Diversity and Social Justice in Learning Environments

 
SW 504 Diversity and Social Justice
 
Mike Spencer
School of Social Work
Fall 2017
 
Comfort Zone
 
Comfort zone:  Topics or activities we are familiar with or
have lots of information are solidly inside our comfort zone.
Inside our zones, we are not challenged.  Outside our zones,
we are challenged.  Too far outside, we may withdraw or
resist new information.
 
Learning Edge
 
Being on the edge of of our comfort zone
When we are on the learning edge, we are most open to
expanding our knowledge and understanding.
Our goal is to learn to recognize when we are on the edge
of our comfort zone and challenge each other and
ourselves to expand our zone of comfort.
We hope to go to the learning edge and challenge each
other to stay through the discomfort.
 
Safety
 
Safety:  Create an environment in which people feel
safe to take risks and be open.  Safety does not equal
comfort.
We must try to create safety in a group where people
may have very different definitions of safety and what
they need in order to take risks.
What would you need in order to feel safe within the
class/within your groups?  What would you need in
order to push your comfort zones?
 
Triggers
 
Words and phrases that stimulate an emotional
response because they tap into anger or pain about
oppression issues.
Trigger may convey, consciously and unconsciously,
a stereotypical perception or an acceptance of the
status quo.
Triggers are learning opportunities for everyone--
examples??
 
Ground Rules
 
Listen respectfully to different perspectives
Respect each other
s views.
Be critical to ideas, not individuals.
Commit to learning, not debating.
Avoid blame, speculation, and inflammatory language.
Set boundaries for sharing
Speak from experience and avoid generalizing about groups of
people
Respect confidentiality
Share air time
 
Defining Culture
 
Culture includes all of the expectations,
understandings, beliefs, or agreements which
influence the behavior of members of some
human group.  These shared ideas need not be
conscious, but they are always transmitted by
social learning, and they constitute one set of
solutions to the adaptive problems facing every
human society
 
The Meaning of Culture
 
Culture does not consist only of our external environment,
but also through our cognitive processes.
Culture includes our internal psychological schemas of
meaning and action, frame of references, world view in
interaction with the social and physical environment--both
conscious and unconscious
 
Changing Culture
 
Culture is historical
Culture is dynamic and always changing
Change happens within a political context
Understand the social, political, and historical implications
of change
Change for the better?
 
Culture and Intervention
 
Assume change for the better, rational, efficient, scientific--make
them more like us
We use our reality, our world view, as the basis for this assumption
We unconsciously assume that others share this world view--that
the costs and benefits of attitudes and behaviors are the same
 
Defining Privilege
 
We don
t need to think about it because we are
surrounded by others who share this same world
view--we assume it is universally available and
normal.
Privilege:  Unearned access to resources only readily
available to some people as a result of their social
group membership.
Social Power:  Access to resources that enhance
one
s chance of getting what one needs or
influencing others in order to lead a safe, productive,
and fulfilling life.
 
Personal and Group Identity
 
z
Is it possible to separate our individual
identities from our social group memberships.
z
Oppression cannot be understood in individual
terms alone.  People are privileged or oppressed
on the basis of social group status.
z
One of the privileges of dominant group status
is the luxury of simply seeing oneself as an
individual.
 
The Complexity of Identity
 
Our identities are complex
They are not always easily identified
Many questions are raised as we develop our identity
Identity is dynamic, non-linear, and a product of our social,
political, and economic environment.
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Delve into concepts such as comfort zones, learning edges, safety, triggers, ground rules, and defining culture in the context of promoting diversity and social justice in educational settings. Discover the importance of challenging ourselves to expand our comfort zones, creating safe spaces for dialogue, being mindful of triggers, and respecting diverse perspectives to foster a more inclusive environment.

  • Diversity
  • Social Justice
  • Inclusion
  • Learning Environments
  • Cultural Understanding

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  1. SW 504 Diversity and Social Justice Mike Spencer School of Social Work Fall 2017

  2. Comfort Zone Comfort zone: Topics or activities we are familiar with or have lots of information are solidly inside our comfort zone. Inside our zones, we are not challenged. Outside our zones, we are challenged. Too far outside, we may withdraw or resist new information.

  3. Learning Edge Being on the edge of of our comfort zone When we are on the learning edge, we are most open to expanding our knowledge and understanding. Our goal is to learn to recognize when we are on the edge of our comfort zone and challenge each other and ourselves to expand our zone of comfort. We hope to go to the learning edge and challenge each other to stay through the discomfort.

  4. Safety Safety: Create an environment in which people feel safe to take risks and be open. Safety does not equal comfort. We must try to create safety in a group where people may have very different definitions of safety and what they need in order to take risks. What would you need in order to feel safe within the class/within your groups? What would you need in order to push your comfort zones?

  5. Triggers Words and phrases that stimulate an emotional response because they tap into anger or pain about oppression issues. Trigger may convey, consciously and unconsciously, a stereotypical perception or an acceptance of the status quo. Triggers are learning opportunities for everyone-- examples??

  6. Ground Rules Listen respectfully to different perspectives Respect each other s views. Be critical to ideas, not individuals. Commit to learning, not debating. Avoid blame, speculation, and inflammatory language. Set boundaries for sharing Speak from experience and avoid generalizing about groups of people Respect confidentiality Share air time

  7. Defining Culture Culture includes all of the expectations, understandings, beliefs, or agreements which influence the behavior of members of some human group. These shared ideas need not be conscious, but they are always transmitted by social learning, and they constitute one set of solutions to the adaptive problems facing every human society

  8. The Meaning of Culture Culture does not consist only of our external environment, but also through our cognitive processes. Culture includes our internal psychological schemas of meaning and action, frame of references, world view in interaction with the social and physical environment--both conscious and unconscious

  9. Changing Culture Culture is historical Culture is dynamic and always changing Change happens within a political context Understand the social, political, and historical implications of change Change for the better?

  10. Culture and Intervention Assume change for the better, rational, efficient, scientific--make them more like us We use our reality, our world view, as the basis for this assumption We unconsciously assume that others share this world view--that the costs and benefits of attitudes and behaviors are the same

  11. Defining Privilege We don t need to think about it because we are surrounded by others who share this same world view--we assume it is universally available and normal. Privilege: Unearned access to resources only readily available to some people as a result of their social group membership. Social Power: Access to resources that enhance one s chance of getting what one needs or influencing others in order to lead a safe, productive, and fulfilling life.

  12. Personal and Group Identity z Is it possible to separate our individual identities from our social group memberships. z Oppression cannot be understood in individual terms alone. People are privileged or oppressed on the basis of social group status. z One of the privileges of dominant group status is the luxury of simply seeing oneself as an individual.

  13. The Complexity of Identity Our identities are complex They are not always easily identified Many questions are raised as we develop our identity Identity is dynamic, non-linear, and a product of our social, political, and economic environment.

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