My experience of diversity training is that people tend to believe there is little to learn about diversity. The challenge is to assess what we still have to learn and to meet that challenge with an openness to learn. People will only effectively learn about diversity if they are prepared to take risks in their learning.[1] This challenge intensifies because it can be a painful process. It is not a comfortable feeling to learn that we have prejudices we need to deal with. It is not easy to discover that our view is just one of many, and those other views are equally valid. We all have a great deal to learn about diversity. Not just a better understanding of the reality of diversity in our organizations, but also the issues that this raises. If our organizations are to be a reflection of society, then we must strive to understand the reality of diversity in our society as well. The goal of all diversity training is to make participants aware of their perceptions and assumptions, so as to ensure correct understanding of different values.[2] --------------------------------------------- [1] Clements, Phillip Edward. (2006). Diversity Training Handbook: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Changing Attitudes. London, GBR: Kogan Page, Limited. P. 100. [2] Smith, Bryan (Editor). (2004). Training for Diversity. Bradford, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. P. 139. |
