1. Stereotypes and Secondary Aspects of Diversity
Social Class
Appearance & Media Culture

2. Stereotypes Activity
Find: Increasing Multicultural Understanding: Uncovering Stereotypes. Article 7, p. 29.
In small groups, review the information. Talk about what your real feelings are. See if you can uncover some unexpected stereotypes you may not have been aware of.
Share with larger group.
Insights?

3. Media Messages: The Shaping of Culture, p. 279
In small groups, discuss the clip that was presented.
In small groups, discuss clip #2.
Turn to page 282 in text. Discuss examples of media stereotypes. If you have time, you can find movie clip examples of these stereotypes.
Why does this matter?

4. Secondary Aspects: Appearance and Inclusion in the Workplace
What appearance standards are present in your own work setting?
Why are the standards in place? Legal? Fair?
On p. 231, discuss lawsuits relating to appearance by:
Harrah’s Operating Company, Inc.
L’Oreal
Harvard
Costco Wholesale Corp.

5. Secondary Aspects: Appearance and Inclusion in the Workplace
Generally, under federal law, it is legal for employers to discriminate on the basis of appearance except for those characteristics such and sex and age that are protected under anti discrimination laws or when appearance standards conflict with religious beliefs or negatively affect women or racial/ethnic minorities.
Discuss these issues. Fair? Legal?
Physical attractiveness and market advantage (p. 230).
Height bias (p. 231)
Dress standards (p. 231)
Weight bias (p. 232)
What is a BFOQ? How does it relate to this topic?

6. Secondary Aspects: Social Class:
Social Class: The Fiction of American Meritocracy p. 199
What is classism? Give some examples.
What is a meritocracy?
Do you believe that anyone, regardless of the family and community into which he or she was born, could be where you are today?
How does socioeconomic status affect future social class?
Do you agree or disagree with the title of
this article?

7. Secondary Aspect: Social Class
Social Class Measurement: Most popular measure are income and wealth CLASS_GRAPHIC/
Wealth is unevenly distributed among U.S. population. Why?
Social Class: Also measured by educational achievement and occupational prestige. Examples?
In a meritocracy, those higher in the social ladder have done something to deserve their place. Agree or disagree?
What do you believe about the causes of poverty?

8. Social Mobility
Review statistics on p What information surprised you? How does this information impact our work as educators?
What part does education play in the issue of social mobility?
What can we do about the issues of knowledge, preparedness, and affordability? (p. 203)
What is social and cultural capital?
How does it affect social mobility and social class?
Discuss issues of housing and social class? (p. 205)

9. Social Class: Issues of Race and Gender
Even today, minorities have lower average values for commonly used measures of social class status.
Examples? How do we fix this?
Structures and systems create a set of rewards that typically reinforce the ‘status quo’ (p. 208) Examples?
How can businesses and organizations address this issue?
Why does this matter?