# data[].attributes.body
Children that grow up religious have an easier time with social skills, but a much harder time with academics compared to other children. Religion has the most positive effect when combined with a focus on academics, that way the child can reap the benefits of religion and avoid falling behind in school. Religious children don’t fare better than nonreligious children, and vice versa.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
UTSA sociologists study the impact religion has on child development

# data[].attributes.body
A child’s abilities will differ depending on culture, but overall, they do best when they’re able to be a part of the community they live in. The purpose of raising a child is to give them the tools they need to succeed in their society, and those tools will be different across the world. Two children from different countries may not have the exact same skills, but they will both be able to connect with others in their country.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What is the most important influence on child development | Tom Weisner | TEDxUCLA

# data[].attributes.body
Having a lower socioeconomic status affects children negatively when they don’t have access to necessary resources like food, water, and healthcare. When those resources are not able to be accessed, children have a higher chance of developmental problems, cognitive delays, and behavioral problems. Just having less money is not the issue, but rather the access to resources, so in countries where even the poor have their basic needs met, these issues are not found.

# data[].attributes.body
Babies and toddlers are aware of gender as early as nineteen months because adults treat them differently based on gender, and from there, learn what is associated with gender (like pink versus blue). Female babies and toddlers often learn words that describe people (mom, brother, aunt) and male babies and toddlers learn words that describe objects (car, toy). Children take what they’ve learned from their gender socialization and act accordingly, with boys and girls developing differently based on what is expected of them.

# data[].attributes.body
Children with a sexual orientation that isn’t heterosexual tend to have a lot of struggles in life, which affects their development. These struggles don’t stem from their orientation itself, but rather society’s reaction to it. Children growing up in a more conservative family or country, where things like homosexuality are looked down on, are more likely to have suicidal ideations and depressive symptoms. Children that grow up in an accepting family or country are more likely to not have suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Significance of Parenting and Parent-Child Relationships for Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Adolescents in 21st century America are experiencing the emergence of their sexual and gender identities in a heteronormative society that is steadily adopting more progressive views and policies related to sexual orientation and gender. However,…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
We all have implicit biases. So what can we do about it? | Dushaw Hockett | TEDxMidAtlanticSalon

# data[].attributes.body
Implicit bias is, in simple terms, a bias that you don't know that you have. Everyone has them, and it affects the way they interact with the world and the people around them.

# data[].attributes.body
Cultural competence is the ability to respectfully interact with people from other cultures. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you know everything about their culture, but just that you are respectful of their differences and can adapt as needed.

# data[].attributes.body
It’s important to be able to communicate and respectfully interact with other people, even when you might not share the same background. This is important because you will interact with people from different cultures, and you’ll want it to go well. It’s becoming less and less likely every year that you’ll never meet someone with a different background because of things like globalization, so things like cultural competence become a necessary skill.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This article will help better understand cultural competence and its components. Adopted cross-cultural attitude strategies will help to develop and enhance the ability to practice effective communication in intercultural situations.

Working and living in a global society requires the ability to create interactions and relationships with people who are different from oneself. It is critical to know how to assess our cultural competency and evaluate our own cultural behaviors. Globalization and diversity lowered the barriers that once separated cultures both internationally and domestically (Garneau & Pepin, 2015). Cultural competency skills can help businesses run more productively, and efficiently. Practicing cultural competency skills can also elevate your customer service skills. Exceptional customer service gives you the ability to set your business apart from your competitors and keeps your customers returning to your business.

What is culture?

In 1951, Kluckhohn explained culture as sharing a pattern of thinking, feeling, reacting, and problem-solving. Culture is a dynamic relational process of shared meanings that originate in the interactions between individuals (Carpenter-Song, Schwallie, & Longhofer, 2007). In 2010, Gregory and colleagues emphasized that culture must be considered in historical, social, political, and economic contexts. Betancourt (2004) defined culture as a pattern of learned beliefs, values, and behavior that are shared within a group; it includes language, styles of communication, practices, customs, and views on roles and relationships. Edgar Schein (2010) described a culture as "shared beliefs, values, and assumptions of a group of people who learn from one another and teach to others that their behaviors, attitudes, and perspectives are the correct ways to think, act, and feel." Psychologists argue that unfamiliar culture negatively affects an individual's sensemaking mechanisms and determine their behavioral responses. As a result, individuals cannot accurately perceive, interpret, explain, and predict the behavior of people with different cultural background(s) (Muzychenko, 2008).

What is cultural intelligence?

Cultural intelligence is the ability to interpret the stranger's behavior the way the stranger's compatriots would (Muzychenko 2008). For example, if employees don't feel as if their manager understands or respects their culture, employees may find it hard to trust the leader or work as a team.

What is cultural competence?

