The Journey toward Diversity, Fairness, and Access through Education

Our Role Deliver a course on diversity, fairness, and access, and demonstrate use of the newly adopted curriculum design.

Your Role Foster diversity, fairness, and access in the courts through education and demonstrate those values as ongoing standards in your work.

Overview Definitions of Key Terms Stereotyping and Beyond Self-Assessment & Self-Perspective Education’s Role Curriculum Connections

Curriculum Connection From Special Notes to Faculty on page 8, we reflect diversity as a faculty team.

Activity Our Roles in Fairness: Direct and Indirect C a r d s U n f a i r n e s s

Unfairness Can Be Based on: Age Disability Nationality Geographic location Ethnicity Physical features (Race) Culture Religion Gender Gender identity Sexual orientation Socioeconomic Level Educational level Social status Group affiliation Physical attributes Appearance Other differences

From the seven learning objectives on page 9, we chose three. Curriculum Connection

Learning Objectives 1. Define and differentiate among basic terms relevant to diversity, fairness, and access. 4. Outline how judicial branch education may contribute to the reduction of bias, prejudice, and discrimination in the court system. 6. Identify one’s own personal potential for bias, prejudice, and discrimination. As a result of this education, participants will be able to:

Diversity, Fairness, and Access

This content is in support of learning objective one: Section A - D, pages Curriculum Connection

Diversity When applied to an individual – the uniqueness of each person; When applied to an organization – one in which all persons, with a full spectrum of differences, are included, welcomed, supported, valued; When considered as a component of human activity – a reflection of contemporary society; honoring a full range of ideas and perspectives.

Race – Ethnicity – Culture Socially-created constructs used to differentiate among perceived groups of people.

Race Differentiation among people based on biological features or physical appearance; Became a term that implied superiority and/or inferiority; Many scientists now say there is no genetic basis for the term; Yet racism is still evident.

Ethnicity Differentiation based on shared social factors – ancestry, language, beliefs, etc. A group of people may self-identify as sharing certain social factors or a group may be identified by others who do not share those social factors.

Culture The shared set of learned ideals, values, and assumptions about life that are widely shared and guide a group’s behavior; May be influenced by geographic location, religion, tradition, etc.; many cultures may be within a single ethnic group; Much of what constitutes a culture is not visible to an outside observer.

Faculty resource in support of learning objective one: The Iceberg of Culture, page 36. Curriculum Connection

Stereotyping Bias –Prejudice – Discrimination Terms that address beliefs of those who hold that there are “in groups” (one’s own) and “out groups” (generalized as others).

Stereotyping Making over-generalized assumptions about a whole group of people – discounting individuality; may be negative or positive; Often based on limited (or no) experience with members of the perceived group, misinformation, fear, or other factors; May result in naming a group with a term that implies superiority or inferiority and may lead to bias, prejudice, and (possibly) discrimination.

Faculty resource in support of learning objective one: From Stereotyping to Discrimination, page 38. Curriculum Connection

Stereotyping Bias An inclination or preference in favor or against a person, perceived group, idea, or value; Results in compromising one’s ability to make impartial judgments; May be a conscious (recognized or explicit) or an unconscious (implicit) attitude; May lead to prejudice and discrimination.

Activity in support of learning objective six: The IAT Curriculum Connection

IAT What surprised you about your results? How will the results affect you in the future? Have you taken this assessment before? If so, were the results different or the same?

This content is in support of learning objective six: Section F, pages Curriculum Connection

A Hidden Factor: Examining Our Self-Perspective To really address our own biases, we experience stages of growth: Dismissal – “I am fair.” Disbelief – “No way - I was taught to be fair.” Acceptance – “Maybe I was/can be unfair.” Discomfort – “I am uncomfortable when…” Disclosure – “If I am really honest about this…”

Stereotyping Bias Prejudice A preconceived opinion or judgment (generally negative and unreasonable) about a person, perceived group, idea, or value; Generally a conscious attitude, generally unsupported by experience; May lead to discrimination.

Stereotyping Bias Prejudice Discrimination Behaving in ways that treat a person or a perceived group differently than others; May manifest in situations of employment, housing, social opportunities, etc. Illegal behavior in the USA.

A Hidden Factor: Unearned Privilege We are taught that bias, prejudice, and discrimination put others at a disadvantage; What we are not taught is that some of us have an unearned advantage that we take for granted and often do not recognize: White Privilege McIntosh, P. (1989). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack

The Journey toward Diversity, Fairness, and Access through Education

Fairness Treating people as individuals, not solely as members of a perceived group; Thinking and behaving in ways that are independent from factors that are actually irrelevant; Honoring basic human rights, such as dignity and respect for everyone; Achieving “Equity Literacy.”

Equity Literacy Contributes to fairness through increased understanding of what fairness and equity involves: Recognizing situations of inequity; Responding to situations of inequity; Actively remedying situations of inequity; Exercising transformational leadership to create and maintain equitable life for all and social justice in the larger environment.

Activity in support of learning objective one: Understanding Key Terms: Page 54. Curriculum Connection

The Role of the Judicial Branch Education Department

This content is in support of learning objective four: Sections G - H, pages Curriculum Connection

A. Establish a Systemic Approach Progress through the necessary stages to develop a robust array of fairness education: ①Introduce diversity through visuals, materials, activities, faculty, and committee members; ②Incorporate diversity into other topical areas; ③Develop and deliver overview courses on a recurring, regular basis;

A. Establish a Systemic Approach ④Add courses on specific types of diversity and fairness issues (age, gender, sexual orientation, different cultures or ethnicities); ⑤Develop and deliver courses that address specific roles of each target audience; ⑥Incorporate diversity, fairness, and access into courses and curricula as standard fare.

A. Establish a Systemic Approach Choose faculty for diversity, fairness, and access courses who: Can create a safe learning environment and foster trust in an educational setting; Know overarching and local diversity issues; Demonstrate effective approaches and avoid common pitfalls.

B. Heighten Awareness Use educational all settings to foster diversity, no matter the content area: Choose and develop diverse faculty; Offer field trips to places that reflect diversity issues (jails/prisons, historic sites, and more); Encourage faculty to facilitate different perspectives and opinions on any/all content.

C. Avoid Ineffective Approaches Departmental practices that diminish learning and/or treat the content as perfunctory: Expecting one fairness course to significantly change attitudes; Offering fairness courses sporadically; Using the same faculty member(s) for all fairness and diversity courses.

Examining Education’s Role: Activity to support learning objective four: Page 64. Curriculum Connection

One More Learning Objective Learning Objective Five: As a result of this education, participants will be able to choose ways to demonstrate and model fairness in a variety of hypothetical situations. Modeling Fairness, pages

Potter Stewart, Supreme Court Justice ( ) Fairness is what Justice really is.