Creating Inclusive Environments

Nadya A. Fouad, Ph.D.

September 30, 2014

What is an inclusive environment?

• Differences across all cultural dimensions recognized and valued

• Ways of knowing and communicated are respected

• Progress and change seen in a positive light

• Open and honest communication encouraged

• Flexibility demonstrated to accommodate differing needs

• Policies and activities promote understanding and appreciation across department members

Comments from CSU students

• “There are no allies in the department”

• “I’m afraid to ‘come out’ but am uncomfortable everyone thinks I’m straight”

• “This place isn’t safe space to be myself”

• “I’ll pay if I complain”

• “Noone here looks like me- I don’t think I belong”

• “I don’t think they care about diversity”

The Silent Interview

1. Where did he/she grow up?

2. What is his/her ethnicity?

3. What type of work did his/her parents do?

4. What does the person do in his/her spare time?

5. How many languages does s/he speak?

6. What kind of music does s/he listen to?

Knowledge of Self

• All interactions are multicultural, shaped by the worldview of the perceiver• Categorization: an efficient way to organize

overwhelming information in interactions• Reduces information into manageable chunks

that go together • Leads to associating various traits and

behaviors with particular groups even if they are inaccurate for particular, many, or even most individuals. (e.g., all women like to shop)

Knowledge of Self (Cont.)

• Social categorization theory: people make sense of their social world by creating categories of the individuals around them, which includes separating the categories into in-groups and out-groups

• Usefulness: speed of processing and efficiency of organizing information

• Automatic, outside conscious processing

Knowledge of Self (Cont.)

• Stereotype becomes dominant aspect of category, resistant to disconfirmation

• Influences perceptions of others, interpretations, judgments of behavior

• Even those who consciously hold egalitarian beliefs, have shown unconscious endorsement of negative attitudes toward and stereotypes about groups

What can you do?

• Become aware of own attitudes/biases

• Seek increased contact with other groups

• Take other’s perspective, encourage empathy for others

• Actively “decategorize” or “recategorize”

• Do not suppress attitudes

Cultures Differ

•Concepts of time. • time moves forward and measured precisely OR cyclical and

measured by events. • punctual and time-oriented OR flexible and casual.

• Physical contact and personal space. • less inhibited about engaging in public displays of affection or

physical contact. Vs behaving modestly. E.g., inappropriate for a stranger to shake hands with a member of the opposite sex.

• Styles and patterns of communication. • Some cultures accepting of silence vs. prefer continuous

conversation and ‘small talk.’

Cultures Differ

• Self-identity or self-orientation. • focused on self and meeting their individual needs,

vs focus on collective (or family)

•Dealing with conflict. • conflict is dealt with immediately and directly vs

avoid confrontation in order to preserve personal and group honour and dignity.

• Relationships with nature. • being in harmony with nature vs mastery over

nature

How may comments be perceived?

• “Be on time to meetings from now on!”• “How much longer do you think it will take you to finish that form?”• “ I haven’t see you around the building much. Are you taking time

off?”• “You need to focus on your own career, and don’t worry so much

about what your family thinks”• “What’s it like to be a minority student in this program, anyway?”• “I wish you’d speak up!”

How do I create an inclusive environment? Undertake an inclusion review

• Examine your assumptions. Do you find yourself addressing students as if they all share your religion, sexual orientation, or economic class?

• Do you model inclusive language (e.g., partners)

• Do you strive to be fair. Is this evident in formal and informal policies and procedures?

• Are you mindful of low ability cues?

• Do you ask people to speak for an entire group?

• Do you practice inclusive behaviors?