Current research on cultural competence focuses on sensitivity to cross-cultural differences and the ability to adapt to other cultural environments (e.g., Hansen, Pepitone-Arreola-Rockwell, & Greene, 2000), or reflective awareness of cultural influences on one's thoughts and behaviors (Chao, Okazaki, & Hong, 2011). Muzychenko (2008) defined cultural competence as the appropriateness and effectiveness of one's behavior in an alien cultural environment. Wilson, Ward, and Fischer (2013) defined cultural competence as "the acquisition and maintenance of culture-specific skills" for very practical reasons:

function effectively within a new cultural context.

interact effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds.

Williams (2001) defined cultural competence as " the ability of individuals and systems to work or respond effectively across cultures in a way that acknowledges and respects the culture of the person or organization being served" p.1.

Why do we need to develop cultural competence?

Developing cultural competence helps us understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures. It gives us the ability to compare different cultures with our own and better understand the differences. Unconsciously, we bring our own cultural frame of interpretation to any situation. This is not to say that culture alone determines how one interprets a situation. One's own unique history and personality also play an important role (Hofstede, 2002).

How do we develop an attitude and components of cultural competence?

Developing cross-cultural attitudes allows one to develop skills for better engaging with people from all kinds of cultures. Cross-cultural skills demonstrated through the ability to communicate with respect; recognize others' values, accept knowledge, skills, and talents; and tolerate, engage, and celebrate the success of others. Deardorff defined competence as " the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in intercultural situations based on one's intercultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes" (Deardorff, 2006, pp. 247-248). We adopted Deardorff (2006) cross-cultural attitude strategies that help you to develop and enhance one's ability to practice effective communication in intercultural situations:

Practice openness by demonstrating acceptance of difference.

Be flexible by demonstrating acceptance of ambiguity.

Demonstrate humility through suspension of judgment and the ability to learn.

Be sensitive to others by appreciating cultural differences.

Show a spirit of adventure by showing curiosity and seeing opportunities in different situations.

Use a sense of humor through the ability to laugh at ourselves.

Practice positive change or action by demonstratinga successful interaction with the identified culture.

Borchum (2002) described cultural competence as " a non-linear dynamic process that is never-ending and ever expending. It is built on increases in knowledge and skill development related to its attributes" p. 5. We synthesized and adopted Williams's (2001) and Martin and Vaughn's (2007) studies that can assist in better understanding of components of cultural competency. These attributes will guide you in developing cultural competence:

Self-knowledge and awareness about one's own culture.

Awareness of one's own cultural worldview.

Experience and knowledge of different cultural practices.

Attitude toward cultural differences.

In conclusion, our global society necessitates interactions and relationships with people who are different from oneself. By developing one's own cultural competence, productivity and efficiency may increase and in turn improve one's customer service skills. Customers who feel valued and understood will return for repeat business.

Resources

Burchum, J. L. R. (2002, October). Cultural competence: An evolutionary perspective. In: Nursing Forum: (Vol. 37, No. 4, p. 5). Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Carpenter-Song, E. A., Schwallie, M. N., & Longhofer, J. (2007). Cultural competence reexamined: critique and directions for the future. Psychiatric Services, 58(10), 1362-1365.

Betancourt, J. R. (2004). Cultural competence-marginal or mainstream movement? New England Journal of Medicine, 351(10), 953-955.

Chiu, C.-Y., Lonner, W. J., Matsumoto, D., & Ward, C. (2013). Cross-Cultural Competence: Theory, Research, and Application. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 44(6), 843-848.

Garneau, A. B., & Pepin, J. (2015). Cultural competence: A constructivist definition. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 26(1), 9-15.

Gregory, D., Harrowing, J., Lee, B., Doolittle, L., & O'Sullivan, P. S. (2010). Pedagogy as influencing nursing students' essentialized understanding of culture. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 7(1), 30. doi:10.2202/1548-923X.2025

Hofstede, G. J., Hofstede, G., & Pedersen, P. B. (2012). Exploring culture: exercises, stories, and synthetic cultures. Boston: Intercultural Press.

Hofstede, G. J., Pedersen, P. B., & Hofstede, G. (2002). Exploring culture: Exercises, stories, and synthetic cultures. Nicholas Brealey.

Martin, M., & Vaughn, B. (2007). Cultural competence: The nuts and bolts of diversity and inclusion. Strategic Diversity & Inclusion Management, 1(1), 31-38.

Muzychenko, O. (2008). Cross-cultural entrepreneurial competence in identifying international business opportunities. European Management Journal, 26(6), 366-377.

Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (Vol. 2). John Wiley & Sons.

Williams, B. (2001). Accomplishing cross cultural competence in youth development programs. Journal of Extension, 39(6), 1-6.

