Reference no: EM131731242

Problem: What Is It Like to Be Different?

One reason people have a diffi cult time dealing with diversity in others or understanding why it is important to value and respect diversity is that most people spend most of their lives in environments where everyone is similar to them on important dimensions. Many people have seldom been in a situation in which they felt they didn't belong or didn't know the "rules." The purpose of this exercise is to have you experience such a situation and open up a dialogue with others about what it feels like to be different and what you can personally learn from this experience to become better at managing diversity in the future.

STEP 1: Choose an event that you would not normally attend and at which you will likely be in the minority on some important dimension. Attend the event.

• You can go with a friend who would normally attend the event, but not one who will also be in a minority.

• Make sure you pick a place where you will be safe and where you are sure you will be welcomed, or at least tolerated. You may want to check with your instructor about your choice.

• Do not call particular attention to yourself. Just observe what is going on and how you feel.
Some of you may fi nd it easy to have a minority experience, since you are a minority group member in your everyday life. Others may have a more diffi cult time. Here are some examples of events to consider attending:

• A religious service for a religion totally different from your own.

• A sorority or fraternity party where the race of members is mostly different from your own.

• A political rally where the politics are different from your own.

STEP 2: After attending the event, write down your answers to the following questions:

1. How did you feel being in a minority situation? Did different aspects of your self-identity become salient? Do you think others who are in minority situations feel as you did?

2. What did you learn about the group you visited? Do you feel differently about this group now?

3. What did people do that made you feel welcome? What did people do that made you feel selfconscious?

4. Could you be an effective team member in this group? How would your differences with group members impact on your ability to function in this group?

5. What did you learn about managing diversity from this exercise?

STEP 3: Discuss the results of the exercise in a group as assigned by the instructor.