed, each person employed by a company possesses unique qualities that encompass many factors.
American society today is comprised of a rainbow of different people with varying ethnicities, cultural practices, and religious beliefs; there is no wonder we pride ourselves on being an exceedingly diverse country. However, this assumption has been proven false. In the traditional idea of diversity, it can be defined as the integration of various races, cultures and ethnicities, but as authors Brooks and Michaels have acclaimed, diversity includes much more.
For the purpose of this paper, I will define what the term Diversity means, and then I will concentrate on the diversity as a result of geographic origin or ethnic diversity. I will look at how ethnic diversity is managed generally and then how my employer, deals with the diverse ethnic groups in its organization and what it needs to improve on.
Regardless of a student’s physical character, gender, class, or income, success should be based on academic efforts. By placing education first, the judgement from there on out would be fair in the sense that other outside advantages would be ignored. Since the amount of diversity present on a campus can impact educational decisions and opportunities, it is imperative to enforce policies geared towards that so all individuals have a fair chance in graduating. But, this task should not be executed by school authorities, faculty, or staff simply because their main goal is to collectively guide students to success. Ultimately, the government has the right and responsibility to implement diversity policies on school campuses solely for the goal
Many universities are striving to be more diverse within their course offerings, students, and faculty. Nicholas A. Bowman’s article entitled How Much Diversity is Enough? The Curvilinear Relationship Between College Diversity Interactions and First-Year Student Outcomes studied if interpersonal interactions with diversity produces a positive experience and if it helps first-year students at a university increase important life skills necessary for the growing emphasis on diversity in the workplace. Bowman study found that “As expected, interracial interactions are positively and significantly related to gains in leadership skills, psychological well-being, intellectual engagement, and intercultural effectiveness during the first year of college.” (Bowman, 2013)
There are several definition of diversity depends on the context. In general, diversity concerns to personal or group's socio-demographic behaviour
According to Kinicki, diversity represents the multitude of individual’s differences and similarities that exist among people. When developing a cultural diversity training program, one has to manage diversity with a new approach of inclusion and recognition. Managing diversity enables people to perform up to their maximum potential (Kinicki p. 111). As we analyze diversity, we will evaluate some common barriers and challenges in managing diversity. In developing a diversity program, we will analyze methods and procedures that will be apart of the program. Kinicki (p.*) says an important first step in overcoming these obstacles is for leaders to convey to their employees why the organization values diversity.
When most people think “Diversity” they think of the most communal characteristics: such as: Age, race, gender, sexual orientation, body type, ethnicity, and a person’s
Whenever it comes to proper child rearing, the diversity reckonings can be observed. On the hand, few people believe children should be competitive and consequently they relentlessly effort to motivate their children in order to hone their skills so that they can excel in today's advanced and competitive environment. While on the contrary few people do not espouse this ideology and vouch for the skills of cooperation According to the first category, children should always be one step ahead of others no matter what the circumstances are. They train their children to achieve their goals by competing with others. Some over competitive parents often exert tremendous pressure on the children which may lead to serious repercussions a child blame