Diversity Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Diversity Education - Assignment Example of differing cultures and sub-cultures, and encouraging responsibility for social justice is an improvement because it encourages social cooperation across cultural and sub-cultural divides, and it presents the equivalent viability of all cultural orientations (Gurin, Nagda, & Lopez, The benefits of diversity in education for democratic citizenship, 2004). This is the definitive category that contextualizes a preferred approach to diversity education. It is a more holistic approach, in that teachers must first understand personal biases, resolve them, be willing to learn from student experience and feedback, and suspend any ethnocentricity they feel (Washington State University , 2012). They must also be consistent about releasing personal power privilege, so that an environment of shared power can be sustained, so that honesty and authenticity can prevail (Gurin, Dey, Hurtado, & Gurin, 2002). Research confirms this approach as being the most effective. It is best for healthy identit y formation and cognition because it presents necessary relational discontinuities (Gurin, Dey, Hurtado, & Gurin, 2002). It supports academic success (Gurin, Dey, Hurtado, & Gurin, 2002). It shapes culturally competent people who are best positioned to join the global community’s workforce (Cocchiara, 2009), respond to cultural others, and make decisions that will prove effective and widely applicable (Washington State University , 2012). Research has found that diversity education strongly instills democratic sentiments, and pro-democracy skills, such as taking on other perspectives, being comfortable in conflict situations and thus able to resolve conflict in a mutually satisfying manner (Gurin, Nagda, & Lopez, The benefits of diversity in education for democratic citizenship, 2004).... This paper approves that the research shows that diversity education emphasizing cultural relativity, integration, mutuality and social justice actually increases respect for difference, as well as commonality. This is a counter influence against marginalization. It follows, then, that a diversity-educated person will pose a substantially reduced threat. According to the paper it is a fact that society is now global. It is not possible to participate fully without diversity fluency. With widespread immigration, globalization, refugee distribution, the Internet, and global issues dominating the news, it is imperative that everyone at least knows how to fit in effectively and has the skills to be productive. With war and terrorism being ubiquitous and globally threatening, skills for fostering mutual cooperation are essential to survival. This need not impinge on religious and lifestyle choices, if mutual respect is the bottom line for everyone. This essay says that democracy can be interpreted as being best done within a pre-approved religious framework. An examination of differences can be threatening and used to justify exclusion, while a search for commonalities may be seen as requiring sacrificial dilution of treasured differences, religious truths and values. There are always multiple sides to an issue, however, and this one is no exception. Justification for the stance claimed as most excellent, in this paper, rests on certain assumptions. One of those assumptions is that the best choice is one supported by research.