Discrimination & Diversity Awareness Office of Equal Opportunity and Compliance 4 West Avenue Annex Bldg. University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 72701

Discrimination & Diversity AwarenessDiscrimination & Diversity AwarenessOffice of Equal Opportunity and Compliance

4 West Avenue Annex Bldg.University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR 72701Phone: (479) 575-4019

Facsimile: (479) 575-7637

What’s your understandingWhat’s your understanding

Discrimination & Diversity DefinedDiscrimination & Diversity Defined

Discrimination is:

Unfavorable treatment based on an individual’s membership in a protected class.

Diversity is:

The fact or quality of being different; a classification of human characteristics related to personal and biological traits.

Who Anti-Discrimination Laws Protect?Who Anti-Discrimination Laws Protect?

Title VIITitle VII

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

ADEA/Age Discrimination ActADEA/Age Discrimination Act

• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, prohibits employment discrimination based on age.

• The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.

ADA/Section 504ADA/Section 504

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities.

Title IXTitle IX

• Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972 prohibits discrimination based on sex in educational programs and activities that receive federal funding.

True/FalseTrue/False

• If an individual honestly does not intend to offend anyone, their behavior cannot be considered harassment?

• Harassment based on sex can include making stereotypical remarks about someone’s gender?


• Sexual harassment laws only apply to women?

• If you observe behavior you believe to be harassment, you should wait until you know its unlawful before reporting it?


• You should not tell anyone about a harassment/discrimination complaint, if you are asked to keep it a secret?

Diversity MattersDiversity Matters

Diversity Goes Beyond Checking the BoxDiversity Goes Beyond Checking the Box

• Diversity goes beyond seeking to avoid discrimination

• Non-discrimination ≠ promoting diversity.

• Diversity is embracing a collective mixture of differences, similarities, and complexities.

• Diversity is understanding the value of individual differences.

Individuals belong to many different Individuals belong to many different ““micro-culturalmicro-cultural”” groups groups

IndividualIndividual

LGBTLGBT

GenderGender

Social Class

Social ClassDisabilityDisability

ReligionReligion RaceRace

Communication is Filtered Through Communication is Filtered Through Cultural PerspectivesCultural Perspectives

We are the sum of our parts, our characteristics and experiences shape our views and perspectives

Age National Origin RaceSexual Orientation Religion DisabilityGender Education PersonalityWork Position/Experience Customs ValuesGeographic location Language used Work StyleCommunication Style Economic Status Learning StylePhilosophical Perspective Military Experience Family Life

RiddleRiddle

• Edible• Warm Color• Round Shape• Contains Seeds• Grows On A Tree• Name Begins With A Vowel• Good for Juice

Different Attribution of MeaningDifferent Attribution of Meaning

Cross-Cultural AwarenessCross-Cultural Awareness

• When meeting people for the first time, our brains automatically make assessments (e.g., job interviews, jury selection).

• Although membership in any specific group may provide clues about an individual, it cannot enable us to predict behavior.

• First Impressions can be misleading (e.g., Herman Grid).

Cross-Cultural AwarenessCross-Cultural Awareness

What do you see?

Gray spots at the intersections?

Cross-Cultural AwarenessCross-Cultural AwarenessThe Herman Grid provides an example of how we see things that are not really there.

•Have you ever had a wrong first impression of someone who had a different background of from a different culture?

•Has someone from a different background or culture ever had the wrong first impression of you?

Cross-Cultural BarriersCross-Cultural Barriers

• Irrational Assumptions• Misunderstandings• Prejudice• Fears

Irrational AssumptionsIrrational Assumptions• Irrational assumptions are beliefs founded on baseless

suppositions, often skewed by bias.

• An example of irrational assumptions are stereotypes we formulate about people based on their association or membership with cultural or ethic groups.

“ If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true is really true, there would be little hope of advance.” – Orville Wright

MisunderstandingsMisunderstandings• Misunderstandings are a normal part of communication

either because we intentionally or unintentionally use the wrong words or because we do not understand what is being said to us.

