Chapter 7: Diversity & Inclusion
Chapter 7 Activities & Resources
Key takeaways for review
- Explore the positive effects of diversity in an educational setting.
- Explore the positive effects of diversity in a work setting.
- Define diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. How can they be developed?
- Explore the concept of privilege and why it matters.
- Identify resources for learning more about MCC’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Reflection activity: A Class Divided
Watch the following video:
After viewing the video, write a reflection based on the guidelines below. You don’t need to respond to every topic listed; rather, the list is intended to provide ideas to reflect on how diversity has impacted your life.
Your reflection should cover a variety of topics, such as some of the following:
- your reactions
- your observations
- your conversations or experiences with others as related to diversity (work, education, volunteerism, leisure activities, et cetera)
- an experience you’ve had or witnessed that was similar
- an experience that made you feel uncomfortable about a certain aspect of your identity
- an experience that was clearly the result of stereotyping or misperceptions
Comments may cover any aspect of the video content but should focus on diversity.
Examining stereotypes
Watch the video below to examine how the speaker removes power from typical stereotypes about her ethnicity.
- What stereotypes are commonly attributed to another group?
- How can those stereotypes be turned upside down?
Reflecting on human values
The values we live by are worth more when we pass them on.
- Examine the Foundation for a Better Life at the website PassItOn.com.
- What is its mission?
- Find one quote, one video, and one billboard that speaks to you and your values.
- Be prepared to share what you found with your peers.
Visit the Perception Institute
Visit the Perception Institute’s website at https://perception.org/. Examine one of the following areas and be prepared to share what you learned with your peers:
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Representation: Culture & Perception
Media, entertainment, and other forms of popular culture play a significant role in shaping our perceptions of others. For many of us, popular culture is the primary way we learn about people who are different from us. The problem, though, is that many representations are based on cultural stereotypes, which tend to marginalize and caricature members of nondominant groups. Through these representations, we see a limited and distorted, view of others.
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Research: Science & Perception
Recent research in psychology, neuroscience, and the social sciences has made huge strides in understanding how automatic processes in the brain shape our perceptions, our actions, and our decision-making. Research also gives us insights into how we can override our biases to bring them more in line with our conscious values.
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Reality: Living & Perception
Stereotyping and bias are universal human phenomena. No one is immune from the effects of implicit bias, racial anxiety, and stereotype threat. These phenomena have serious impacts on our decisions and on the way we treat each other in every sector of daily life.
Diversity and inclusion links beyond MCC: National Resources
Explore and summarize one or more of the resources below. Who should visit that site and why? What is one useful piece of information you learned?
- U.S. Department of Labor Statistics
- Diversity & Democracy
- Association of American Colleges & Universities/Diversity Resources
- National MultiCultural Institute
- Workforce Diversity Network
- Tolerance.org
- Understandingprejudice.org
- National Gay & Lesbian Taskforce
- PFLAG (Parents, Friends, and Families of Lesbians and Gays)
- UnidosUS
Diversity and inclusion links beyond MCC: Colleges and Universities
Explore and summarize one of the resources below:
Diversity and inclusion links beyond MCC: Publications and online journals
Explore one of the online publications below to determine its audience and purpose. Or, locate additional resources that could be added to the list below:
MCC Libraries
This chapter in your textbook covers important topics like diversity, inclusion, equity, microaggressions, privilege, and civility.
Follow this link for additional resources: https://libguides.monroecc.edu/cos/inclusion
If you have questions or need help accessing MCC Libraries, let us know at libraries@monroecc.edu or 585-292-2303.
