Write down on a piece of paper some ways in which you feel like an outsider having trouble connecting with others Or  Define what respect looks like to you in a classroom of diverse students. Be clear and specific and provide an example for each. › Respect for the instructor › Respect for other students › Respect for yourself and behavior › Respect for the subject › Respect for your homework › Respect for your class work

Communicating in a Diverse World Chapter 9, pg 282

question assumptions and encourage others to do so. We all tend to have assumptions about the way things are or should be…but creatively intelligent people question many assumptions that others accept, eventually leading others to question those assumptions as well.” Robert Sternberg

How can I adjust to a new society and connect to people in my community?

1. Value Diversity 2. Identify and Evaluate Personal Perceptions and Attitudes 3. Be Aware of Opportunities and Challenges That Occur When Cultures Interact 4. Build Cultural Knowledge 5. Adapt to Diverse Cultures

 living, working, and studying with people from different backgrounds.  becoming aware of different perspectives and different ways of doing things.  socializing with and perhaps marrying people from other cultures.

 learning and communication styles  sexual orientation or marital status  education or socio-economic status  levels of ability or disability  different values  different talents and skills  successful intelligence abilities  religious preferences

1. Brainstorm 10 words that describe YOU (focus on characteristics others cannot SEE) 2. Partner w/ a classmate you do not know well. List on a separate piece of paper any characteristics you know about him/her 3. Talk w/ your classmate about all of the lists 4. Write what stands out to you about what you learned about your classmate? 5. Write what you wish people would focus on about you

 Read things that expose you to different perspectives  Ask questions of all kinds of people  Observe how people behave  Travel internationally to unfamiliar places  Travel locally to encounter a variety of people in your community  Build friendships with students and coworkers Pg 287

 after doing that, list possible causes › family culture › fear of differences › experiences  Groups of 4-5 people answer this question on a separate piece of paper:  "why do people judge others before they know anything about them?

 Prejudice › Preconceived judgment or opinion formed without grounds or sufficient knowledge  Influence of family and culture  Fear of differences  experience  Stereotypes › Standardized mental picture that represents an oversimplified opinion or uncritical judgment  Desire for patterns and logic  Media influences  laziness

 Read the handout.  Answer at least one of these questions

The tough-minded person always examines the facts before he reaches conclusions: In short, he postjudges. The tender-minded person reaches conclusions before he has examined the first fact; in short, he prejudges and is prejudiced… There is little hope for us until we become tough minded enough to break loose from the shackles of prejudice, half-truths, and down-right ignorance. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 Discrimination  Hate Crimes  Discussion: What are positives and negatives of cultural interaction?

 Positive Action - Address cause, not effect  Ten ways to Fight Hate

 Read the handout: Case Study: What Would You Do?  Brainstorm on the back of the page to create solutions

 Look past external characteristics  Put yourself in other people’s shoes  Adjust to cultural differences  Help others in need  Stand up against prejudice, discrimination and hate  Recognize that people everywhere have the same basic needs Pg 289

 Adjust to Communication Styles  Know How to Give and Receive Criticism  Understand Body Language  Manage Conflict  Manage Anger

Thinker-Dominant Communicators… …focus on facts and logic Organizer-Dominant Communicators… …focus on structure and completeness Giver-Dominant Communicators… …focus on concern for others Adventurer-Dominant Communicators… …focus on the present

 Divide into groups of dominant communication styles. › Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of their primary communication type.  Divide into new groups, each of which contains at least one of each of the four communication styles. › Discuss ways they can improve communication when interacting with people who tend to communicate differently.  Do you Prefer to communicate with people of the same style?  Do you like the communication process with people of different styles?  What are the challenges you face?  What suggestions do you have for more effective communication?

 Listen well.  Adjust your style to your audience.  Be comfortable with giving and receiving criticism.  Communicate with cultural competence.

 What is constructive criticism?  What is unconstructive criticism?  What are the strategies to constructive criticism?  (Criticize the behavior, defend the problematic behavior specifically)

 4 students at the front of the room  Who would you want to hire?  Impressions?

Strategy: Send “I” messages How it helps : Highlights the effect the actions have on you rather than the actions or the person involved Strategy: Be assertive How it helps : Being passive takes the focus off your needs. Being aggressive focuses too heavily on your needs. Being assertive strikes the right balance.

Aggressive, Passive, or Assertive?  Count off 1, 2, 3. › 1’s are aggressive, 2’s are passive, 3’s are assertive. You want:  A chance to rewrite a paper for a better grade  A refund on an appliance that didn’t work properly  My partner to start doing more for the family  My father to let me make my own decisions about my major  A raise and promotion at work

 Use Positive Relationship Strategies  Manage Communication Technology  Avoid Destructive Relationships  Choose Communities that Enhance Your Life

 Prioritize personal relationships  Spend time with people you respect and admire  If you want a friend, be a friend  Work through tensions  Take risks  Find a pattern that suits you  If a relationship fails, find ways to cope

 Analytical thinking – Assess the underlying facts and assumptions that cause prejudice. Understand how and when communication, especially across cultures, can break down.  Creative thinking – See new ways of viewing diversity and its values. Think outside the box to resolve conflict, communicate, and deal with personal relationship issues.  Practical thinking – Learn from experiences in relating to others, be sensitive when relating to others, adapt to communication styles, recognize warning signs with negative communication patterns or damaging relationships.

The Arabic word taraadin includes the concept of “compromise” but contains another level of meaning. Specifically, it refers to a win-win solution to a problem, an agreement that brings positive effects to everyone involved. How would you apply this word to your life?

“We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results.” Herman Melville, Author