Cultural Competency: Understanding Context in Communications

Understanding Context in Communications

Anthony Flowe

@anthony_flowe

Charrosé King

@charroseck

KC Ellis Sledd

@kcesledd

March 24, 2017 #17NTCwoke

CULTURALCOMPETENCY

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Session Links

• Hashtag: #17NTCwoke

• Collaborative Notes: http://po.st/17NTCwoke

• Keynote Live: bit.ly/17NTCwoke (Case Sensitive)

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Your presenters

KC Ellis SleddCharrosé KingAnthony Flowe

@charroseck@anthony_flowe @kcesledd

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Beyhive

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Objective

Equip attendees with the knowledge and skills to make informed and inclusive decisions.

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Session Norms

• Assume good will

• Allow others to speak if you’ve already spoken

• Submit questions on collaborative notes if you’re uncomfortable asking in person http://po.st/17NTCwoke

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Terms We’ll Use

A special advantage granted only to a

particular group of people.

System of socioeconomic oppression and

discrimination based on race.

Action taken based on prejudice.

A preconceived opinion, typically

negative, that is not based on actual

experience or reason.

An inclination for or against a person, idea or thing, especially in a way considered to be

unfair.

An exaggerated generalization or belief

about a group of people's traits or behaviors without acknowledging individual

variation.

Ideas or attitudes to maintain male superiority

through practices that oppress women and girls

on the basis of sex or gender.

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Agenda

Our Power as Communicators

What to Do / It Gets Better

Putting It into Practice

Fixing Mistakes

Scenario Activity

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Our Power as Communicators

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As communicators, we have a special power to help others.

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As communicators, we have a special power to help others.

We live out our power through many different ways.

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We raise money for the causes that matter.

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We educate our audiences on the work we do.

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We launch movements that change the world.

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For-profit communicators do their part, too.I felt like it would be good to add some for-profit companies doing good, so it doesn't feel like nonprofit vs for-profit.

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Unfortunately, communicators don't always get it right.

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What’s the problem?

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National Museum of African American History and Culture

Stereotypes are used to justify mistreatment [of oppressed people].

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STEREOTYPEWomen’s most important

concerns are housekeeping and fitting standards of beauty.

MISTREATMENTSCareer limitations

Lack of intellectual respect Lack of physical respect

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STEREOTYPEAll people of a certain

group are a threat.

MISTREATMENTSInternment camps

Muslim bans Criminalization

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Communications Influence

Publ

icC

omm

sPo

litic

s

FRAMING

IN-GROUPFAVORITISM

OUT-GROUPHOMOGENEITY

EFFECT

SPIRAL OF SILENCE

OVERTON WINDOW

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Do stereotypes affect everyone the same way?

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Offensive

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Harmful

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What to Do/It Gets Better

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What can I do to help?

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How to help:

Swim upstream

Identify biases

Challenge norms

Acknowledge your privilege use it for others

Always Be Curious (ABC)

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PREJUDICEDISCRIMINATION

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PREJUDICEDISCRIMINATION

DIVERSITYEQUALITY

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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.

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Be curious about prejudices and biases.And challenge them.

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Black American boys are over-diagnosed with ADHD:• medicalizing normal childhood behavior • misinterpreting cultural differences

Black American boys are under-diagnosed with ADHD:• written off as rowdy and disruptive • overlook underlying condition

Knowing this, should I use this image for a blog post about children with ADHD? What will be my response if members of our audience take issue?

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Most violence is committed by peoplewithout mental illness. People with mental

illness are more likely to be victims of violence.

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Men commit 99% of sex crimes. Three out of four rapes are committed by

someone the survivor knows.

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Non-Muslims committed 94% of terrorist attacks between 1980 and 2005. Americans are more likely to be

crushed to death by their couches or televisions, or shot by a toddler, than killed by a “Muslim terrorist.”

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Gloria Steinem

As has been true forever, the person with the power takes the noun—and the norm—while the less powerful requires an adjective.

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That adjective becomes the master status.Everett Hughes: “the tendency of observers to believe that one label or demographic category is more significant than any other aspect of the observed person's background, behavior or performance.”

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Be curious about norms and assumptions.And challenge them.

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The “normal” _____________ is assumed to be _____________.

We specify _____________, but not _____________.

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The “normal” _____________ is assumed to be _____________.

We specify _____________, but not _____________.

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The “normal” _____________ is assumed to be _____________.

We specify _____________, but not _____________.

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The “normal” _____________ is assumed to be _____________.

We specify _____________, but not _____________.

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The “normal” _____________ is assumed to be _____________.

