Course summary:
This Workforce Diversity course is an interactive learning course where the instructor facilitates an environment conducive to student personal development and provides learning through new resource experiences. Immersion learning formats such as fishbowls, role plays, simulations, debates, small group discussions, and group projects will complement the traditional teaching tools such as lectures, case studies, and student presentations.
Course goals:
- Understand human behavior dynamics to increase the knowledge, skills, and ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds
- Understand American cultural values and recognize how it influences interpersonal human behavior in the workplace
Proposed textbook:
ISBN-13: 9781138731431
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
This comprehensive, integrated teaching resource provides students with the tools and methodologies they need to effectively negotiate the multiple dynamics that emerge from difference and to appropriately respond to issues of marginalization and social injustice. This second edition includes two new chapters: one addressing social identity diversity and leadership in the workforce, and the second examining under-representation of diversity in the scientific, technical, and film workforce. This edition also features an updated chapter on social justice as an emerging diversity paradigm, including a conceptual framework to advance the ideology of organizational social justice.
Course objectives:
The instructor will interactively address and synthesize three theoretical approaches:
- The legal approach: Government legislation that shaped history and workforce diversity. Historically rooted legal standards such as Brown v. Board of Ed, Affirmative Action, Equal Employment Opportunity, Americans With Disabilities Act will be studied, including its connections to current issues in the workplace.
- The anthropological-sociological approach: Cultural awareness. Students explore why various cultures have adopted the different systematically supported and/or constructed traditions that support their lifestyle and work environments.
- The Socio-Psychological approach: Self examination. Interactive examination of own beliefs, values, knowledge, and behavior from a social justice lens.
Student learning outcomes: Students will increase their knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively leverage diversity in the workplace, along with the ability to make conscious choices about attitudes and behaviors based on an understanding of the potential organizational, group, and individual implications. This course helps students understand people as individuals, and builds connects with the mind, heart and habits.
Why study Diversity?
- Diversity is a necessity to live and work in America.
- It helps us understand people as individuals, and ourselves better.
- Collaboratively working with job fluidity requires building connections with the mind, heart and habits.
- Impactful community and market outcomes
What is Diversity in the Workplace?
Is this Diversity in the workplace?
Answer: Valuing the many ways leaders, business partners, employees, consultants, interns, volunteers, customers, and visitor groups are alike and different.
- various ways human beings show up and are in their work environments
- people’s various ways of knowing, behaving and communicating at work
- all of the ways individuals similar and dissimilar
Diversity in the workplace is NOT:
- a lack of company standards for policy
- a hiring and team quota
- an “affirmative action strategy”
- Individual facets
- characteristics
- knowledge
- skills
- abilities
Including but are not limited to:
gender; race; skin color; age; ethnicity; sexual orientation; marital status; partner status; parental status; maternal status; socioeconomic status; dialect; disability; spiritual beliefs; religious beliefs; ancestry; cultural customs, norms, and traditions; choices of cuisine; eye color; hair color and texture; style of dress; professional appearance; height and weight; educational level; professional work experience; military experience; world view; personality; knowledge, skills, and abilities; work ethic; creative talents; demeanor; mannerisms; professionalism; adaptability to change; handling stress; managing conflict; dealing with emotions; leadership style; followership style; occupation titles; occupation responsibilities; weekly schedules; seniority level; salary level; functioning in teams; functioning autonomously; cultivating a welcoming work environment; level of personal commitment; degree of professional loyalty; providing feedback; receiving feedback; delivering customer service; receiving customer service; expressing appreciation; conveying disapproval; professional interest; personal interests; life experiences; where one lives; birth place; style of living; and political views
How does the Diversity show up in work?
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human resource development, training and development, human resource management, organizational leadership, workforce education and development, entrepreneurship, counseling, military education, adult education, and educational leadership
What does a Diversity practitioner need to understand?
The legal approach: Government legislation that shaped history and workforce diversity. Historically rooted legal standards such as Brown v. Board of Ed, Affirmative Action, Equal Employment Opportunity, Americans With Disabilities Act will be studied, including its connections to current issues in the workplace.
Why? For the benefit of what and whom?
- how we came here
- we know what not to do
- what’s possible
The anthropological-sociological approach: Cultural awareness. Students explore why various cultures have adopted the different systematically supported and/or constructed traditions that support their lifestyle and work environments.
Why? For the benefit of what and whom?
- Social perceptiveness
- Cultural competency
- Understand the social standards/constructs that systematically support our similarities and differences
The Socio-Psychological approach: Self examination. Interactive examination of own beliefs, values, knowledge, and behavior from a social justice lens.
Why? For the benefit of what and whom?
- Know thyself
- Build Identity Capital
- Appropriately deal with others
Learning Activity
In America personal equality is guaranteed, but structured inequality exists.
Bias exists with social identity privileged advantages. Social identity privileges terms:
- privileged v. underprivileged
- majority v. minority
- agent v. target
American greatest hits of social standards or constructs
- Ability
- Age
- Class
- Gender
- Race
- Religion
- Sex
- Sexual Orientation
HC 