This document is a training module on diversity awareness prepared by Dr. Lillie M. Fears. It is divided into four parts that discuss the definition of diversity, understanding culture and how it impacts one's job, and dealing with prejudice and stereotypes. The introduction explains that as the early childhood education classroom and workforce become more diverse, valuing diversity is important. It also notes that diversity now includes many more attributes beyond just race or gender.

1. Diversity
Awareness
A
Training
Module
Prepared
by
Lillie
M.
Fears,
PhD
Jonesboro,
Arkansas

2.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this presentation may be reproduced,
duplicated, given away, transmitted or resold in any form without written prior
permission from the author. © Lillie M. Fears, PhD 2014

3. Diversity Awareness Education
This
training
module
is
designed
to
s@mulate,
guide,
and
inspire
you
to
think
about
diversity
awareness
in
every
part
of
the
work
that
you
do
at
Arkansas
Early
Learning.
The
module
consists
of
the
following
four
sec@ons:
Part
One:
Introduc@on/Overview
Part
Two:
The
Defini@on
of
Diversity
Part
Three:
Understanding
Culture
and
Its
Impact
on
the
Job
Part
Four:
Dealing
with
Prejudice
and
Stereotypes

4. Part
One:
Introduc9on/Overview

5. Introduc9on/Overview
• Diversity
awareness
is
a
long
process.
Therefore,
you
will
not
learn
all
that
you
need
to
know
about
diversity
in
this
one
module.
• The
module
in
no
way
contains
all
of
the
answers
to
ques@ons
about
diversity.
In
fact,
you
already
possess
some
of
the
answers
to
those
ques@ons.
• Just
try
to
remember
that
each
of
us
constantly
is
learning
about
each
other.

6. Introduc@on/Overview
We
can
all
stand
to
gain
from
diversity
awareness
educa@on
and
training.
As
the
early
childhood
educa9on
classroom
becomes
more
diverse
and
the
workforce
becomes
more
diverse,
valuing
diversity
soars
to
the
top
as
a
cri@cal
issue
for
today’s
businesses
and
organiza@ons.

7. Introduc@on/Overview
– Today,
when
it
comes
to
diversity,
we
have
more
to
consider
than
just
people
of
different
ethnic
groups,
gender,
culture,
and
language.
– We
also
have
to
learn
to
deal
effec@vely
with
people
of
different
ages,
abili@es,
religious
backgrounds,
and
sexual
orienta@ons.

8. Introduc@on/Overview
• Today’s
work
force
includes
people
from
various
ethnic
groups,
cultures,
races,
genders,
ages,
religions,
sexual
orienta@ons,
etc.
• From
1950
to
2007,
the
racial
makeup
of
the
U.S.
changed
significantly.
• In
1950,
there
were
nine
white
people
for
every
one
person
from
a
tradi@onally
underrepresented
group
(e.g.,
African
American,
Asian
American,
La@no/Hispanic,
Na@ve
American).

9. Introduc@on/Overview
– In
2007,
for
Americans
younger
than
40,
there
were
fewer
than
one-­‐and-­‐a-­‐half
white
people
for
every
one
person
from
a
tradi@onally
underrepresented
group.
– According
to
the
U.S.
Census
Bureau,
in
2013,
the
white
popula@on
in
the
U.S.
was
77.7%.
– By
2016,
the
white
popula@on
in
the
U.S.
is
expected
to
drop
to
less
than
50%.

10.
Part
Two:
The
Defini9on
of
Diversity

11. This section of the module looks at some
of the ways that we define Diversity.

12. Let’s
look
at
some
of
those
defini9ons.

13. Diversity is:
w Different
w Individuals
w Valuing
w Each other
w Regardless of
w Skin
w Intellect
w Talents or
w Years

14. Diversity
is…
w DIVERSITY is inclusion.
w DIVERSITY is an asset.
w DIVERSITY is appreciation.
w DIVERSITY is opportunity.

15. Finally….
w Race, ethnic group, age, gender,
nationality, class, education, politics,
religion, birth order, culture, birth place,
residence (urban, suburban, rural),
income, sexual orientation, height,
language, weight, marital status, disability,
hearing, etc., are all part of DIVERSITY.

16.
Part
Three:
Understanding
Culture
and
How
it
can
Impact
one’s
Job

17. • This section is intended to help individuals begin to
understand and deal with differences in cultural
programming that impact behavior and attitudes on
the job.

18. First,
let’s
look
at
the
meaning
of
culture.
• The
Concise
Columbia
Encyclopedia
defines
culture
as
“a
way
of
life
of
a
given
society,
passed
down
from
one
genera6on
to
the
next
through
learning
and
experience.”
• From
reading
this
defini@on,
we
know
that
culture
is
complex.

19. Culture
also….
– Impacts
every
aspect
of
life,
from
the
way
people
behave
toward
one
another
to
their
rela@onship
with
the
natural
environment.
And
• It
includes
beliefs
and
values,
as
well
as
assump9ons
and
its
values.

20. Culture
also
maders
in
our
classrooms
• In
many
places,
most
of
the
teachers
in
the
educa@on
profession
are
white,
middle-­‐
class,
monolingual-­‐English
speakers.
• However,
this
profile
does
not
always
match
the
students
in
the
classroom.
• In
many
places,
the
children
in
our
classes
do
not
look
the
teachers.

