This is the unit on diversity. Diversity has been taught in many different ways, some of which are deeply flawed. Back in the day, thinking about diversity meant assigning “oppressor” to one group of people and “oppressed” to another, never allowing anyone to change groups. In actuality this approach was demeaning to people because it didn’t account for small groups of people or individuals (e.g., Rosa Parks and the people who supported her) who took actions that changed things, nor did it account for people from the “oppressor” group lending substantive support to actions by people of the “oppressed” group. I’m not arguing that oppression does not exist. Oppression is simply way more complex than dividing people into two groups.

Another way has been to teach that this culture does that or another culture does something else. This could be called the "food and festivals" approach because it too often focuses on rather superficial things. It also essentializes people who belong to an identified group. Too often people who understand diversity in this way want THE such and such perspective on whatever is going on when there are many, many different perspectives across any given community and also when some people might not choose that particular characteristic as the sole definition of their identity.

Human life is complex. We are shaped by many external factors and just as many internal factors. No two people are alike regardless of physical facts/appearance, etc. There are some basic fundamental things that are common across cultures (for example, the vast majority of cultures have some kind of musical practice). But if you are going to understand people and walk in their shoes so that your relationship is positive, then focusing on thinking and logic and its relation to who a person is will help you enormously. I know that because it has helped me a lot, too.

So...the purpose of this unit is to help you to get experience understanding people whose life is different from yours, no matter how you define yourself.

How are we going to do this?

You are going to have an opportunity to get to know, via video, people who are different from you. I am using these videos because a lot of the discourse around cultural diversity has created a situation of putting people into cultural/ethnic/ability boxes that do not acknowledge the individuality of each person and that focus on one single characteristic rather than multiple characteristics. I think through these videos you can understand people who think differently from you for whatever reason. Then you can apply the concept of working on understanding to all the individual people with whom you come into contact.

Learning Activities

Choose two people among the videos.
What are some factors (internal, external) that contribute to how these people think and/or understand their lives?
What are some of the advantages to how these people think about self and/or life--insights, work, etc. that are unique and have intellectual/cultural/etc. value?
What are some things that these people have struggled with in their lives? How might the struggles have influenced these people's thinking? This is a totally speculative question. Just do your best using what you have seen in the videos, etc. to make the best guess you can.
How are these people different from you (both internal and external factors)? How are they different from each other?
If these people in your classroom/work place or a parent of one of your students, where do you think there might be misunderstandings?
What could you do to develop a positive relationship with this person?