I.

UNDERSTANDING
DIVERSITY
Objectives:
At the end of the chapter you will be able to:

1. discuss the meaning and significance of diversity;

2. demonstrate the use of Loden’s Wheel of diversity;
3. support diversity as a component of relationships, 4.
education and organizations.
DIVERSITY
• Diversity can be defined as the sum of the ways
that people are both alike and different.
• It means understanding that each individual is
unique, and recognizing our individual
differences. Theses can be along the dimension
at race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation,
socio-economic status, age, physical abilities,
religious, beliefs, political beliefs, or other
ideologies.
DIVERSITY
• It is the exploration of these differences in a
safe, positive and nurturing environment. It is
about understanding each other and moving
beyond simple tolerance to embracing and
celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity
contained within each individual.
DEFINITIONS OF DIVERSITY

• It is the uniqueness of each

one that is the root of diversity.
• It captures the essence of
difference.
• Divertere- a Latin word which
means to turn away, separate,
oppose.
DEFINITIONS OF DIVERSITY

• The state or quality of being different or

varied; a variety of assortment; a point
of difference.
• The inclusion of people of different
races, genders, religions, etc. in a
group.
• The relation that holds between two
entities when and only when they are
not identical.
• The property of numerically distinct.
DIVERSITY WHEEL
UNDERSTANDING DIVERSITY
 DIVERSITY WHEEL

In 1990, Marilyn Loden and Judy Rosener a

professor at the graduate school in the
University of California, Irvine developed a
framework to respond to the flourishing
divergence in America’s labor force.
Their goal was to capacitate people to make
their voices heard by pointing to their diversity
“Workforce America! Managing Employee
Diversity as a Vital Resource” ( Irwin
Publishing 1991).
Where the original version of the Diversity
Wheel model was introduced. Loden
recognized the demand for an instrument that
would help people better understand how
group based-differences influence people’s
social identities.
Dissatisfaction, distrust, and competition
would ensure when the different dimensions
of diversity are not given recognition.
DIVERSITY are really about
understanding our social identities,
acknowledging what is important
and learning to integrate into
society so that no sub-group feels
excluded or one down” (Loden and
Rosener 1991.
Figure 1.1. Loden and Rosener’s Diversity
Wheel (Loden 1991).
TWO DIMENSIONS OF DIVERSITY

1. Innercircle
These are the stronger ones.
These are the characteristics we were born
with or established by significant experiences
we had or people we interacted with. These
are considered to be distinctly persuasive.

The Primary/core is the most powerful and sustaining

differences. In the original model, Loden’s presented
six primary dimensions: age, ethnicity, physical
abilities/qualities, race, and sexual orientation.
TWO DIMENSIONS OF DIVERSITY
2. Outer circle
The second dimension is
compose of geographical location, marital status,
religious beliefs, parental status, income, education,
work experience, military experience, first language,
family status, work and communication styles.

Secondary dimension defined the other important

differences that acquired later in life.
Together, the core or
primary dimensions notably
effect our prior experiences,
viewpoints, and principles,
giving us an exclusive mind-
set of the world around us,
making each one of us
distinct individuals.
LODEN’S ADVICE FOR USING THE MODEL

• Loden’s piece of advice to people

using the model is to open up the
diversity conversation so that
everyone at the table can identify
with some dimension.
• “The Diversity Wheel is useful in
explaining how group-based
differences contribute to individual
identities’’.
• Loden’s defines the four principles:
respect, inclusion, cooperation,
and responsibility- or RICR.
• Loden presents four principles
for managing our own behavior in
a global context and interacting
successfully with people globally.
 The four principles
RICR (Loden 1996)
1.respect
2. inclusion
3. cooperation
4. responsibility
She defines each principles as:
• 1. RESPECT:treating others the
way they wish to be treated;
• 2. INCLUSION: making certain
everyone on the team is truly a
part of of the team’s decision-
making process.
• 3. COOPERATION: actively helping
others succeed rather than competing or
attempting to one-up someone.
• 4. RESPONSIBITY: managing personal
behavior to maintain a diversity-positive
environment and questioning
inappropriate behavior when it occurs.
II. ABILITY AND DISABILITY
AS A DIMENSION OF
DIVERSITY
 Ability- Refers to the
possession of the qualities
required to do something;
necessary skill or competence, or
power.
-Collins English Dictionary
 Disability- the umbrella term for
impairments, activity limitations, and
participation restrictions, referring to the
negative aspects of the interaction
between an individual (with a health
condition) and that individual's
contextual factors (environmental and
personal factors).
-World Health Organization (WHO n.d.)
The American Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
“a person with a disability is a person who has
a physical or mental impairment that
substantially limits one or more major life
activity”
“Disabilities may affect one's
senses or one's mobility; they may
be static or progressive, congenital
or acquired, formal (affecting the
shape of the body) or functional,
visible or invisible"
(Couser 2005).
A person’s disability makes him or her a
unique individual who is at times,
shunned from places and activities. They
have to be acknowledged as a part of
spectrum of diversity.
They have to be recognized as human beings who
should not be discriminated against, but rather
understood and tolerated. They have to be accorded
to their rights
III. THE DILEMMA OF
DIVERSITY
• In this age of fast paced
development where diversity plays a
unique role, there are still challenges
that confront a lot of people who
have been identified as "different.
Problems encounter on Diversity

In some workplaces, women and people of color are still

discriminated against and not given positions in management or
administration.

People of a certain race are stereotyped to be of a specific

character.

Children from indigenous groups have to go through an

educational system that does not consider their ethnic background,
needs, and values.
COMMUNICATION
ISSUE
 CULTURAL
MISUNDERSTANDING
GENERATION
GAP
 Diversity is an issue we have to face and conquer. As our
communities become more diverse, it is imperative that we make an effort to
understand the different dimensions of diversity, which is not just all about
accepting, understanding, and tolerating one's uniqueness. Accepting and
celebrating the uniqueness of each individual will allow for respecting
different experiences and qualities of individuals that will open up more
avenues to solve problems and innovate. Collaboration and communication
are skills that are needed to develop and succeed. It is, therefore, important
that we understand our differences and master how these could be used to
harness tolerance, cooperation, and unity that will lead to productivity.
THANK YOU!
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG
What do you
think is the
message of
the picture
in relation to
education
system?