Wilson, J., Ward, C., & Fischer, R. (2013). Beyond culture learning theory: What can personality tell us about cultural competence? Journal of cross-cultural psychology, 44(6), 900-927.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What is Cultural Competence and How to Develop It?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This article will help better understand cultural competence and its components. Adopted cross-cultural attitude strategies will help to develop and enhance the ability to practice effective communication in intercultural situations. Working and living i

# data[].attributes.body
I think in the classroom, the best thing I can do when working with all of these factors is helping the kids where it's needed. The religious kids need more focus on academics, the LQBTQ kids need extra moral support, and it's important that I keep my expectations for girls and boys the same. I think if I focus on what they need individually, they'll all see some amount of progress.

# data[].attributes.body
Obviously, I can't be aware of my implicit biases because then they wouldn't be implicit, but I can take the time to unlearn them when I do become aware of them. I don't want my students to suffer just because I was too stubborn to admit my shortcomings to myself. I want my students to be comfortable in my classroom, so I need to make sure I put in the work to make my classroom a safe place.

# data[].attributes.body
Valuing diversity is a big part of cultural competence because it gives you a reason to desire cultural competence. Knowing that diversity adds complexity into important topics, and that understanding diversity gives you the key to those complex topics, gives you the drive for gaining cultural competence. Understanding the way race, gender, economic status, and religion shape experiences and communication is valuable, especially in today’s world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Everything we think, say, and do is processed through our own cultural backgrounds. But because culture is absorbed and passed down from generation to generation rather than explicitly taught, we're seldom aware of it.

Culture shapes not only our values and beliefs, but also our gender roles, family structures, languages, dress, food, etiquette, approaches to disabilities, child-rearing practices, and even our expectations for children's behavior. In this way, culture creates diversity.

Cultural diversity and teachers

For teachers, it is essential to see and understand your own culture in order to see and understand how the cultures of children and their families influence children's behavior. Only then can you give every child a fair chance to succeed.

Think about your own upbringing. How did your family's expectations affect what you did? Were your parents, siblings, and other relatives close or distant? Were they strict, lenient, or somewhere in between? Were your school's expectations any different? All of this, and more, plays a part in how you view the behavior of the children you teach.

These ideas lie at the heart of NAEYC's position statement Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education. Its guiding principles include

Recognizing that "self-awareness, humility, respect, and a willingness to learn are key to becoming a teacher who equitably and effectively supports all children and families"

Developing a strong understanding of culture and diversity

Understanding that "families are the primary context for children's development and learning"

One major takeaway from the position statement is that early childhood educators must support consistently warm and caring relationships between families and their children, respect families' languages and cultures, and incorporate those languages and cultures into the curriculum, their teaching practices, and the learning environment.

Cultural diversity and young children

Children bring their own set of culturally based expectations, skills, talents, abilities, and values with them into the classroom. And they begin to develop their self-concept (at least in part) from how others see them. To form positive self-concepts, children must honor and respect their own families and cultures and have others honor and respect these key facets of their identities too. If the classroom doesn't reflect and validate their families and cultures, children may feel invisible, unimportant, incompetent, and ashamed of who they are.

Many people, including educators, have long believed it is better to act colorblind and/or "cultureblind"-that is, to not acknowledge color or culture. But research has shown that this artificial blindness keeps us from recognizing, acknowledging, and appreciating important differences. Worse, it may lead to unintentional bias toward or disrespect for those who are different from us.

We know now that acknowledgments of color and culture are essential for legitimizing differences. Color and culture make each one of us special and enable us to offer unique gifts and opportunities to groups we are part of. At the same time, color and culture help children learn about each other and the world. In short, color and culture enrich classrooms.

To appreciate what each child can contribute to the class, teachers need to learn about each family's cultural values. Helping children to see themselves in your pedagogy, curriculum, environment, and materials enables them (and their families) to feel welcomed and valued.

Take a look around your classroom.

Does the artwork on the walls accurately reflect the children's lives, or are the walls covered with store-bought, stereotypical images?
Why not have the children create their own posters with their own artwork, things from home, and photos families can supply?

Are labels (and other child-focused texts) repeated in each child's home language, or are they in English only?
Why not forge connections and support children's learning by asking family members to help children use their home languages throughout the room?

It's important to see cultural and linguistic differences as resources, not as deficits. As NAEYC's equity position statement puts it, "Children's learning is facilitated when teaching practices, curricula, and learning environments build on children's strengths and are developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate for each child."

The difference between equitable and equal

Equal is not the same as equitable. Every child in your group has different needs, skills, interests, and abilities. Equal would mean giving all children the same activities, materials, and books. Equitable means ensuring that you consider each child's strengths, context, and needs and provide all children with the opportunities that will support them in reaching their potential.

