Microintervention Strategies by Derald Wing Sue

Author:Derald Wing Sue [Glaeser, Derald Wing Sue|Cassandra Z. Calle|Narolyn Mendez|Sara Alsaidi|Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781119769972
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2020-12-11T19:33:41+00:00

Tactic # 2 – Support Antibias Education and Training

Formal education and training on topics of diversity, inclusion, and implicit and explicit bias have become increasingly used in business, industry, and education to create an equitable work environment through exploration of individual and organizational biases (Jones & Dovidio, 2018; Scully & Rowe, 2009; Toporek & Worthington, 2014). Most diversity training, in the form of workshops or classroom curriculum, attempts to address one or all of the following objectives (APA, 2017; 2019c; Ratts et al., 2016; Sue, Sue, Neville, & Smith, 2019):

Increase the awareness of participants regarding their values, biases, and assumptions about human behavior.

The training usually focuses on stereotypes, biased perceptions, and inaccurate beliefs about different groups of color that hinder and create the “othering” of people of color. The curriculum/content, exercises, and activities are aimed at self-exploration, self-awareness, and accepting the troubling proposition that participants are not immune from inheriting the racial biases of the society. Without insight and awareness of the self, participants may inadvertently assume that everyone shares a similar world view, and racial/cultural differences are ignored or pathologized. When this happens, those with power and privilege may become guilty of cultural oppression, imposing White Western values on people of color. Such actions may disadvantage people of color in education, employment, and health care.

Acquire knowledge and understanding of the worldview of culturally diverse groups and individuals.

Training objectives move from self-exploration to understanding the worldview of people who differ from participants in terms of race, ethnicity, and culture. How do these powerful sociodemographic identities affect worldviews? Is there such a thing as an African American, Asian American, Latinx American, or American Indian worldview? Do other culturally different groups (women, the physically challenged, gays/lesbians, etc.) also have different world views? How do these differences in perspective affect people of color (employees or students)? It is important to note, however, that this objective goes beyond cultural knowledge or understanding (information on groups of color), but must focus also on topics of power and privilege, and the racialized experiences of people of color who reside in a primarily monocultural society.

Understand differences in communication styles, and develop culturally appropriate interaction patterns when relating to a diverse population.

Earlier, we indicated that communication styles are often affected by group membership. Many African Americans, for example, are more direct, confrontive, and passionate in their verbal and nonverbal interactions, while many Asian Americans are more emotionally restrained, subtle, and indirect when conversing with others (Sue, Sue, Neville, & Smith, 2019). Part of training is to acknowledge these differences and prevent misunderstandings from occurring (African Americans are “angry” and “emotional,” while Asian Americans are “passive” and “inhibited”). But the issue of communication patterns goes far beyond understanding these differences and not making incorrect judgments. Communication styles have implications for teaching styles, learning styles, managerial styles, and helping styles. Not understanding that teaching styles might be incompatible with culturally different learning styles, or that managerial styles might disadvantage employees of color can create unfair educational or work environments.

Understand how

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