21. Culture
maders
in
our
classrooms
• In
order
to
effec@vely
reach
the
children
in
our
classrooms,
teachers
must
reach
out
to
them
in
ways
that
are
culturally
appropriate.
• Some@mes
this
will
require
examining
the
cultural
assump@ons
and
stereotypes
that
one
brings
to
the
classroom
which
may,
in
turn,
interfere
with
the
way
one
relates
to
a
child.

22. We
also
must
be
aware
that
cultures
can
some@mes
clash
in
the
workplace.
• Here’s
an
example:
Some
cultures
value
harmony
and
balance
and
believe
in
saving
face.
Result:
Fear
of
embarrassment
or
humilia@on
would
be
of
great
concern
to
a
worker
who
comes
from
this
type
of
ethnic
background.
Therefore,
this
person’s
cultural
background
could
manifest
itself
in
workplace
behaviors
such
as
a
hesita@on
to
take
the
ini@a@ve
or
to
try
out
a
new
procedure.

23. The
Meaning
of
Culture
The
more
you
know
and
understand
about
your
own
culture
and
other
cultures,
the
beder
you
can
address
the
issues
that
arise.

24.
Part
Four:
Dealing
with
Prejudice
and
Stereotypes

25. – This section is intended to increase awareness about
prejudice and stereotypes and to help individuals admit,
come to terms with, and take steps to get beyond
personal biases and limiting assumptions about others.

26. What
is
Stereotyping?
• Stereotyping
happens
when
a
person
generalizes
too
much
simply
because
the
person
does
not
have
the
facts,
has
limited
personal
experience,
or
is
working
with
distorted
informa@on
(Harris
&
Myers,
1996).

27. Have
you
ever
heard
any
of
these
stereotypes?
1. White
people
can’t
dance.
2. Black
people
love
to
eat
fried
chicken.
3. Asians
are
good
at
math.
4. La@no
people
don’t
buy
car
insurance.
And
the
list
goes
on………………..

28. Following
are
some
important
truths
to
remember
about
stereotypes:
• First,
stereotypes
can
be
defined
as
fixed,
inflexible
no@ons
about
a
group.
• Stereotypes,
whether
posi@ve
or
nega@ve,
are
the
heart
of
prejudice.
• Stereotypes
block
the
ability
to
think
about
people
as
individuals.
• Many
stereotypical
generaliza@ons
are
based
on
misconcep@ons
and
errors
in
judgment
(Harris
&
Myers,
1996).

29. Prejudice
is
similar
to
Stereotyping
• Prejudice,
oien
nega@ve,
causes
suspicion
and
intolerance,
and
frequently
brings
out
irra@onal
behavior
(Harris
&
Myers,
1996).
• Prejudice
involves
an
unreasonable
bias
or
an
opinion
formed
before
the
facts
are
known.
• Prejudice,
oien
nega@ve,
causes
suspicion
and
intolerance,
and
frequently
brings
out
irra@onal
behavior
(Harris
&
Myers,
1996).

30. • Prejudice
can
easily
damage
interpersonal
rela@ons
and
can
cause
communica@on
breakdown
among
people
from
different
cultures.

31. Here’s
how
you
can
begin
to
counter
Prejudice
and
stereotyping....
• It
is
important
to
recognize
prejudices
and
not
let
them
get
in
the
way
of
building
team
rela@onships
across
cultures.
• People
who
recognize
them
for
what
they
are
have
taken
the
first
step
towards
overcoming
them.
• It
may
take
longer
to
overcome
certain
prejudices,
but
it
can
be
done.

32. The
following
short
video
sheds
addi@onal
light
on
the
importance
of
Celebra9ng
Diversity
in
Educa9on.
It
is
3:30
minutes
long.
Please
stay
around
aier
it
ends
for
some
final
thoughts
on
diversity
awareness.
You
may
start
the
video
by
logging
on
here:
hPp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeBscQTqiw

33. Here
are
some
final
thoughts
• Following
are
some
strategies
one
should
consider
if
she
or
he
wishes
to
help
improve
diversity
in
an
organiza@on
or
workplace.
• 1.
Do
what
you
can
to
embrace
diversity.
• 2.
Make
it
a
point
to
get
to
know
a
person
(or
parent)
from
another
culture,
ethnic
group,
gender,
sexual
orienta@on,
etc.
• 3.
Make
it
a
point
to
get
to
know
someone
(or
parent)
from
your
own
culture
a
lidle
beder.
• 4.
Don’t
give
up
when/if
you
make
a
cultural
mis-­‐step
or
when
you
offend
someone
uninten@onally.

34. • 5.
Understand
that
even
those
of
us
who
are
supposed
to
be
“good”
at
diversity
or
“much
beder”
than
others
some@mes
commit
cultural
mis-­‐
steps
or
offenses
toward
other
people.
• 6.
Acknowledge
the
mis-­‐step
to
the
person
whom
you
have
offended.
• 7.
If
you
have
been
offended
by
someone
from
another
culture
or
race,
be
willing
to
accept
an
apology,
and
try
to
view
it
as
a
teachable
moment.
• 8.
Finally,
remember
that
diversity
awareness
training
is
a
long
process,
and
no
one
knows
how
to
do
everything
perfectly
all
of
the
@me.

35. • Thank
you
for
par-cipa-ng
in
this
training
module.