In my opinion, valuing diversity in groups definitely does not come easily. As the book explains, we all have learned stereotypes that usually focus on certain negatives instead of positives. In fact, they can even manifest negatively even though they are positive. For instance, my friend once told me he was upset because he got in a group with a bunch of "nerdy Asian kids who were overachievers." At first I laughed but then I realized, wait, isn't it a good thing that they are hard working and study a lot and want to do good?? I guess to him it was a negative because they raised the bar and wanted perfection, whereas perhaps he just wanted an easy A or B.
I also liked that the book mentioned "token" representatives of groups, and perhaps that is why we do not value the diversity or look beyond the stereotypes (whether they fulfill them or not) and instead look at the positive contributions he or she has to make.
Some ways we can value diversity is to perhaps bond more with our group members. If they have different cultural values, ask them about them so you can understand and appreciate them more and connect more to the person. Also, look at the positive side of things. Have someone who is an overachiever? Know that you can count on them! Have someone who may drag their feet in one area but have certain interests in another area? Assign them to what interests them.
I agree that valuing diversity can be hard, but it is possible. I started laughing at what your friend said, because it reminded me of when that “Asian” happens to mess the curve. Everyone seems to get mad the fact that their grade could have been higher if it wasn’t for that one person when really we all should have put in more effort.
ReplyDeleteI would think he would be happy to be in a group where he thought his group members are smart, but I can see how having to aim higher than what he was mentally prepared for can be annoying.
I agree that the one most direct way to learn about someone’s cultural values is to ask!
I liked your post because you did a good job of explaining your ideas and even added a bit of humor. I agree that some stereotypes can be either negative or positive. For instance, some people may believe that all good looking people are really dumb and are only good for their looks (negative stereotype). On the other hand, some people may think that all Christians are good people (positive stereotype). Although some of these stereotypes may be true, it is often not the case. I personally have known good looking people who are equally intelligent as well as Christians who are not as good as their Christian faith would like to portray. Overall, I enjoyed your post, keep it up!
ReplyDeleteWhere is My Waiter, I appreciated the way you said maybe we should bond more with our group members in order to overcome posible sterotypes. Also, the comment about nerdy Asian kids, I wasnt raised around any Asians and maybe met two or three growing up. I feel like it's pretty sad that the education they get and their families/peers inforce improves their intelligence and meanwhile get labeled dorky by other cultures. It is true that in a school setting our differences in groups are more of barriers than commonalities, but as we grow older it becomes things like humor, empathy and common goals that keep us together. I enjoyed your perspective and stance on the topic.
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