We specify _____________, but not _____________.

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The “normal” _____________ is assumed to be _____________.

We specify _____________, but not _____________.

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Do I have societal privileges?

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Be curious about privilege.And challenge it.

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Identify your privilege so you can use it to advocate for other people.

Although society shows preferential treatment, there is no right or wrong way of being.

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Malala Yousafzai

I speak not for myself but for those without voice...

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Because I am a _____________ person in this society,

I worry less or don’t worry about _____________.

I can help _____________ people

by using my privilege to _______________________.

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Because I am a _____________ person in this society,

I worry less or don’t worry about _____________.

I can help _____________ people

by using my privilege to _______________________.

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Always

Be

Curious

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Always Be Curious

Who is represented? Who is not represented?

Why or why not?

What is the background/history behind the relationships I’m showing?

Where did I learn the assumptions I’m making?

When have these images been used before? Do they represent any stereotypes?

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Always Be Curious

Stay Woke

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Putting It into Practice

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So, where do we go from here?

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Choosing Images

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Choosing Images

Telling Stories

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Choosing Images

Telling Stories

Becoming Inclusive

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Choosing Images• Avoid the vision of the "savior."

• Think about how you're depicting your constituents. Do they have agency, or are they at the mercy of others?

• You don't need a perfect rainbow every time, but try to avoid "tokens."

• Consider historical context.

• If you don't know, ask.

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Avoid the "savior" complex.

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Consider how you're depicting your constituents.

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You don't need a perfect rainbow every time.

What about this one? Is it honest, or is it aspirational?

Would you use this picture? Why or why not?

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Consider historical context.

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If you don't know, ask.

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Healthy Images: In Practice

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Telling Stories

• Find out how your audiences describe themselves.

• Make sure your constituents are the stars of their own stories.

• Use the right pronouns.

• Are you an insider or an outsider to the community you serve?

• Consider your point of view and how it might affect the story you tell.

AF and I thought it would be helpful to go into this first part with its own slide, esp since people have questions about that. like black vs. af american, people-first language, etc.

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Find out how your audiences describe themselves.

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Make sure your constituents are the stars of their own stories.

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Use the right pronouns.

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Are you an insider or an outsider to the community you serve?

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How are you a part of the story you're telling?

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Positive Stories: In Practice

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Building a More Diverse Organization

Talk to your executive director and start building a case for diversity.

Gather information.

Create a baseline. Find out what works and what doesn't.

Start a committee.

Make a plan. Use free tools and resources wherever available.

1.2.3.4.5.

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Case Study

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Remember...

• Consider your point of view and how it might filter through to how you describe your constituents.

• Organizations don't get diverse and inclusive overnight. Understand your baseline, build a case, and make a plan.

• If you don't know if something is right, ask. Ask your audience, ask your executive director, ask a board member.

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Fixing Mistakes

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We offended someone… now what?

What do we do?

How do we come back from this?

Are we doomed?

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Choose to

Listen

Apologize

Practice

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Listen more than you speak

Don’t police others’ tones

Be aware of your fragility

Focus on effect, not intent

Listen

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Fact check

Choose the appropriate channel

Brief your key stakeholders

Be timely

Be clear and avoid jargon

Share results with staff

Keep your promises

Analyze for the future

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Have a plan and a trained team

Draft and approve messages

Planning Action Follow-up

Keep staff informed

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Reflect on your privileges

Ask questions if you do not know

Research your audience

Consider the historical context

Be open to feedback

Advocate for diversityHave a plan

Remember change is an ongoing process

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Practice

Show diversity

Avoid reinforcing harmful messages

Share narratives and images that challenge systems of oppression

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Scenarios

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Scenario 1You are selected to join a task force to integrate more socially inclusive work in your organization's programs. As a member of the communications team, you hope to develop products for social media, web, and publications. During this meeting, you notice that everyone attending is an upper level, white man. As the meeting progresses, you hear that the leaders are making racist, sexist, and xenophobic comments. What do you do?

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Scenario 2You and a team of communicators create an infographic to share through your organization’s social media platforms. While the post has received many likes (more than your usual), there are several comments stating that the infographic is racist because the image lacks diversity. What are your next steps?

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Scenario 3During a highly funded campaign for your organization, a video surfaces of current colleagues making sexist remarks. The video soon goes viral and media outlets begin to cover the story overshadowing the campaign. As communicators, what actions do you take to fix the reputation of your organization?

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Thank You

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Please remember to rate our session: http://www.nten.org/ntc/17ntc-session-evaluations/

See collaborative notes and other resources: http://po.st/17NTCwoke