1 FYE 101: First Year Experience Diversity

Activity Common Threads  Pass the yarn to someone with whom you share a common experience

Objectives Define basic definitions/concepts relating to diversity including race, ethnicity, religion, class, gender, sexual orientation, physical abilities, learning differences, ethnocentrism, stereotypes, and prejudice. Discuss the influence of culture on one’s personal values, perspectives, and attitudes. Identify interpersonal skills to interact with diverse individuals in educational institutions, the workplace, and society in general.

Culture CULTURE refers to shared: norms traditions behaviors language perceptions

Culture is.. The sum total of the learned behavior of any given society.  Learned  Shared  Adaptive  Dynamic

Aspects of Diversity

Individual Activity Complete the Cultural Self-Assessment form

Group Activity Split into groups of three or four (three is preferable) Using the Shared Culture Worksheet, identify cultural characteristics all of your, two of you and only one of you share.

Class System that structures group access to various resources:  Economic  Political  Cultural  Social

Class Individual Responsibility Societal Restriction

Class Socioeconomic status  Income  Wealth  Occupation  Education  Power

Class Population below poverty level GroupNumberPercentage All races % of U.S. population Asian American1.4 million11.6% of all Asian Americans Black8.8 million24.4 % of all blacks Latino9.0 million22.5% of all Latinos White15.9 million8.2% of all whites Older than 65 years3.6 million10.2% of over 65-year0olds Younger than 18 years12.9 million17.6% of children and youth Single Female Head of Household 12.4 million30.0% of female headed households

Class Class and education  Greatest factor affecting socioeconomic status  Challenge of first generation college-bound  Not all cultures value education

Ethnicity and Race Ethnicity  National origins  Native country of ancestors  Weakens after several generations Race  Social construct, not biological or scientific  Like a caste system  Racial identification varies “He can call himself whatever he wants, but he’s still black.”

Ethnicity and Race Educational disparity  Students of color more likely to be taught low level curricula with low performance standards by unqualified and inexperienced teachers  62% of white students take algebra II compared to 52% of African-Americans and 45% Latinos.  African-American and Latinos less likely to go to college than whites and Asian Americans.

Activity Boys are better at… Girls are better at…

Gender and Sex Sex based on biological differences  Male  Female Gender based on cultural definition  Masculine  Feminine

Gender and Sex Greater variability within than between sexes Differences affected by cultural expectations and norms Nature versus nurture

Exceptionality Differ from the norm  Below Developmental delayed Learning differences  Above Talented Gifted

Factors that Affect Student Achievement Parental Expectations Summer Experiences Quality of Instruction Cultural Beliefs School Funding Child Rearing Practices Beliefs of Schools Socio- economic StatusStudentAchievement

Questions