Cultural Diversity Today’s college campuses reflect the diversity of the U.S. population, but are you aware how diverse the U.S. is? And why that’s a reason to celebrate?

Race, Ethnic Groups and Culture Race: generally refers to a group with similar inherited features. Ethnic group: refers to a group that shares language, national origin or religious tradition. Culture: refers to the behaviors and beliefs characteristic shared by a group of people. The ideas and behaviors of an ethnic group, for example, are part of their culture.

The Changing U.S. Population According to the Census Bureau, the U.S. is the only nation in the world where virtually every group represented has its origin in another country.

A Century of Change Total U.S. Population, 2000, by race

What does the future hold for you, me, & us? If the current rate of growth continues, the groups that make up a minority of the current population will make up 50% of the U.S. population by If you live in or near an urban center, chances are that your community is already more diverse than you may think. In small communities it may be less so.

Appreciating Diversity Yet… Even in college, people often tend to seek out other people like themselves… College is a tremendous opportunity to meet people unlike yourself! Seek out student groups, volunteer opportunities, and organizations that help meet new people. Research shows that students benefit from positive relations with other students of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Diversity is the reason that America’s language, food, fashion, music, business, and accomplishments are as rich and varied as they are!

Broaden Your Diversity Vista Make all people and groups feel welcome, including those with differences in sexual orientation, age or ability.

Being Mindful of Others Respect culture and diversity Understand gender issues Respect sexual orientation Improve your relationships with diverse others Different isn’t bad, it’s just different

Diversity on Campus College campuses are among America’s most diverse settings, including both students and faculty. Despite opportunities to mix, people often associate with their “own kind.” Our fear of the unknown may keep us close to those whose background we share. This prevents us from taking advantage of the rich opportunities on campus to meet and learn about people who are different from us.

Discrimination and Prejudice on College Campuses In addition to being morally and personally repugnant, discrimination is also ILLEGAL. Respect & tolerance, on the other hand, are highly encouraged! Respect & tolerance, on the other hand, are highly encouraged!

Ethnicity, Stereotypes, and Prejudice on Campus Many of us sincerely think that we are not prejudiced, but experts believe that every person harbors some prejudices. Stereotypes lead us to view others in limited and limiting ways. There is so more to people than the social roles they play, or the groups to which they belong. We tend to identify with others who are like us, and fear people who are different from us. We tend to be ethnocentric—favoring groups we belong to and tending to think of them as superior. Some of us are also egocentric – thinking we are superior to everyone else.

Diversity Attitude Scale: Where are you? Celebration “We need each other.” Affirmation “I’ve got something to learn from you.” Civility “I respect your rights.” Tolerance “You have a right to be here.” Intolerance “I’ll work to keep you out”

International Students Most colleges have students from a wide range of countries. They bring customs, values, and behaviors that may be different from those of American students. If you are an American-born student, consider getting to know one or more international students; it will expand your education. If you are an international student, adapting to college in America may bring some confusion and problems; for help, read your text and ask your instructor.

Don’t Put Up with Sexual Harassment It is estimated that two million women currently enrolled in college will experience some form of sexual harassment in their student lives. Sexual harassment includes several behaviors. Gender harassment - sexist remarks and behavior that insult and degrade women, a problem apart from harassment for sex. Seductive behavior - unwanted, inappropriate, and offensive advances. Sexual bribery - harassment for sex, with the threat of punishment for refusal. Every college is required by law to take action against sexual harassment.

Homosexuality and Bisexuality A recent figure estimates that about 2–5% of people are homosexual, and about 1% are bisexual. Sexual orientation is not necessarily a fixed decision that is made once in life—forever. People sometimes experiment with homosexual behavior in adolescence, but not as an adult. In most ways the college goals of homosexual and bisexual students are no different from those of heterosexual students. These students do have some difficulties due to their minority status.

Improving the Lives of Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual College Students Many campuses have organizations for students who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual. They not only involve the students, but their friends and families as well. If your campus does not have an organization consider starting one. Check with your student activities office for correct procedures. Many good books exist that have been written for and by homosexual and bisexual people, covering many practical issues. Be tolerant of the sexual orientation of others. Take a course on human sexuality to learn more.

Improve Your Relationships with Different Kinds of People Honestly assess your attitudes Put yourself in perspective with others Seek personal contact Respect differences but don’t overlook similarities Search for more knowledge Treat people as individuals rather than stereotyping them Include, don’t exclude

What’s the Difference? Activity 9.2  Find a partner in class. You will have five minutes to begin listing all the ways in which you differ from your partner: height, gender, eye color, hometown, etc.  A prize will be awarded to the pair that comes up with the longest list at the end of five minutes.

Diversity Fishbowl Activity 9.1  We will identify some of the differences that exist between groups of students: male vs. female, left-handed vs. right-handed, tall vs. short, thin vs. heavy, in-state vs. out-of state, residential vs. commuter, straight-A vs. at- risk, religious vs. non-religious, gay vs. straight, White vs. African-American, etc.  For each set of features, we will divide into the groups we associate with. The minority group will form an inner circle and the majority will form an outer circle. The inside group should discuss their experiences as a minority group, and the outer circle should discuss their experiences with the minority group. At this point, no communication will take place between the groups.  We will debrief after each separation.