Your Experiences with Diversity

Melanie2008 wrote:

DustinE wrote:

johnfmichael wrote:Okay, Question #3 then:

There are other forms of diversity, including age, learning and physical disabilities, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Have you ever spent time around people with learning or physical disabilities? If so, how did you act and feel around those people? Did the disability make you feel uncomfortable? What would you do differently now in the same situation?

I know i have spent time around people like this. Its not that i feel uncomftable, its just that sometimes i don't know what to say or how to act.

That's totally understandable.I think sometimes we need to learn how to handle these situations.

Melanie I totally agree, as long as we remember that in order to learn we must spend time with such people and that the time we spend learning from them always leads to the same insight - that they want to be treated with the same respect we would treat any other human being.

I agree that disabled people probably just want to be treated as everyone else would want to be treated.

jaredr wrote:

johnfmichael wrote:

Melanie2008 wrote:I believe people can't help it.People who do not know how to act around them either act the way their friends do or the way they know they should.Sometimes,when they're alone with others,they insult the person with a disability.

At a young age I felt very uncomfortable around people with disabilites,but being a little older as given me the chance to see things more from their perspective.If only to try to see things from their point-of-view.

How would you say people with disabilities really want to be treated? What is important for us to realize about them?

I actually had a job teaching, and taking care of mentally and physically handicapped people. At first, i was kinda reserved, but then quickly realized they just want to be treated as people. They want to learn, help, and hang out like everyone else. They just deal with it differently. This question raps back around to the diversity question and how it effects you.

For real.

AshleyWoo wrote:We dont learn how to handle someone who is not disable, why should we learn how to handle someone who is?

true, but to what extent?

It kind of goes back to the whole fire drill that the policeman went over with us. We are drilled and taught how to handle those situations. We are not taught how to deal with things like this.

DustinE wrote:It kind of goes back to the whole fire drill that the policeman went over with us. We are drilled and taught how to handle those situations. We are not taught how to deal with things like this.

That is a good analogy, but sometimes we just need to be a leader and learn these things on our own.

But how can you be taught how to handle those situations whenever each person will be a differnt situation to deal with

This has been a very interesting discussion so far. I have one more question for discussion today. It is Question #4:

What are some things we can do to overcome bias, discrimination and prejudice? Why is doing so important for our college careers?

DustinE wrote:It kind of goes back to the whole fire drill that the policeman went over with us. We are drilled and taught how to handle those situations. We are not taught how to deal with things like this.

That reel on the Columbine freaked me out a bit; I remember watching an Oregan shooting CBS documentary...

Anyway,I agree,sometimes we are left to our own devices in certain situations.

Learn more about other groups of people, take time to become part of their lives - step out of your comfort zone. Get to the bottom of things - don't just allow someone to tell you what to believe and accept it as fact. Be more tolerant of others who are not like you.

johnfmichael wrote:This has been a very interesting discussion so far. I have one more question for discussion today. It is Question #4:

What are some things we can do to overcome bias, discrimination and prejudice? Why is doing so important for our college careers?

Personally, not to take any offensive to anyone, but get rid of minority free college funds. that jus discriminates everybody as a whole.

johnfmichael wrote:This has been a very interesting discussion so far. I have one more question for discussion today. It is Question #4:

What are some things we can do to overcome bias, discrimination and prejudice? Why is doing so important for our college careers?

Become better educated.At home and in our schools.The younger we are taught to accept people who are different and help those who need help,the better our judgements over others are.Sterotypes are shown all over the place.TV (sit-coms,movies),internet,etc.We need to remember never to judge a book by it's cover until we read into it a little more.

Signing off...

BrandyM wrote:Learn more about other groups of people, take time to become part of their lives - step out of your comfort zone. Get to the bottom of things - don't just allow someone to tell you what to believe and accept it as fact. Be more tolerant of others who are not like you.

I agree. Couldn't have said it better myself......really

While I would love to overcome bias, descrimination, and prejudice, I have a hard time believing it can be done. We are often too selfish to truly be equal. We want the perks and none of the downfalls. It goes back to the whole, "the grass isn't always greener on the other side." As far as at least trying, it is very relevant for our careers. You will never, not encounter someone different so learn to deal with it.

We are going to meet more and more people who are not like ourselves - through college and life. It is imperative that we be able to interact with others professionally and personally. Differences will not go away - someone is always going to think differently than you do.

BrandyM wrote:We are going to meet more and more people who are not like ourselves - through college and life. It is imperative that we be able to interact with others professionally and personally. Differences will not go away - someone is always going to think differently than you do.

I agree! So basically jus deal with it

Well, I think we've had a great discussion. If you haven't read Chapter 13 in the book yet please do so. I appreciate everyone who participated and shared their thoughts and ideas.

I am interesting in hearing what you all thought of this online discussion component. Let me know in person or through email to jmichael@astate.edu. I plan to do more of this in the future in my other classes and would love some good feedback, suggestions, etc.

I will post a new topic soon on here with the topic for our second and final online discussion of the semester in the next few days.

Thanks and see you in class physically on Tuesday. Class dismissed!