Dimensions of Diversity
Introduction to Diversity
Texas Commission On Law Enforcement
Course # 3939
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Learning Objective 2.0: the participant will be
able to examines one’s own cultural diversity and how your identity
impacts your relationships with others .
Learning Objective 2.1: the participant will be
able to define the term culture.
Learning Objective 2.2: the participant will be
able to understand, articulate and discuss the Cultural Perspective.
Learning Objective 2.3: the participant will be
able to explain where our “cultural programming” comes from.
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Learning Objective 2.4: the participant will be
able to describe cultural “road map” as it relates to their current
behaviors and attitudes.
Learning Objective 2.5: the participant will be
able to explain stereotypes and their role in cultural diversity.
Learning Objective 2.6: the participant will be
able to list examples of “cultural rules”.
Learning Objective 2.7: the participant will be
able to describe the strategies in building “cross-cultural
competencies”.
Learning Objective 2.8: the participant will be
able to demonstrate “cultural filters” on automatic.
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Learning Objective 2.9: the participant will be
able to describe the Cultural Orientation Model.
Learning Objective2.10: the participant will be
able to discuss the development of Diversity Competence.
Learning Objective 2.11: the participant will be
able to solve scenario problems on “culture clash”
Learning Objective 2.12: the participant will be
able to summarize how culture relates to the dimensions of diversity
model as described in Unit Goal 1.
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Unit 2.0
To examines one’s own
cultural diversity and how your
identity impacts your
relationships with others.
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“There exist a great variety of
landscapes that are
representative of the different
regions of the world.
Being the combined work of
nature and humankind, they
express a long and intimate
relationship between peoples
and their natural environment.
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abstract
invisible
Ideas, ideals, beliefs
concrete
behavior
temporary
visible
cultural landscapes
concrete
permanent
visible
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Cultural Landscapes
“Cultural landscapes
testify to the creative genius,
social development, and the
imaginative and spiritual
vitality of humanity. They are
part of our collective identity.”
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2.1 DEFINE CULTURE
“Culture The body of learned
beliefs, traditions, principles
and guides for behavior that
are shared among members of
a particular group”.
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Values, beliefs, and behaviors
common to a large group of
people to include:
• Shared language
• Folklore
• Ideas and thinking patterns
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Values, beliefs, and behaviors
common to a large group of people
to include - Continued:
• Communication styles
• Similar “truths” and life
expectations
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The definition of culture
includes:
• The body of learned beliefs,
traditions, principles and
guides for behavior that are
shared among members of a
particular group
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• Culture serves as a road map
for both perceiving and
interacting with the world.
• It is not inherited but instead
shaped by the social context
in which we learn.
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2.2. Discuss the Cultural
Perspective
The cultural perspective is
comprised of core elements that
help define us as individuals.
These attributes influence how
we function in all areas of our
life.
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Because these attributes are less
“visible,” often they are not
readily seen as aspects of an
individual’s diversity.
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2.2 Cultural Perspective
The cultural perspective is
comprised of core elements that help
define us as individuals. These
attributes influence how we function
in all areas of our life. Because these
attributes are less “visible,” often
they are not readily seen as aspects
of an individual’s diversity.
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2.2. Cultural Perspective Comprised of core
elements that help define us as individuals
Economic class
Education
Geographic
location
Language
 Religion
Life experience
Military
experience
Marital Status Domestic
Partnership
Parental Status
Values
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2.3. Explain where our
“cultural programming” comes
from
• Culturally programmed by age 3
• Born into culture and
programmed in our belief system
• Acceptance without question
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Additionally:
• Culture determines our behavior
and attitudes
• No one is culture free
• Most cultural rules are never
written
• We interpret other people’s
behavior through our own cultural
software
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Where did our cultural
programming come from?
Class Exercise
write in each of the outer circles, various
influences to their cultural programming.
Then next to each circle write the most
important rules, norms, and values they
learned from that source. Discuss with
group. Turn to page 13 in your handout
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YOU
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Examples of cultural
programming - Beliefs:
• You can’t teach a dog new
tricks…
• Big boys don’t cry…
• If you lay down with dogs…
These examples often represent
cultural attitudes that can be
inaccurate.