• To prevent misunderstandings:– Know who you are talking to;– Be respectful; and – Be sure of what you want to say.

“Listen, I’m going to talk to the Indians. It’s probably a misunderstanding.”– General Custer

PrejudicePrejudice• By definition, prejudice is either bias in favor of or against

something.

• Bias can be benign; however, bias having to do with people can be hurtful and cause problems.

“Just as a child is born without fear, so is it born without prejudice. Prejudice like fear is acquired.”– Marie Killea

FearFear• Fear of change is counterproductive, especially fear

of ideas and people who are different than us.

“I think we have to own the fears that we have of each other, and then, in some practical way, some daily

way, figure out how to see people differently than the way we were brought up to.” – Alice Walker

Breaking the BarriersBreaking the Barriers

• Self Awareness• Thinking Outside the Box• Communication and Listening• Being Proactive and Engaging in Research

Self AwarenessSelf Awareness• Even the most enlightened, intelligent, and well-

intentioned professionals may harbor some bias, often so subtle that they are unaware of it.

• Awareness of unconscious bias allows and requires fundamental rethinking of approaches to:– Leadership– Training/Teaching– Organizational Policy– Culture

Self AwarenessSelf Awareness• No negative intent may be intended

• Eradicating bias is not about trying to find “bad people” and “fix” them, but about heightened awareness

• Engaging in an a self assessment is one tool you can use to help evaluate your personal attitudes and uncover potential bias.– Diversity Awareness Assessment

Thinking Outside the BoxThinking Outside the Box

• While sometimes difficult, in order to achieve diversity and inclusion it is often necessary to think “outside the box.”

• As an illustration of how difficult it is to sometimes think outside the box, consider the following exercise:



Thinking Outside the BoxThinking Outside the Box• Why is it that most of us do not think about going

outside of the boundaries?

• We had to draw outside the lines. This is what is required of us when we interact with others, as everyone thinks differently (outside the boundaries or “box”).

• Why is it sometimes difficult to see others’ points of view?

Communication and ListeningCommunication and Listening

• Communication is a key ingredient in a successfully diverse environment.

– Essential to effective communication is the ability to actively listen – are you an active listener?

– Non-verbal communication also plays a critical role in effective communication.

• Think of how text messages and emails can sometimes be misconstrued.


Active Listening: What kind of Listener are you?

•If you feel that it would take too much time and effort to understand something, do you avoid hearing it?

•Do you think about other subjects when you believe your partner will have nothing interesting to say?



•Do certain words, phrases, or ideas upset you so you cannot listen to what is being said?

•When someone is talking to you do you listen mainly for facts, rather than ideas?



•When you’re listening, are you easily distracted by outside sights and sounds?

•When you’re angry about what’s being said, do you pretend that nothing is wrong or that you don’t understand?


Active Listening: Basic Steps

•Step One: The speaker talks to the listener

•Step Two: The listener listens without speaking and gives the speaker his or her full attention without distraction.

•Step Three: Once the speaker is done, the listener tells the speaker what he or she heard by restating the information in his or her own words. This confirms understanding between the speaker and listener.


Nonverbal Communication

•Most people are familiar with viewing and using body language in their own culture. To promote diversity, it is important to be aware of other possible meanings.

•Body language can be intentional or unintentional, but both convey meaning to the receiver. Be aware when reading other people, but also be aware of the messages that you convey in your own body language.

Communication and ListeningCommunication and ListeningNonverbal Communication: Examples of Cultural Differences in Body Language

•Eye Contact: In some cultures eye contact is disrespectful.

•Nodding head side to side instead of front to back: These signals look different but can mean the same thing

•Personal Space: Some cultures find it normal to stand extremely close when talking.

