© 2009 mcgraw-hill higher education. all rights reserved. mcgraw-hill diversity and your...

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Diversity and Your Relationships with Others

Chapter 12


Living in a World of Diversity

• Our world is increasingly interconnected and interdependent

• By the mid-21st century, more people in the United States will be of African, Asian, Latin American and Arabic descent than those of Western European descent.

• Diversity encompasses racial, gender, sexual orientation, age, mental and physical characteristics.

• Additional diversity traits include religion, education, income level, and individual differences.


Living in a World of Diversity

• Place figure 12.1 here


Race, Ethnicity, and Culture • Race –

– Traditionally, biologically determined physical characteristics that set one group apart from another

• Ethnicity –– Shared natural origins or cultural patterns

• Culture –– The learned behaviors, beliefs, and

attitudes that are characteristic of an individual society or population, and the products that they create


Building Cultural Competence

• Cultural competence is learned– It is a knowledge of other people’s

backgrounds, customs, perspectives, and history

– Provides a basis for civic engagement– Permits us to act with civility toward

others– It allows us to make the most in our

contribution to society


Diversity – Prepare

• Accepting diversity as a valued part of your life– We form relationships more easily with

people who are similar to us– Yet we can grow and be challenged

when we seek out people that are different from us

– Learn what motivates other people and become aware of new ways to think about family, relationships, earning a living, and the value of education

• Learning to accept others who are different from you is an important job skill


Diversity – Organize• Exploring your own prejudices and

stereotypes– Prejudice -- the evaluations or

judgments of members of a group based on their being members of that group

• Gender prejudice would be to judge someone based on their gender on not on their individual abilities

– Discrimination – the behavior toward members of group based on their being members of that group

– Stereotypes – beliefs and expectations about members of a group that are held simply because they are members of that group


Diversity – Work

• Developing Cultural Competence– Study other cultures and customs– Travel– Participate in service learning– Don’t ignore people’s backgrounds– Don’t make assumptions about who

people are– Accept differences


Diversity – Evaluate • Ask yourself the following questions:

– How do I make judgments about people?– Who are my friends?– Do I openly express positive values about

diversity?– Am I passive or assertive regarding

prejudicial or stereotypical remarks?– Am I learning about other cultures?– Am I evenhanded in my relationships?– Do I recognize that all people have the

same basic needs?– Do I look down upon other racial or ethnic

groups because I take pride in my own?– Do I look at things with different

perspectives?


Diversity – Rethink

• Understand how your own racial, ethnic, and cultural background affects others

• Regardless of background, other students at your school share similar concerns about success, and life goals

• Bridging differences can create lasting social ties


Building Lasting Relationships

• Making friends– Invest time in others– Reveal yourself– Let others know you like them– Accept others as they are, not

as you would like them to be– Show concern and caring– Not everyone makes a good

friend


Building Lasting Relationships

• The R-Word: Relationships– Trust– Honesty– Mutual support– Loyalty– Acceptance– Willingness to embrace change


Communicating in Relationships

• Communicating well is a blend of talking and listening– Sometimes silence is the best

support you can give

• Improve your listening skills– Stop talking!– Demonstrate that you are

listening– Use reflective feedback– Ask questions– Admit when you are distracted


Loneliness• One can be happy alone or lonely in

a crowd. Loneliness is subjective.– When people are not experiencing the

connectedness with others that they desire, they are lonely.

• Strategies for overcoming loneliness include:– Become involved in campus activities– Find a study partner– Know that you’re not alone in your

loneliness– Take advantage of orientation and first-

year student activities– Take a job on campus– Remember that loneliness is typically

temporary


Avoiding and Handling Conflicts• Remember to make “I” statements• Remember that conflict is not

necessarily bad• Conflict resolution tips:

– Stop, look, and listen– Defuse the argument– Get personal– Listen to the real message– Show that you’re listening– If you are angry, acknowledge it– Ask for clarification– Be specific– Don’t think it’s a zero-sum game– End the relationship if emotional or

physical abuse occurs


When Relationships Are Over

• Time can work to heal the heartache of a lost relationship

• Other strategies:– Stay busy– Accept your feelings– Talk with a friend or relative– Write about the relationship– Talk to a professional

© 2009 mcgraw-hill higher education. all rights reserved. mcgraw-hill diversity and your...

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