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Beliefs
Values
Norms
Ed
Level
YOU
Culture
Biases
Custom
Experiences
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Discuss ion with group
What are some of the
important rules, norms, and
values from your list from
each source you listed?
How & why are these
important?
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2.4. Describe your cultural “road
map” as it relates to your current
behaviors and attitudes
Culture can be defined as the body
of learned beliefs, traditions,
principles, and guides for
behaviors that are shared
among members of a particular
group. Culture serves as a “road
map” for both perceiving and
interacting with the world.
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Class Exercise #2
Each student will design a sort
of “road map” depicting their
personal culture.
This could be done individually
or as a group experience.
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Education
Work
Place
Age
Sexual
Orientation
Health
Parental
Status
Geographic
Location
Other
Class
Influences
To cultural
Programing
Income
Marital
Status
Gender
Race
Ethnicity
Religious
Beliefs
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2.5. Explain stereotypes and
their role in cultural diversity
• Misinformation
• “Mental Tapes”
• “Mental File Process
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Misinformation
Some of the misinformation
given to us can constitute a
stereotype
If you repeat a lie
enough times you
become a
misinformation
specialist
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“Mental Tapes”
These stereotypes become
“mental tapes” that affect what
we think and feel about
situations, people and our
environment.
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“Mental File Process”
Our mental data base plays
these “mental tapes” play
automatically through our
behaviors and learned
responses.
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So, how does this process
work?
When we stereotype, we place a
person in a particular “mental
file.” This “mental file” is not
necessarily based on information
gained through knowledge about
or personal experience with the
particular person.
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Rather, their assignment could
be based on what we believe
about a group to which the
person belongs.
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Perception - Beliefs
Verses
REALITY
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2.6. List examples of
“cultural rules”
• Each culture sets expectations or
“societal rules” for expected
behavior
• Cultural rules provide a
framework for imparting meaning
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• We learn these rules as children
• By following these rules we reduce
conflict….avoid dangerous open
pits
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Many of these rules become
internalized subconsciously
and enter our day to day
behavioral actions. They
become habits.
Examples:
• Ethics and habits
• Making friends or enemies
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Examples - Continued:
• Sense of time and punctuality
• Male/female roles and
relationships
• Manners and showing
respect for others
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These cultural rules are so
ingrained that when we see
someone violating or behaving
contrary to one of these rules we
interpret the behavior as
wrong.
List some examples of these
rules…
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Class Exercise
• Let’s list additional cultural rules
and distinguish rule differences
per cultural background.
• These cultural rules are so
ingrained that when we see
someone violating or behaving
contrary to one of these rules we
interpret the behavior as wrong.
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2.7. Describe the strategies in
building “cultural cross-cultural
competencies”
Managing an increasingly diverse
population requires cross-cultural
competencies.
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In any organization you need
to build effectiveness across
national, state, organizational,
team and interpersonal
barriers.
Successful cross-cultural
players are generally flexible
and possess a broad behavioral
repertoire
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• Effectiveness across national, state,
organizational, team and interpersonal
barriers
• Successful cross-cultural players are
generally flexible and possess a broad
behavioral repertoire
Repertoire: range of resources that
somebody has: the range of techniques,
abilities, or skills that somebody or something
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has
2.8. Demonstrate “cultural
filters” on automatic
Cultural filters act in the
following ways:
• Automatic responses
• Refer to our “mental file”
instead of information gained
from knowledge or experience
• Reticular Activating System (RAS)
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They do not give us
misinformation on purpose but
rather as a result of
misinformation passed down to
us as children. Some of these
messages came to us in forms of
stereotyping or “mental tapes”
that affected how we felt about
and responded to certain groups
of people. These responses are
automatic.
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When we stereotype, we place
individuals in a “mental file”
based on our preconceived
“tapes” instead of information
gained from knowledge or
experience with the particular
person.
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Reticular Activating System (RAS)
instantly calls up these stereotypes.
