FYS 02 / Class Diversity Activity

FYS 004: Fall 2011
Video And Diversity

Class Diversity Activity

•	Writing Assignment - What is your notion of diversity? (1 page) bring to class
•	Students will break down into groups of 4-5
•	Each student will present their statement on diversity to the group. Then the group will work together to come up with a collective definition that all in the group can agree on (15-20 min.): Be clear - breakdown complex ideas into individual statements * Be succinct - try to limit your definition to a few key statements (3-5 lines) * Be specific - avoid generalizations, use actual examples, when in doubt, use your college campus as an example.
•	Each group will present their definition of diversity to the class (1-2 mins. each)
•	The class will compare and discuss each of the statements and create a class definition of diversity. (15-20 min.)

Class Definition of Diversity

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Diversity, as a concept, can be applied to ideas, objects, and most often, groups of people. A diverse community is a group of collaborators with different racial, cultural, class, and/or ideological backgrounds who recognize and respect each other’s differences. When these differences are embraced, and indeed, celebrated, they can become the foundation for enacting social change. That is to say, all members of the group need to see the importance of respecting diversity, and ultimately, of achieve equality and a balance of power. Through this process, the collective works together to break down barriers, and to gain greater appreciation for commonalities between its members as well as for the value of connections that are made. This enriches the individual members’ own ways of thinking, and helps to create a better outcome for all.

Our class likes to think of diversity as a box of Cap’n Crunch: until we realize that our cereal tastes a lot better if we mix the puffy corn puffs with the colorful crunch berries, we will never taste its collective benefits.

(Fall, 2009)

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