Title: RRA Overview Training
1DEEDWorkForce CenterReception and Resource
Area Certification Program
Module 2 Unit 3 a Population Awareness I
2Unit Competency Statement and Learning
Objectives
- Competency Statement
- Understand how perceptions influence thinking
and know essential principles of cultural
awareness on a basic level. - Learning Objectives
- Perceptions
- Cultural awareness
3Learning Objectives
- Perceptions
- What is it?
- Stereotyping
- Cultural Awareness
- Cultural competence
- Cultural KASs
4perceptions
5Discussion Point
- Have you ever tried to get people to stereotype
you, either positively or negatively?
6Perceptions
The dictionary defines perception as 1 a to
attain awareness or understanding of and b to
regard as being such. For example, a perceived
personal threat or (he was) perceived as a
loser.2 to become aware of (something or
someone) through the senses. Our awareness and
understanding of situations or groups of people
are not always accurate, which, in turn, skews
our perceptions of them.
Perceptions stem from individual cultures, media
and personal experiences through which
individual biases and stereotypes are created
both positive or negative.
7Biases
- A bias is an inflexible positive or negative
prejudgment about an individual and is based on
a generalized idea about the groups to which the
person belongs. - There are two types of biases that direct our
behaviors toward others - Conscious bias followed by conscious behavior.
- Unconscious bias followed by unconscious
behavior.
People should not be defined by biases,
stereotypes or external factors, but rather by
their personal characteristics.
8Letting go of Biases
- To uncover our personal biases, we must first
analyze our thoughts are they based on
misinformation or just differences? - Changing our thought process and letting go of
our biases, require us to find similarities with
people different from ourselves and ways to
connect with them. - Exercise List some similarities we all share.
- _________________ __________________
- _________________ __________________
- _________________ __________________
- _________________ ____________________
9Cultural Awareness
10American Culture
- Different periods defined the American culture
- Melting Pot
- Foreigners were expected to fit into the new
world the idea was that individual cultures
would eventually melt into one. - Mosaic Society/Salad bowl
- Cultural differences are valued.
- Multicultural
- The American culture has grown into a
multi-culture and is no longer distinct.
11Cultural KSAs
- K Cultural Knowledge
- Familiarity with the characteristics, history,
values, belief systems, and behaviors of members
of a racial, ethnic or social group. - S Cultural Sensitivity
- Being sensitive to cultural differences as well
as similarities and not assigning values, i.e.,
better or worse, right or wrong, to those
cultural differences. - A Cultural Awareness
- Being aware that members belonging to a racial,
ethnic or social groups possess unique qualities,
differences and similarities from other such
groups.
12Culture Competence Defined
- Culture implies that a group of people share
similar characteristics of the same racial,
ethnic or social group and integrated patterns
of social behaviors, thoughts, communications,
actions, customs, beliefs and values. - Competence implies
- To effectively apply cross-cultural knowledge of
racial, ethnic or social groups in the
appropriate cultural context. - Cultural Competence
- Possessing knowledge, awareness and sensitivity
of people who are members of other cultures and
having the capacity to effectively function
within them.
13Discussion Point
- What do you do at your WFC that promotes cultural
competence?
14PerceptionsKey Points
- Perceptions stem from individual cultures, media
and personal experiences through which biases or
stereotypes of others are created both positive
or negative. - Because our thought processes are not always
accurate, our perceptions of people and
situations can be skewed. - Biases are based on generalized ideas and
perceptions of people belonging to a particular
group. - Stereotypes do not define people, but rather
their personal characteristics should.
15Cultural AwarenessKey Points
- The American culture has evolved from a melting
pot to a mosaic or salad bowl to a multiculture. - Being culturally competent is having the capacity
to function effectively in other cultural
contexts. - Cultural KSAs are knowledge, sensitivity and
awareness of different cultures and ethnic
groups.
16Sources
- Perception." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.
2010.Merriam-Webster Online. 22 April
2010http//www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/per
ception - Mark A. King, Anthony Sims, David Osher.
Defining Cultural Competence. Retrieved
January 2010 from http//cecp.air.org/cultural/Q_i
ntegrated.htmde - Sondra Thiederman. Making Diversity Work 7
Steps to Defeating Bias in the Workplace.
Kaplan Publishing, Second Edition, May 2008. - Patreese D. Ingram. An Overview of Diversity
Awareness. 2001. Retrieved December 2009 from
http//www.collegesuccess1.com/Documents/ui362.pdf
- Tony Byers Associates. Experiencing the Power
of Diversity. The City of Minneapolis
Employee Conference, March 2006.
17This completes training for Module 2, Unit
3a. Learning Objective 1 Perceptions Learning
Objective 2 Cultural Awareness