It's crucial to recognize the inequities that children and their families face-in school and out. The position statement reminds us that "dominant social biases are rooted in the social, political, and economic structures of the United States. Powerful messages-conveyed through the media, symbols, attitudes, and actions-continue to reflect and promote both explicit and implicit bias." For example, research conducted by Yale University professor Walter Gilliam clearly shows that young African American boys are subject to higher rates of suspension and expulsion than their White European American peers.

How cultural diversity shapes behavior

Your culture and the children's cultures aren't the only cultures at work in your classroom. Every school and early childhood education program has a culture too. The cultures of most American schools are based on White European American values. As the makeup of the US population becomes more diverse, there is more cultural dissonance-which impacts children's behavior.

White European American culture has an individual orientation that teaches children to function independently, stand out, talk about themselves, and view property as personal. In contrast, many other cultures value interdependence, fitting in, helping others and being helped, being modest, and sharing property. In fact, some languages have no words for I, me, or mine.

Children who find themselves in an unfamiliar environment-such as a classroom that reflects a culture different from their home culture-are likely to feel confused, isolated, alienated, conflicted, and less competent because what they've learned so far in their home culture simply doesn't apply. They may not understand the rules, or they may be unable to communicate their needs in the school's language.

Rethinking challenging behavior

Because your responses to children's conflicts and challenging behavior are culture bound, it is all too easy to misinterpret children's words or actions. The next time a child seems defiant, ask yourself, Is that behavior culturally influenced? Could I be misunderstanding the child's words or actions?

For example, White European Americans tend to use implicit commands, such as, "Johnny, can you please put the blocks away?" Children raised in the White European American culture understand that they are being told to put away the blocks. But children raised in the African American culture may interpret this utterance differently. In their culture, adult commands are usually explicit: "DuShane, put away the blocks." To African American children, an implicit command in the form of a question may seem to offer a choice about how to behave.

Culture also defines personal space, including how much space feels appropriate in the block area, at circle/meeting time, and in the dramatic play area. In some cultures, children feel comfortable playing close to one another; in others, the same space may feel claustrophobic and lead children to hit or shove a playmate who seems too near. Similarly, you may stand too close or too far away, depending on children's cultures. For example, if Cadence doesn't pay attention to your request to keep the sand in the sandbox, you may be too far away to connect with her.

In White European American culture, teachers expect children to sit still and maintain eye contact to show that they're paying attention. But in other cultures, children might show their interest by joining in; they may learn through hearing or telling a story, watching others, or using trial and error. If they don't understand the lesson, they might have a hard time paying attention. Or they may be paying attention in a different way.

Culture counts

There are many rewards for teachers who take culture into account. You can form authentic, caring relationships with children and families; build connections between what children already know and what they need to know; select activities, materials, and instructional strategies that honor children's cultures and life experiences; and teach children the skills they need to succeed in a global society.

From the Pages of Young Children: Research on How Culture Affects Learning

For more examples of how culture affects learning, check out " Diverse Children, Uniform Standards: Using Early Learning and Development Standards in Multicultural Classrooms" in the November 2019 issue of Young Children. The authors, Jeanne L. Reid, Catherine Scott-Little, and Sharon Lynn Kagan, provide several examples of culturally influenced differences in how children pay attention, approach learning, seek guidance, and express their knowledge and skills. They also offer tips to help teachers address standards for early learning that are not sensitive to these cultural differences.

This article supports the following NAEYC Early Learning Program Accreditation standards and topic areas

STANDARDS 7: FAMILIES; 1: RELATIONSHIPS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Valuing Diversity: Developing a Deeper Understanding of All Young Children's Behavior

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For teachers, it is essential to see and understand your own culture in order to see and understand how the cultures of children and their families influence children's behavior.

# data[].attributes.body
Because implicit bias is something you aren't aware of, it’s important to look at your actions and figure out why you do them. You need to be aware of yourself, and keep an eye out for possibly biased actions. You don't need to be obsessed with it, but you need to get in the habit of self reflection in order to have cultural competence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We all have biases - unsupported assumptions we make about people or groups. Implicit bias, also commonly known as unconscious bias, refers to the various social stereotypes and judgments that people unknowingly assign to others based on a variety of factors, such as their age, socioeconomic status, weight, gender, race, or sexual orientation. And while these biases aren't always negative, they're shaped by a survival instinct that causes people to associate with people they perceive to be similar to them, because they're deemed to be "safe."

Examples of unconscious biases are present throughout our personal and professional lives. In Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell notes that in the general population, roughly 3.9% of adult men are 6 foot, 2 inches or taller. Yet among a random sampling of CEOs, he found that nearly a third, or roughly 33.3%, fell into this group.