•Handshakes: Some cultures use a longer handshake that include a left-handed elbow touch. Some cultures use a limp handshake and some believe a firm handshake is a sign of aggression. Also, some cultures do not allow shaking hands with women.

Be Proactive and Engage in ResearchBe Proactive and Engage in Research

• Know your community• Seek supportive resources• Give quality time to all groups• Acknowledge the legitimacy of all cultural heritages

and groups• Use a wide variety of instructional and assessment

strategies• Incorporate multicultural information, resources and

materials in all subjects

Tips for Resolving ConflictTips for Resolving Conflict

• Connect with others through what they most value

• Don’t try to deduce other people’s intentions as being like your own

• Because we respond more strongly to the negative actions of people for whom we have strong feelings than those of strangers, allow yourself more time to get back in balance in those cases.

General Strategies for Managing ConflictGeneral Strategies for Managing Conflict

• COLLABORATING Mode – (cooperative, assertive) attempts to address fully the needs of both parties and is often called the problem-solving approach

• NEGOTIATION Strategies – more equitable for everyone; there are no losers


• AVOIDING Approach – (uncooperative, unassertive) neglects the interests of both parties by postponing or sidestepping the problem

• COMPROMISING Model – (intermediate on assertiveness and cooperativeness) tries to obtain some satisfaction for both parties


• FORCING Alternative – (assertive, uncooperative) attempts to satisfy one’s own needs at the expense of another person’s

• ACCOMODATING Approach – (cooperative, unassertive) satisfies the other party’s concerns whie neglecting one’s own

Win-Win Problem SolvingWin-Win Problem Solving• Establish communication – must speak to one

another• Own the problem – must be able to describe your

needs• Define terms and values – eliminate all verbal

confusion• Find common ground – often more likeness than

differences

Win-Win Problem SolvingWin-Win Problem Solving• Negotiate – everyone should be a winner

– Identify and define the conflict– Generate a number of possible solutions– Evaluate the alternative solutions– Decide on the best solution

Win-Win Problem SolvingWin-Win Problem SolvingWhat Win-Win Is:

•A courageous effort•The best way to get to interdependent relationships•A character-based code for interaction

Win-Win Problem SolvingWin-Win Problem SolvingWhat Win-Win Is Not:

•Always being “nice”•Always being achievable•A manipulative technique•A personality-based thought pattern

What Helps? LEAPSWhat Helps? LEAPS

•Listen•Empathize•Ask Questions•Paraphrase•Summarize

Case ScenarioCase ScenarioCollin, a young student in your class comes to you and says, “My Dad says all Muslims are bad people.”

How do you respond?

Case ScenarioCase ScenarioSally’s Mom, Debra, comes to you one morning and tells you that she does not want Sally sitting next to Sydney, another female student, because she heard Sydney’s parents are homosexual.

What do you do?

Case ScenarioCase Scenario• A disabled student, James, is routinely excluded by peers from

classroom group work.

What do you do?

• Rather than noticing that peers are excluding James from group work, you notice a fellow teacher engaging in group work that results in James being excluded.

What do you do?

Case ScenarioCase ScenarioWhat if all the trees were oaks How plain would the world seem;No maple syrup, no banana splits,And, how would orange juice be?

Wouldn’t it be a boring place,If all the people were the same;Just one color, just one language,Just one family name.

- But -

If the forest were the world,And all the people were the trees;Palm and pine, bamboo and willow,Live and grow in harmony.

Aren’t you glad, my good friend,Different though we may be,We are here to help each other,I learn from you, and you, from me.

Case ScenarioCase Scenario• How is the forest like the world?• How important is it to learn from people who are

different than you? Why?• What kinds of things can you learn from a person

that comes from a different part of the country than you?

• How do our differences help each other and allow us to learn from each other?

Shannon Haupt, JDCompliance OfficerOEOC4 West AnnexFayetteville, AR(479) [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Discrimination & Diversity Awareness Office of Equal Opportunity and Compliance 4 West Avenue Annex Bldg. University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 72701