Diversity Training Assignment Guide

Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right”.  Why are these words important to you?  As we move throughout the term you’ll want to be your own biggest cheerleader.  Stay motivated, keep focused and reward yourself for a job well done.  Whether it’s a trip to the movies, a piece of cake, or just some much deserved “me time” be sure to stop and realize your achievement.  Each class you pass brings you one step closer to your goals.  (Image courtesy of sheelamohan/FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Diversity Training is an interesting topic.  Did you know that there’s no prescribed definition or implementation for this?  That is, diversity training has no “hard and fast” rules.  Due to this, we see that it can be approached in a variety of ways.  First, take a moment to think about the places you have worked (If you have not worked, think about the experiences of your friends/ family).  We see that most employers have an onboarding process that requires some type of diversity training.  This can range from talking about gender diversity, sexual harassment, race diversity, disabilities and so forth.  It serves as a guide for behavior, aims to protect the employer against legal action, and tries to create harmonious working environment.  Are you with me?

Some individuals feel that diversity training has been a great addition.  Have you ever seen the TV show Mad Men?  If not, go to You Tube to see a clip. It shows that in the 60’s many employers got away with actions such as making lewd comments to their secretaries, invading personal space etc. Could you image a workplace like that today?  In this respect, diversity training is wonderful.  It creates boundaries, parameters and can bring greater equality.   That said, there is a flipside.  Diversity workshops often focus on differences rather than sameness and sometimes can cause discomfort and fear of saying the wrong thing among employees.  It’s an interesting dynamic, isn’t it?

For your paper, try the following outline:

I. First Paragraph:  Introduction Paragraph (Try to provide a working definition of what diversity training includes. Provide an overview of what you will touch on in your paper)

II. Second Paragraph: Write a paragraph on if companies should have diversity training.   Why might it be good?  Why might it be bad? (see paragraph above for some examples)

III. Third Paragraph: What are some ways to create an equal workforce?  That is, what programs might help to break down racial, ethnic and gender division? (Cultural Festivals, Workshops, etc.)  This would be a good place to include the perspectives (Symbolic Interactionism, Functionalism and Conflict Theory).

IV. Conclusion:  Summarize your thoughts.

(Remember to expand these out to meet the length requirements)

Using the Perspectives:

Applying the three perspectives can be easy.  Try to view the problem from each perspective by asking the sort of questions a theorist would ask if they were a functionalist, conflict theorist, or symbolic interactionist. In this assignment, you could ask:

1.    What is the function of diversity training within a society? What role does this play in creating an balanced workforce? (Functionalism)

2.    What conflicts arise over differences in gender, race and/or ethnicity? How would you feel about people who do not respect individual’s unique differences? (Conflict Theory)

3.    What does diversity mean to us? What we say, how we interaction and how we speak to each other are all fraught with meaning and symbolism. (Symbolic Interactionism)

If you need some help on the perspectives, try this link: http://www.mysociologist.com/sociological-theory/social-theory-explained/ (If it doesn’t open, search www.MySociologist.com, sociological theory)

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