According to Gladwell, this could be linked to an unconscious belief that height correlates with success. This hypothesis is further underscored by a 2020 Chinese study that found that each centimeter in height above average correlated with a 10% to 13% increase in annual earnings.

Everyone holds implicit beliefs about various social groups, and these biases can have a negative impact in our social, study, and work environments. Implicit biases are harmful because they influence the way we perceive and interact with others - and can lead us to depersonalize people from different groups based on perceived characteristics. Learning to identify and overcome them is an important step toward overcoming prejudice and social and racial stereotypes.

What Is Implicit Bias?

Whereas explicit biases are those that people express openly (e.g., arguing that mothers of young children shouldn't hold management positions), implicit biases often lie outside of our conscious awareness.

For example, if a manager assigns a tech-heavy task to a young employee instead of an older one based on the unspoken assumption that younger staff members are better with technology, implicit bias is at play. Unconscious bias can also occur in the classroom; for example, students may marginalize non-native English speakers when choosing work groups, with the unconscious assumption that they may not perform as well as native English-speaking peers.

The insidious nature of bias lies in its unconscious nature, as our implicit biases often contradict the values that we aspire to. And when people aren't even aware that they're doing something, it can be difficult to correct.

Types of Implicit Bias

The first step toward addressing implicit biases involves learning to recognize them. Among the various implicit biases prevalent throughout society are some such as race and ethnicity bias, age bias, gender bias, LGBTQIA+ community bias, and ability bias.

Race and Ethnicity Bias

Race and ethnicity bias occurs when people assume certain characteristics about someone based on their race or ethnicity, such as assuming that all Asian students are good at math or that all Hispanic individuals are English-language learners, and then take actions that reinforce those biases - unconsciously overlooking a Hispanic employee for a task that requires strong English communication skills, for example.

Age bias occurs when people make assumptions about others based on their age, such as when a hiring manager looking for a social media-savvy applicant rejects a resume because the graduation date tips off that the applicant is middle-aged, unconsciously assuming that the candidate wouldn't be adept at social media management.

Gender Bias

Gender bias occurs when people assume one gender is better suited for a particular job - such as welding or babysitting - regardless of an applicant's experience level.

LGBTQIA+ Community Bias

Assuming that lesbians can't relate to men, and so reflexively declining to pair them with male teammates; assigning gay men to workplace tasks involving design without thinking of the reasons behind their choice; and unconsciously overlooking bisexuals for leadership positions based on an incorrect assumption that they "can't make up their minds" are examples of LGBTQIA+ community bias. LGBTQIA+ community bias is also prevalent in the healthcare system. For example, when a nurse practitioner asks a female-presenting woman if she has a boyfriend when discussing her sexual history, implicit bias is at play.

Ability Bias

Ability bias is prevalent throughout society. Examples include hiring managers who are less likely to select a candidate with a disability because they unconsciously assume they'll be more likely to take sick leave, and individuals who assume that all people who struggle with mental illness are prone to violent or dangerous behavior and so, without knowing they're doing so, restrict them from certain roles.

Other Types of Bias

Implicit bias can take many other forms, such as:

Overcoming Implicit Bias

People can use several different strategies to overcome and address implicit biases, although this is an area that no one can ever fully master. Examples include striving to identify and understand your implicit biases, proactively becoming more inclusive, and spending time with people who are different from you.

Identify and Evaluate Your Own Biases

The first step toward overcoming your implicit biases is to identify them. Reflect on your biases and be proactive in identifying the negative stereotypes you have about others. One way is to take one of Project Implicit's Implicit Association Tests, which measure topics such as race, gender, weight, and religion.

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) discusses eight tactics that can be used to reduce implicit biases, using the acronym IMPLICIT:

Be Aware and Proactive in Being More Inclusive

Once you've identified your personal biases, you can take proactive steps to be more inclusive. For one, check your media bias: Do you find that the blogs you follow, the shows you stream, or the social media accounts you "like" are all produced by people quite similar to you? That kind of affinity is natural, but it also reinforces unconscious biases. Seek out media sources aimed at different groups. You'll hear challenging opinions and learn how others experience the world.

In the classroom and the workplace, practice intentional inclusion. When asked to form a study or work group, pass over your friends to choose partners from different backgrounds.

Spend Time with People Who Are Different from You

Increasing your contact with different groups can help undermine your subconscious stereotypes.

Societal forces tend to keep us separate from people of different backgrounds and socioeconomic classes. Break out of your usual routine: Join a club sports team or library book group; volunteer with a nonprofit in a different neighborhood; take part in different cultural celebrations (e.g., National Puerto Rican Day, Juneteenth, or Nowruz, the Iranian New Year).
This approach is backed by science: Psychological theory suggests that individuals can reduce their prejudices by interacting with people from other races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.

