Focus Area 5: Intercultural Engagement
1. Demystifying Diversity
Diversity
di·ver·si·ty \ də-ˈvər-sə-tē1
• the condition or fact of being different or varied; variety:
• Diversity is also the mixture of races and religions that make up a group of people.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about diversity? For some people, the very idea causes discomfort. Some may envision racial tension. Some may think about affirmative action measures. Others may have an opinion that the world would be a better place if we could all just embrace the idea of diversity. Still others may hold the opinion that we should all just “stick with our own kind.”
Without a doubt, the range of responses to the concept of diversity spans the entire spectrum, from completely negative to completely positive and all points in between. You probably have some preconceived notions about diversity yourself. So, just to be sure we’re on the same page for this focus area, this is our starting point:
Diversity just means different.
When we’re talking about diversity among people, we’re just saying “we’re all different.” Diversity is the fact of being distinct or different and the ways in which you being distinct may make a difference.
Diversity exists in every community. It exists in every country. In discussing diversity here in this focus area, we’ll use the United States as the reference point. While specifics about diversity (e.g., traits, characteristics) may differ from one country to another, the overall concepts discussed in this module remain generally applicable to all.
Diversity itself is really simple, easy to understand. But it gets complicated by how different people react to the differences that diversity represents.
It’s a natural tendency for us to see the world from our own perspective. Most of us do that without even thinking about it. But not thinking about it is what typically leads to our misunderstanding others.
Not thinking about it typically keeps us unaware of our own biases which may lead to unconscious conclusions like prejudice or stereotyping.
Not thinking about it typically keeps us from even seeing a need to expand our own horizons and consider life from the view point of all the other cultures that make up our world.
If we don’t think about diversity, we aren’t likely to make a concerted effort to explore cultural differences with genuine curiosity, to learn, to appreciate, accept, and respect others.
You don’t have to give up your own culture to give equal attention and respect to someone else’s.
It’s a matter of becoming aware. Intercultural engagement is a journey of self-discovery to build your awareness. It is about uncovering your unconscious beliefs and challenging the basis for your conscious beliefs, especially when they stand in the way of respecting and supporting the diversity of the young people you serve in your youth work.
Our aim is to demystify diversity so that you have an opening to explore your own preconceived notions, your beliefs, your attitudes, and your actions. Not only about your own culture, but about the various cultural dynamics you encounter in your work with youth.
Please know that you may be challenged by some of this material. We’ve done our best to present thoughtful and thought-provoking information and exercises designed to stretch your comfort zone but with no intention to make you feel completely uncomfortable.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, race, equality… these are all words that have become burdened by a host of biases. Your task is to set aside any knee-jerk reactions you may have to these concepts and approach this learning with an open mind and real curiosity.
Exploring these concepts and exposing biases is the path to demystifying diversity and developing intercultural engagement. Are you ready to do the work? Then let’s jump right in and talk about race.
HOW WELL DO YOU REALLY UNDERSTAND RACE?
It may seem strange to lead into a lesson about intercultural engagement talking about diversity and differences by underscoring the fact that we humans are actually more alike than we might actually think.
Consider this group of penguins:
Which group would you say is more diverse?
If you don’t happen to be an expert in penguins, you would probably say the group of humans is more diverse. You can easily spot obvious differences among that group of people.
But, the reality is that penguins have twice as much genetic diversity as humans!
OK, it was a bit of a trick question, meant to make a point. How most of us view race has no scientific, biological basis. But most of us believe it does.
SO, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RACE?
Quoting from RACE – The Power of an Illusion (PBS),2 “There is not one gene, trait, or characteristic that distinguishes all members of one race from all members of another. We can map any number of traits and none would match our idea of race. This is because modern humans haven’t been around long enough to evolve into different subspecies and we’ve always moved, mated, and mixed our genes. Beneath the skin, we are one of the most genetically similar of all species.”
That last thought bears repeating:
Beneath the skin, we are one of the most genetically similar of all species.
The concept of biological race is now correctly recognized as a cultural construct. There is simply no scientific basis for the idea that people can be classified into significantly separate biological groups called “races.”
The concept of race is a cultural one, not actually a biological fact. To be more precise, what we call race are social categories. This distinction may not be common knowledge but it is factual. Most people don’t stop and think about what race really is because they don’t think they need to. They think they already understand race and their understanding is simply their truth – unquestioned. But more often than not, such unquestioned understanding was born from prejudices and stereotypes, that masquerade as truth.
The time has come to unmask the truth and talk about race differently, correctly.
To be clear, having the understanding that race is a social construction does not negate the fact that our society operates under that construction. That means it cannot just be ignored. Same goes for time, colors, money, government… you get the idea. Social constructs are not inherently natural but created by society. For better or worse, they do shape our lives. But we also shape them. And that is why we do need to talk about race.
WHAT RACE IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT
Biologically speaking, there is only one race of human beings. No matter the color of your skin, your one and only race is Homo Sapiens.
Many societies throughout history have constructed racial classifications, in effect, creating different groups based on things like language differences, ethnic differences, religious differences, and differences in the color of skin or other physical features.
Throughout human history and across societies, certain people have oppressed other people who were different from them. Traditionally, though not exclusively, the oppressor has been white people.
The notion that certain races of people are just naturally superior to other races of people grew out of acts of oppression. In other words, the oppression – discrimination and persecution – existed first. The concept of race was conceived of later and exploited as a means to explain or justify the oppression.
