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Read the draft policy that was sent to you via email. Use these headings when commenting to this post.

What are your general thoughts on the policy?

What is particularly good?

Anything not-so-good, or troubling?

What recommendations do you have for improvement in concept or wording?

Choose one recommendation and cite research literature that supports that aspect of the policy TO BE RETAINED.

Choose one recommendation and cite research literature that supports that aspect of the policy TO BE REMOVED.

 

Billig's View of Tajfel

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Briefly review the Billig paper, your opinion on in and then answer these questions:

Why is extreme prejudice (bigotry) difficult to study? Why is it that the social cognitive approach has difficulty accounting for extreme prejudice? What do you think are the best ways to tackle the study of extreme prejudice/bigotry?

"Good Morning Boys and Girls"

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Tolerance.org published this article by Rebecca S. Bigler, Ph.D.  The article takes a simple look into school-related gender bias.  How many times do you think you've heard phrases like "good morning, boys and girls", "ladies and gentlemen, welcome...", or "boys vs. girls"?  Throughout our 15+ years in academia, my guess would be we've all heard such gender labels used in generic fashion like this hundreds, if not thousands of times without giving it much thought.  Well what if drawing attention to gender differences like this on a daily basis at an early age perpetuates into stereotyping, stereotype threat, and bias?  Recent studies have shown this could be the case.

The article gives a few ideas as to how to correct this problem.  Using groups such as boys and girls is a really easy, and natural thing to do, so rather than selecting something like gender teachers could separate the students by what kind of shoes they're wearing (laces, buckles, velcro, etc) or other such things.  The article also, however, mentions that gender should not be ignored in any way.  It just needs to be approached in a way that would not enter into bias or stereotyping.

My thoughts on this are as follows:  I never would have stopped to think that using gender as a constant grouping, and drawing excessive amounts of attention to gender could be a precursor to gender bias.  At surface level it seems like one of those "crazy over protective findings that causes more troubles than its worth... just let the kids figure things out".  However, it makes me wonder how I might view gender differently if my school-hood would have avoided the gender-typing.

My question for you is... how early is too early to begin mentioning stereotyping and sexism?

http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-28-fall-2005/good-morning-boys-and-girls

Ideas and event for projects

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The Department of Modern Languages is hosting a film series based on Immigration, Racism and Discrimination issues in the America's (North, Central, & South) Mondays' 7:00pm in the CAC room 108.

 
James Day, Mr. & Mrs. Roland Carrillo, Dr. Janet McClain, including Brittney & Myself are hosting a one month series of Study Circles Open Dialog on Racism. Location In the CME, Saturdays (Feb 6,13,20,27) from 12:00pm-2:00pm. Contact Alex : esquivea@uni.edu             

BSU (Black Student Union) is asking for help in Hosting a Maze of Oppression (Immigration, Racial profiling, genocide, Classroom (brown eyes/blue eyes), and two others segments. Looking for actors, help designing props.  February 24, 2010, 6pm-10pm. Within the Month of February there are talks about having a non-violent March from UNI to College Square Mall. Planning is in Progress. Contact Ebony Jackson at jacksone@uni.edu BSU president    

Anyone interested in being on a radio talk show about Racism. Dates are being scheduled for either evening/ or weekends. contact: Mr. Day at www.daytime@cfu.net
 

 


We give a lot of power to words. While it's important to understand and learn about the cultural importance, the origin of the words, and the way the words we use for category membership can harm others, it can also be helpful to take a bit of that power back by discussing the words, their power, and their meanings in a safe and controlled setting. This activity strives to do that. Preface the activity (if your course so far has not prompted this discussion) that discussing the words is not the same as using them against others, and that what 'happens in class/seminar/group stays in class/seminar/group' because necessarily people will be expressing personal feelings, beliefs and experiences.

Best in a small (under 15) group.

Ask aloud to have group members generate general categories. Write these on the board/elmo/powerpoint. If they need prompting, start with "Religion." Ensure that the following categories ulitimately make it onto the board: religion, race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexual orientation, appearance, age, nationality, political orientation. This portion of the activity might generate discussion and clarification on the difference between race and ethnicity, which of these categories are protected under the law, etc.

Next, ask aloud for the subcategories relevant to each category. These may vary somewhat depending on the knowledge, life experience, and overall composition of your group. This portion of the activity might generate discussion on why certain subcategories came to mind sooner than others, which labels are in current use/politically correct (e.g., Native American Indian, vs Indian), etc. Below are some examples.

Religion: Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Lutheran, Buddhist, etc, etc.

Race/Ethnicity: African American, Asian, Caucasian, etc, etc.

Gender: Male, Female, Trans

Appearance: Weight, attractiveness, health

Next, have group members take out a piece of paper and write all the slang words they can think of that represent the categories listed.

Collect the papers. Shuffle them up a bit if necessary to ensure some level of confidentiality. No names on papers!  Next, start writing the words under or by each of the category labels listed. Put check or hash marks for duplicates. Say them aloud as you write them. If you don't know the meaning of a word, ask "Does anybody know what this means? You don't have to answer if you don't want to"). Usually more than one person knows, and enlightens you.