Be Proactive and Take Steps Forward

While implicit bias affects the workplace, school, and social situations, you can work to avoid it through awareness and conscious decision-making. Taking inventory of the biases you have and laying out strategies to overcome them can help lead to a more equitable society for all.
Recommended Reading 7 Tips for Achieving Self-Empowerment Time Management for Online Students Job Search Tips: Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills Sources American Association of Family Physicians, "Eight Tactics to Identify and Reduce Your Implicit Biases"
BuiltIn, "16 Unconscious Bias Examples and How to Avoid Them in the Workplace "
Catalyst, "11 Harmful Types of Unconscious Bias and How to Interrupt Them" CIPHR, "What Is Unconscious Bias in the Workplace, and How Can We Tackle It?" CNN, "Black Men Arrested at Philadelphia Starbucks Reach Agreements" EnvatoTuts+, "What Is Unconscious Bias? + Top Strategies to Help Avoid It" Everfi, "How Inclusion in the Workplace Helps Fight Implicit Bias" Forbes, "Unconscious Bias: How It Affects Us More Than We Know" Multnomah County, Equity and Empowerment Lens ONGIG, "10 Examples of Awesome Inclusion Statements" PLOS ONE, "What Is Creating the Height Premium? New Evidence from a Mendelian Randomization Analysis in China" Profiles in Diversity Journal, "Overcoming Unconscious Bias Within Organizations" Project Implicit, Take a TestExternal link: Simply Psychology, "Implicit or Unconscious Bias" ThoughtCo. "What Is the Contact Hypothesis in Psychology?" VeryWellMind, "How Does Implicit Bias Influence Behavior?" Vox, "Companies Like Starbucks Love Anti-Bias Training. But It Doesn't Work and May Backfire"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Identify and Overcome Your Implicit Bias

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Addressing implicit bias is key to achieving a more equitable society. Read more about implicit bias and its effects in the classroom and the workplace.

# data[].attributes.body
Understanding how to deal with the differences that you have with the people you work with is crucial for cultural competency because that’s the biggest hurdle. You need to be able to understand someone and communicate with them effectively, despite any differences you have. If you can’t get past your differences, you won’t have cultural competency.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Importance of Diversity & Multicultural Awareness in Education

Drexel University School of Education

Cultural diversity in the classroom is on the rise. In 2014, U.S. public schools hit a minority majority milestone with Latino, African-American, and Asian students having surpassed the number of white students. In 2044, the U.S. Census predicts that over half of the nation's population will be people of color, so this trend will likely continue.

In our increasingly diverse and multicultural society, it's more important than ever for teachers to incorporate culturally responsive instruction in the classroom -- whether teaching elementary school, middle school or high school students. And the increase of diversity doesn't only relate to race and ethnicity; it can include students of different religion, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and language background.

Interested in becoming a teacher? Learn more about Drexel's Teacher Certification program.

Why is it Important to Encourage Diversity in Schools and Workplaces?

Fostering inclusion and awareness around multicultural education and taking a culturally responsive approach to teaching benefits all students. Not only does creating greater multicultural awareness and inclusion help students with different backgrounds and needs succeed, but it encourages acceptance and helps prepare students to thrive in an exponentially diverse world. Our Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness Certificate Program is a great opportunity for teachers to learn how to create positive classroom environments and can serve as a foundation for understanding how to promote diversity in your classroom.

Diversity in and out of the classroom will continue to grow, so it's essential we prepare students to adapt to an evolving world and embrace those different from themselves. Learn more how the programs at the Drexel School of Education are helping to prepare more culturally-responsive educators today.

Types of Cultural Diversity in the Classroom

Every student is unique. In order to properly understand and promote cultural awareness, teachers need to understand all the different types of diversity they may encounter in their classrooms including:

Race

A person's skin color can have a great impact on their experience in society. It can also impact how they view themselves and others when engaging in classroom activities.

Ethnicity

Ethnicity relates to a person's culture and nationality. Ethnicity is sometimes confused with race, but it is important to recognize that while some people may have the same skin color, they may come from different places and have vastly different cultural beliefs and views of the world.

Religion

It is important to understand that people have different religious belief or no religious beliefs, and it may impact their participation in the classroom. Students may react differently to lessons based on their religion or may not be able to be present on certain religious holidays.

Language

While English is commonly used in American classrooms, for some students, it is not the language they speak at home. Accommodations should be made to help students for whom English is a second language.

Socioeconomic Status

A student's socioeconomic status can affect their ability to participate in the classroom without some type of accommodation. For instance, access to a computer at home or reliable internet access is not a given for some children. Teachers should be aware of this and the stress it may cause students who may struggle due to a lack of resources.