This is the root of racism.
WHAT IS RACISM?
In the simplest terms, racism is the belief that certain races of people are inherently superior to other races. In this regard, racism is an ideology.
But if race (in the way it is commonly talked about today) isn’t real as it relates to human beings, race cannot be the real basis of racism. It isn’t as simple as one group not liking another.
Racism is a system in which a dominant group benefits from the oppression of others – whether they want to or not. That benefit comes in the form of power and privilege.
Racism isn’t just about individual prejudices and acts of bigotry, but about institutional power. It is systemic prejudice that affords privileges to some groups of people by marginalizing other groups of people. The result is inequality.
When institutions such as the legal system, the education system, the political system, have been set up to provide advantages to one group of people that results in disproportionate disadvantages to any other group of people, they are the embodiment of systemic racism.
In the United States, there is broad awareness of patterns of racial difference like health disparities, income inequalities, and educational disparities, to name just a few. But by mistakenly seeing these patterns as having a biological basis, we mistakenly see racism and inequality as natural. Without a biological basis for race, racism and inequality may, in fact, clearly be seen as the result of economic, social, and political systems by the way we have constructed them.
That’s racism.
Racism has many harmful effects. Research is showing how racism can impact human development. As a youth worker, you know how important healthy development is for a young person’s self-image, cognitive abilities, education, and overall health and well-being. You are committed to using your knowledge to make a difference in the lives of young people, as well as in your own life.
That’s why it’s so critically important that you have the courage to question your understanding of race, to question even what you may have previously held as unquestionable truths. In a sense, you have to unlearn what race is in our society to address the systems of unfair advantage and unequal opportunity. And with that new insight, you can begin the more difficult task of dismantling the driver of unconscious bias.
THE DOMINANT NARRATIVE
Holding onto a belief that racial differences are real, that race (defined by skin color) is the main determinant of people’s traits and capabilities, and that racial differences create an inherent superiority of one particular race above others makes it difficult, if not impossible, to dismantle racism.
A society propagates that belief through what is known as “the dominant narrative.”
Without going too deeply into the concept of the dominant narrative, consider this high-level overview from Wikipedia:3
“Jeyn Roberts is quoted for saying "there are three sides to every story. Yours. Mine. What really happened: the truth."4
"Dominant narrative makes it so only one side of any story is told, this completely ignores any other sides or even the truth. By definition, a dominant narrative does not include every and all aspects of any event. By only learning about and studying the dominant narrative then people are only being educated partially about any historical or current events. This creates a false historical account of most of history. Winston Churchill has been associated with the saying "history is written by the victors."5 This saying directly relates to the concept of dominant narrative and how the full truth of events as it relates to minorities is not being retold. This means that through mainstream education and media people are not being put forth the most accurate information and historical accounts.”
“Dominant narrative as a concept is used to explain not just only that there is one narrative told, but what makes it possible for that to be the narrative that is told. This term addresses what the reasons are that the dominant narrative is, in fact, dominant or the majority account.”
“It is also important to look at who is not included in the dominant narrative and how this can affect society and people in those marginalized groups. Not everyone has access to being a part of the dominant narrative.”
“If someone is not part of the dominant narrative and their story is not being told, that means their lived experiences are being ignored and in turn written out of history.”
The lack of historical accounts and inclusion of lived experiences of marginalized groups of people contributes to the unconscious nature of our implicit bias. In a way, it’s like the axiom, “out of sight, out of mind.” Without representation of minority people’s stories, the dominant narrative is more easily, maybe even unconsciously, accepted as the truth.
Youth workers cannot afford to have blind spots about race, racism, and the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion for positive youth development. You will find yourself working with young people that have different cultural values and dynamics than you. They deserve your full acceptance, understanding, support, and inclusion. Just as you deserve the same from them. That is why you are on this learning journey to embody intercultural engagement.
PRIVILEGE AND POWER
Those who fit into the dominant group are, by design of that society’s systems and laws, the beneficiaries of certain rights and privileges that the non-dominant group does not have equal access to. Being a member of the dominant group is a position of power.
Whether or not a member of the dominant group wishes to, or chooses to exercise their power in any way, or take advantage of their privilege in any way, seems to be the source of much debate over who is racist and who is not. That’s not really a question we’re working to resolve here. It is beyond the scope of this training to review all the different theories and perspectives about racism and privilege and power.
But what we do want to convey is the need to examine what those concepts mean and explore how they operate in your own personal and professional life. If you happen to fit into the dominant group in terms of being a non-Hispanic white person, understand what benefits are available to you that are not available to others that are not white. Become aware of your privilege and you can actually learn to use it to challenge the dominant narrative in ways to uplift and support those not included.
Whether you are conscious of your own beliefs about diversity and race or not, there is always room for increasing awareness. Let’s explore three common negative attitudes about diversity and the dimensions that cause harm.
P.S. Diversity is about so much more than race…
1 Cambridge Dictionary
2 RACE – The Power of an Illusion (PBS) http://www.pbs.org/race/000_About/002_04-background-01-11.htm
3 Wikipedia, Dominant Narrative https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominant_narrative#How_does_society_ever_know_the_truth
4 A quote from Rage Within. Goodreads. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
5 Winston Churchill Quotes, BrainyQuote. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
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