Now that all the words are on the board. Have a discussion about what you see. Some questions to get things going are:

Are there any patterns you notice in the words up here?

Why do you think some categories have more slang than others?

Are all these labels derogatory?

Are some of these labels time or place sensitive?

Are any of these words particularly offensive? Why?

Are any of these words not really that offensive (to you)? Why?

What stereotypes do these words tap into?

Are there any words that are acceptable for ingroup members to use but not outgroup members? Why?

How did some of these words come about? What is their origin?

Which of these words have been reclaimed by the groups to whom they were used against? Are they more positive now? Who can use them?

and on and on....

 

 

 

 

 

Jigsaw Classroom

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http://www.jigsaw.org/

"Welcome to the official web site of the
jigsaw classroom, a cooperative learning technique that reduces racial conflict among school children, promotes better learning, improves student motivation, and increases enjoyment of the learning experience. The jigsaw technique was first developed in the early 1970s by Elliot Aronson and his students at the University of Texas and the University of California. Since then, hundreds of schools have used the jigsaw classroom with great success. The jigsaw approach is considered to be a particularly valuable tool in averting tragic events such as the Columbine massacre."

Teaching Tolerance

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This site is sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that monitors and legal fights hate crime.

http://www.tolerance.org/

Blue Eyes Brown Eyes Exercise

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http://www.janeelliott.com/

Jane Elliott, internationally known teacher, lecturer, diversity trainer, and recipient of the National Mental Health Association Award for Excellence in Education, exposes prejudice and bigotry for what it is, an irrational class system based upon purely arbitrary factors. And if you think this does not apply to you. . . you are in for a rude awakening.

 

On Wednesday, September 22, Jane Elliot (know for her "Blue eyes, brown eyes" work) will conduct a three hour learning session for teacher education students and faculty. The event will run from 5 to 8 p.m., and be held in SEC 244/245. While this event is primarily intended for teacher education students, it will be open to all UNI students and faculty. Ms. Elliot recommends that participants read "Race and Reality" by Guy P. Harrison prior to the event.
 

Weight Discrimination

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The following activity is from Rusty Juban's Management of Organizations class.

 

Weight Discrimination: A New Type of Corporate Downsizing?

During the late 1980's and early 1990's most of us were aware that many firms were downsizing"getting leaner and meaner"in order to compete more effectively with their local, national, and global rivals. Today, however, the terms "leaner and meaner" and even "downsizing" are taking on entirely new meanings, as more and more overweight executive-level applicants are experiencing rejection because they don't fit the "trim and slim" mold that some firms prefer. In fact, even the most casual of observers will notice that top managers who are overweight, out of shape, or sluggish, by today's corporate standards, tend to be the exception, not the rule.

For those overweight applicants hoping to someday secure a management position, some experts contend that their chances of being rejected simply because they don't "look the part" are pretty strong. Findings from a study conducted by the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) indicate that only 9% of top male executives are overweight. In addition, overweight people typically are hired for less prestigious positions and generally receive less pay. Although some executive recruiters don't believe that a person's weight plays a part in career advancement, many other experts believe otherwise.

Sharon Voros, president of Voros Communications, a management and career consulting firm in Ft. Worth Texas, has written a provocative two-article series about weight discrimination in the workplace. The articles, which are located at The Wall Street Journal's online career journal Web site, are:

After reading these two articles, please answer the following questions:

  1. According to the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA), why do companies have a hard time hiring overweight candidates?
  2. One NAAFA study found what type of disparity between overweight employees' pay and their thinner counterparts?
  3. Explain the female-oriented standard called "the size-eight straightjacket".
  4. According to the articles, under what conditions are overweight employees protected against size-related discrimination?
  5. What strategies does the author suggest to help overweight executives secure employment with other firms?

Managing Diversity

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The following activity is modified from Rusty Juban's activity in his Management of Organization's class.

 

Managing Diversity Today and Tomorrow

The management of diversity is smart for business. The changing trend of more women and minorities actively contributing in organizations results in a need for more awareness of differences and opens the door for increased education on valuing differences.Go to the Johnson & Johnson Careers page. Here you will find an overview of the company's philosophy on the value of a diverse workforce. Scroll down the page and read the "recent article" from DiversityInc.com titled "Strong Corporate Reputation at J & J Boosts Diversity Recruiting Efforts."

Microsoft also has a strong position on managing a diverse labor force. Click on each of the following links on the Microsoft Web page to read about Microsoft's diversity programs: "Accessibility," "Diversity Education," "Supplier Diversity," and "Diversity Program Links."

 

Implicit Association Test

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Here's the site to take and learn about the Implicit Association Test (IAT)

https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/

Here you will have the opportunity to assess your conscious and unconscious preferences for over 90 different topics ranging from pets to political issues, ethnic groups to sports teams, and entertainers to styles of music. At the same time, you will be assisting psychological research on thoughts and feelings.