Sexual Orientation

A student's sexual orientation can have a great impact on how they are experiencing the world. Teachers should understand the struggles that exist and ensure that the lessons taught in their classroom are inclusive.

Gender Identity

Similar to sexual orientation, it is important to understand each student's gender identity and how they would prefer to be recognized. Teachers should respect their student's identity and use preferred pronouns when interacting with their students.

How can you Promote Diversity and Multiculturalism in the Classroom?

There are several ways teachers and administrators, such as principals and coaches, can ensure that both the classroom environment and curriculum are responsive to the increasing cultural diversity of our society. These strategies will encourage all students' cultural awareness, enhancing each student's sense of identity, and foster inclusion in the classroom community.

1. Get to Know Your Students Ensuring that cultural awareness is promoted in the classroom starts with the teacher understanding each individual student. Take the time to learn about each student's cultural background, hobbies, learning styles, and what makes them unique. Demonstrating a genuine interest in learning about each student and their culture will help establish trust and allow you to form a bond with them so they feel valued. If students feel appreciated by and comfortable with the teacher, there's a better chance they'll feel comfortable talking with and respect their peers in the class - and communication is the core to a culturally aware and inclusive classroom.

2. Maintain Consistent Communication Aside from getting to know your students, teachers should also continue to maintain ongoing communication throughout the semester or school year. Scheduling 1-on-1 meetings with students to "check in" every so often will allow you to consistently improve how accessible the classroom is to everyone. Students can talk about whether they felt included in the classroom culture. This can help identify issues or ways to improve the overall experience. It's also an opportunity to discuss their progress in the class and offer guidance on how they can improve, based on their individual needs as a student.

3. Acknowledge and Respect Every Student It's also important for students to celebrate and respect their own diverse backgrounds, as well as each other's. When appropriate, teachers should encourage students to research and learn about their own ethnic and cultural backgrounds. This allows them to better understand their own culture as well as the differences and nuances with their peers. As a bonus, this can be a great ice breaker assignment, allowing students to give presentations about their family traditions and culture to help expose the class to concepts outside of their own familiar comfort zone. Acknowledging these differences and creating a safe space for discussion helps promote understanding in the classroom and beyond. Also, as you encourage students to learn about their diverse backgrounds, remember to take the time to highlight what's offensive and the distinction between cultural celebration and appropriation. Learning how to talk about other cultures in a respectful, mature way is essential for success in life outside the classroom.

4. Practice Cultural Sensitivity While it's important to keep an open dialogue amongst students, it's equally as important to make sure you're being sensitive to everyone's culture, beliefs, and language concerns. Take the time to understand each student's cultural nuances - from learning styles to the language they use - and use these insights to design your lesson plans. For example, provide English language learners with appropriate and relevant resources that help them improve their English comprehension skills. Rather than teach with a traditional lecture style, create learning experiences that are more interactive and require collaboration. These considerations will help ensure that every student feels included, is given the space to learn in their own way and is given a chance to succeed.

5. Incorporate Diversity in the Lesson Plan The classroom environment is important for fostering cultural awareness, but you also should ensure diversity is represented in your actual lesson plan. For example, broaden history lessons so that they encompass the world beyond United States history and culture. Or, use references and analogies to other cultures in your lessons and assignments to help students with diverse backgrounds personally connect. Another great strategy is bringing in diverse speakers to add varying points of view and real-life context to different subjects.There are several ways you can ingrain cultural awareness and diversity into your lesson plan, and it will vary depending on the cultures represented in your classroom and the course you're teaching. Regardless of the subject, always try to present and connect lessons to real-world issues. It's easier to promote cultural awareness within your lessons when there's a real example for students to relate to.

6. Give Students Freedom and Flexibility Teachers often feel like they need to take on a strict, authoritative approach when it comes to managing their classroom. The most valuable lessons are often learned through a student's own experiences, so giving them some freedom in the course encourages more connection to the curriculum. Allow students to read and present their own materials that relate to the fundamental lesson so they can approach the topic from their own perspective. As a teacher, you can act as a facilitator and encourage conversation and healthy debate between diverse opinions. Group assignments are also a great way to expose students to diverse perspectives, allowing them to work together to explore and solve a problem. This will also help prepare them for a diverse workforce where they'll have to partner with a range of people to accomplish their professional goals.

Why is it Multicultural Education Important to Students?

It is important to remind ourselves why diversity and cultural awareness is so crucial in the classroom and the benefits it can have on students now and in the long-term. Teaching diversity exposes students to various cultural and social groups, preparing students to become better citizens in their communities. These culturally responsive teaching strategies will help you to promote diversity in the classroom.

With these culturally responsive teaching strategies in mind, it's important to remind ourselves why diversity and cultural awareness is so crucial in the classroom and the benefits it can have on students now and in the long-term.