• They make it easier to function
in the unknown by organizing
massive amounts of
information, but can create
difficulties when our “tapes”
are built on inaccurate
information.
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Reticular Activating System (RAS)
instantly calls up these stereotypes.
• Once these stereotypes are in
place, they are hard to undo.
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Class Exercise
write down the first thing that comes to
their mind.
• Politician
• Lawyer
• Professor
• Man in a wheelchair
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• Californian
• Homeless Person
• Black Male Teenager
• Police Officer
• Farmer
• 300-pound women
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2.9. Describe the Cultural
orientation Model
• Environment: How individuals
relate to the people in their
circle of influence.
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• Time: How individuals
perceive the nature of time
and its use.
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• Action: How individuals
conceptualize actions and
interactions
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• Communication: How
individuals express themselves
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• Space: How individuals identify
their physical and psychological
space
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• Power: How individuals view
different power relationships
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• Individualism: How
individuals define their identity
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• Competitiveness: How
individuals are motivated
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• Structure: How individuals
approach change, risk,
ambiguity, and uncertainty
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• Thinking: How individuals
conceptualize
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2.10. Discuss the development
of Diversity Competence
These competencies consist of 4 areas:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Awareness
Knowledge
Skills
Action/Behavior
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Awareness…
• Recognizing differences as
diversity
• Respect benefits of
differences
• Acceptance of differences
• Understand historic effect
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“This month, as we mark 45 years since the
patrons of the Stonewall Inn defied an unjust
policy and awakened a nascent movement,
let us honor every brave leader who stood
up, sat in, and came out, as well as the allies
who supported them along the way.
Following their example, let each of us speak
for tolerance, justice, and dignity—because
if hearts and minds continue to change over
time, laws will too.”
—President Barack Obama
Presidential Proclamation 2014
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• Clear sense of personal
culture
• Understand personal impact
of organizational culture
• Recognize similarities
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Knowledge…
• Factual information
• Identify differences in
communication styles
•Exposure (Attend cultural
event)
• Learn a new language
• Explore your family history
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Skills…
• Take personal responsibility
• Point of view - understand
others
• Cross-cultural communication
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• Problem-solving skills
• Conflict management skills
• Work effectively with diverse
groups
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Action/Behavior…
• Teach others by example
• Show more patience
• Develop personal plan to
continue to learn about new
cultures
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2.11. Solve scenario
problems on “culture clash”
Class Exercise
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Cultural Class Exercise #1
• Culture Clash #1: Molly Smith receives
an URGENT message on March 1st
requesting information be sent to the
Amsterdam office by 4/3. She faxes it on
March 10. She is pleased that she has
beat the deadline by three weeks, but
her response is met with a hostile
response by her Dutch colleague. He
demands that Molly be taken off the
project. What happened?
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ANSWER
• In most of European countries where
people write the date as 4/3, they are
placing the day first and the month
second. So the request for
information by 4/3 was not for April
3, but for March 4. Molly was not
early but six days late.
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Cultural Class Exercise #2
• Ron Macaffie spends weeks
negotiating with his Japanese client.
Finally reaching a common ground,
Ron announces to his client that their
thinking is parallel. Ron’s client
promptly thanks him for his time and
leaves the meeting without further
discussion. Why?
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ANSWER
• For Americans, “parallel” means
compatible, on the same track. But to
the Japanese, “parallel” means
apart and never to meet, as with
two parallel train tracks. Hence, Ron’s
client took that to mean negotiations
were over.
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2.12. Summarize how culture
relates to the dimensions of
diversity model as described in
Unit Goal I
• Better understanding
• Recognize
• Appreciation
• Point of reference
• Convey message
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Where is your MORAL Compass?
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Questions?
RESOURCES
All Course
Sources
and/or
Resources
are listed
in your
Participant
Handout
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Participant Handout
TEXAS COMMISSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT
Course # 3939
TRAINING SUPPLEMENT
Hosted By:
Bexar County Constable Office PCT#4
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“Knowledge is
“POWER” Stay
informed, stay
SAFE, stay
Vigilant & stay
Alive”
TAKE A HOUR LUNCH