Assignment 1: Views on Diversity
Pablo believes that diversity is the most important issue in our culture, and that it is greatly underemphasized. On the other hand, Ralph rarely thinks of diversity, except when it is mentioned in the workplace. Monica is sensitized to multicultural issues because her parents are immigrants who still struggle with discrimination after being here for 20 years.
To obtain a cross-section of what people think about diversity, conduct five-minute interviews with three individuals you don't know well, and assess their views on diversity. You have been provided an Informed Consent document for the respondents to sign along with verbally consenting to participate in this assignment. This is to enable that the respondents demonstrate a clear understanding of the meaning and purpose of this assignment. While you are expected to use the informed consent form in keeping with ethical practices for data collection, you do not need to submit it to the instructor as part of the assignment.
Ask the respondents the following questions and record their answers:
When you hear the word diversity mentioned in the workplace, in the media, or in casual conversation, what meaning do you assign this term?
Does a particular race, ethnic group, or other minority group come to mind when you think of diversity? Does one of these groups pertain to you?
Do you think the majority of people in our culture:
Respect cultural differences among groups of people.
Show indifference to cultural differences.
Lack respect for cultural differences. Explain each choice.
If you were to make a suggestion about how our culture should handle diversity over the next decade, what would it be?
Compile your responses and write a brief reflection paper (two pages) on your findings. Specifically address the following issues:
What did you discover was the general attitude toward diversity in our culture?
Is diversity more associated with one race, ethnic, or other minority group than with others? If so, explain why this might be the case.
Compare and contrast the respondent's views with your own. How would you answer the same questions?