Students Become More Empathetic

Promoting awareness and creating a personal connection with diverse cultures in the classroom can prevent students from developing prejudices later in life. It allows them to empathize with people different from themselves since they're more aware of the experiences someone of a different race or cultural group may face.

Students Gain a Better Understanding of Lessons and People

When working and learning with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures present in the classroom, students gain a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. It also teaches students how to use their own strengths and points of view to contribute in a diverse working environment.

Students Become More Open-Minded

Naturally, by exposing students to a diverse range of opinions, thoughts, and cultural backgrounds, you're encouraging them to be more open-minded later in life. This will make them open to new ideas and be able to attain a greater comprehension on a topic by taking in different points of view.

Students Feel More Confident and Safe

Students who learn about different cultures during their education feel more comfortable and safe with these differences later in life. This allows them to interact in a wider range of social groups and feel more confident in themselves as well as in their interactions with others.

Students Are Better Prepared for a Diverse Workplace

With the rise of globalization, it's more important to be able to work with people from different cultures and social groups. If students are exposed to diversity and learn cultural awareness in the classroom, it sets them up to flourish in the workforce.

Learn More About Cultural Diversity in Education

There are additional resources available to help educators grow their knowledge of cultural diversity and apply it to their classrooms. Here are a few sites where you can find more information:

Additionally, Drexel offers programs that can help broaden a teacher's expertise in multicultural education including our online Teaching English as a Second Language and Social Emotional and Behavioral Wellness certification programs. You can also contact us to request more information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Importance of Multicultural Education - School of Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As classrooms become more diverse, it's crucial for students to learn about other cultures. Discover how students benefit from classroom diversity with Drexel.

# data[].attributes.headline
Willingness to develop cultural knowledge

# data[].attributes.subject
Willingness to develop cultural knowledge

# data[].attributes.body
Part of cultural competency is being open to learning about different cultures. Knowing more about other cultures gives you the necessary tools to communicate with other people from other cultures, which is obviously the point of cultural competency.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 Ways Teachers Can Foster Cultural Awareness in the Classroom (Opinion)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Schools that acknowledge the diversity of their student population understand the importance of promoting cultural awareness.

# data[].attributes.headline
Adapting to the cultural needs of the community

# data[].attributes.subject
Adapting to the cultural needs of the community

# data[].attributes.body
Community where a majority of the parents and students speak more Spanish than English needs someone that is willing to work with interpreters, otherwise, I'm not doing as good of a job for them as I do for the English speakers, which I feel is needed for cultural competency.

# data[].attributes.headline
Applying cultural competence in the classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
Applying cultural competence in the classroom

# data[].attributes.body
Taking the time to learn about my student’s cultures will make me more helpful to them in the classroom, and make it much easier for me to help them with their cultural needs. It’s very important to help my students with their cultural needs instead of expecting them to just adapt because their culture is important to them, and should therefore be important to me.

# data[].attributes.headline
How does implicit bias affect students and their families?

# data[].attributes.subject
How does implicit bias affect students and their families?

# data[].attributes.body
A teacher’s implicit bias would affect their students and their students’ families because the teacher would not think to question their bias at all. They might treat the student or their family worse than they treat the rest, and not even realize it. The student may not get as good of an education as their peers, and the parents may not receive the same amount of teacher/parent communication, which would affect the student’s future.

# data[].attributes.body
Peter is not treated the same as his classmates. His teacher seems to think that because he’s Asian, he doesn’t need the same amount of help with his schoolwork, and therefore doesn’t stop by to help him during the school day. However, Peter is actually having a lot of trouble in school. Every time he gets the courage to tell his teacher he’s having trouble, she brushes him off. When he does badly on tests, she tells him that she knows he isn’t trying his best, even if he is. It’s incredibly demoralizing, and Peter is starting to give up on school altogether.

Peter’s situation is improved when he’s moved to a different classroom at his parent’s request. His new teacher pays attention to him and has noticed that he struggles in a lot of areas. She makes sure to help him in the ways he needs to be helped. Peter feels a lot better about school, and about himself.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
State of the Science: Implicit Bias in Education 2018-2020 | Kirwan Institute

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Over the past 10 years, the Kirwan Institute has explored developments in implicit bias research in education. Schools are oftentimes believed to have the power in promoting more positive racial attitudes and allowing all to partake equitably in society (e.g., Banks et al., 2006). However, teachers and school administrators who are entrusted with fulfilling this capacity, are themselves immersed in a social environment where implicit racial biases are pervasive (Nosek et al., 2007; Gullo & Beachum, 2020). For this multi-year State of the Science report, we examined 33 articles published between 2018-2020 that interrogated the role of implicit racial bias in education