Monday, December 27, 2010

New Diversity Research From Child Psychology: Diversity More Than Doubles Learning

Toddlers who were given three different-looking cups demonstrated they have a better sense of what a cup is, and showed an advantage in learning new words over children who were given cups that were nearly identical. (Credit: iStockphoto)

U. IOWA (US) — Toddlers who play with a broad array of objects named by shape learn new words twice as fast as those who play with similar objects.


Outside a laboratory setting, one month after training, children in a new study who had been exposed to a diverse group of objects were learning an average of nearly 10 new words per week. Toddlers in a group that were given like objects were picking up four a week—typical for children that age without any special training.

The study is published in the journal Psychological Science.

Researchers aren’t sure how long the accelerated learning continues, but say they can explain why it may have occurred.

All of the children given extra training with words figured out that shape was the most important distinguishing feature when learning to name solid objects. This attention to shape, called a “shape bias,” is not typically seen until later in development.

However, the researchers believe that kids exposed to more variety took the knowledge a step further, also learning when not to attend to shape.

Children in the variable group learned, for example, to focus on material rather than shape when hearing names for non-solid substances.

“Knowing where to direct their attention helps them learn words more quickly overall,” explains Lynn Perry, a doctoral student in psychology at the University of Iowa and lead author of the study.

“The shape bias enhances vocabulary development because most of the words young kids learn early on are names of categories organized by similarity in shape. And, developing the ability to disregard shape for non-solids helps them learn words like pudding, Jell-O, or milk.”

The study included 16 children who knew about 17 object names when the study began. Half of the kids were taught names of objects by playing with groups of toys that were nearly identical; the other half used toys that differed significantly – for example, a small, cloth, jack-o-lantern bucket; a trash bucket with no handle; and a traditional plastic bucket.

When tested on unfamiliar objects that fit into the categories they’d been taught—such as a bucket they’d never seen before—kids in the variable group performed better, demonstrating an ability to generalize the knowledge.

“We believe the variable training gave them a better idea of what a bucket was. They discovered that the buckets were all alike in general shape, but that having a handle or being a particular texture didn’t matter,” Perry says.

“In contrast, the children exposed to a tightly organized group of objects developed such strict criteria for what constitutes a bucket that they were reluctant to call it a bucket if it was different from what they’d learned.”

In additional tests, researchers looked at whether the tots learned names of new objects by focusing on substance or shape. The variable group tuned into shape for solids but material for non-solids, a distinction children aren’t typically capable of making until the age of 3, when their vocabulary reaches 150 nouns.

Further investigation is necessary to pinpoint exactly why the variable group had more success in this area, but the researchers say their study is the first to show that variability at the local level can help children learn something more global about the importance of particular object features for different categories of things.

“What children learn about one category sets the stage for their future learning,” says Larissa Samuelson, assistant professor of psychology.

“Similar exemplars help children learn specific names for specific objects. But variable exemplars teach them more about the whole category, which helps them learn names of other new things faster.

“That’s why kids in the variable group learned more outside the lab—they learned more about naming in general, not just specific examples of the specific categories they’d seen in the lab.”

The study was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

More news from University of Iowa: http://news.uiowa.edu/
* * *

This study was reported in today's issues of Profit From Diversity. Subscribe For FREE -- http://paper.li/f-1293349866

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Culture Shock; Learning the Culture of a New Office

Changing to a new culture -- for new employee -- can have its moments. Writing on Career Strategies for the Wall Street Journal, Reporter ERIN WHITE gives this account:

For six months after starting a new job a few years ago, project-management executive Lyria Charles didn't check her email over the weekend. Finally, a colleague explained that employees were expected to read email over the weekend. "I didn't know," she says. "No one told me."

Learning a workplace's customs can be a major challenge. Regardless of prior work experience, people often struggle to discern protocols, etiquette and culture when they change employers. "It's like going to a different country," says Michael Kanazawa, chief executive of Dissero Partners LLC, an Oakland, Calif., management-consulting firm. "There are cultural norms of behavior that go way beyond what anybody would have the capability to write in a job description."
One big issue: Tolerance for questioning the boss... (Continued) --

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Diversity Questions & Answers

Q. Is diversity training important for small businesses?

A. My answer may surprise you --

Many small business owners are not ready to handle the problems associated with cultural diversity in the workplace. If not prepared, a business may find themselves facing discrimination suits, litigation expenses, legal fees and settlements, high employee turnover, and negative community image.

Have you ever had an employee get angry with you because they felt discriminated against--even though that was not your intention? How did you respond? Were you able to diffuse the situation before it got out of control? Are you a woman business owner who takes male clients to lunch? Who pays the bill ? you or him? Do you travel abroad? What types of cultural differences do you need to be aware of? Are you prepared to deal with these situations?

If you are a business owner, you need to recognize, respect, and capitalize on the different backgrounds in our society. Different cultural groups have different values, styles, and personalities. This reflects in how businesses interact. Having a diverse workplace will improve your company?s competitive edge in the marketplace.

Diversity, or sensitivity training is very common among large corporations now. While many small business owners cannot afford this training, it is still important to put this into practice when dealing with your employees. Many companies use different techniques for sensitivity training.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Diversity Briefings Merged Into Diversity News Online

Dear Reader:

Thank you for being a supporter and reader of Diversity Briefings. We have good news that will help you keep up with what's happening in the area of DIVERSITY. This newletter has merged into a daily online newspaper that will bring you more short briefs of diversity news everyday. Please take time now to visit Diversity News Online and be sure to subscribe to keep the diversity and multicultural news streaming to you every morning.

Thank you for being a Briefings supporter. I hope this change will be a boost to you. Remember -- now you have two online publications: Diversity Briefings (this blog) and Diversity News Online (daily, short "briefs" of diversity news).

Sincerely,

Susan Klopfer, publisher

Visit Diversity News Online here -- http://diversitynewsonline/

Monday, December 6, 2010

Diversity Briefings Newsletter, Today's Online Edition

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 12/6/2010
Volume 1, Issue 23. Published Each Monday - Friday

Welcome back to Diversity Briefings. I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading!

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

P.S. FREE GIFT inside today's issue! Remember, You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here

Enter your email address:




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Editor of Vogue's Italian edition celebrates black and brown women and fat ones, too Washingtonpost.com - MILAN - Franca Sozzani, the editor of Vogue Italia, has taken the lead on one of the most fraught topics in her industry: diversity. She did so in reaction to runways that, in the past few years, h...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/23/AR2010112306379.html?sid=ST2010112703372
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Poverty on the Rise in America
Newamericamedia.org - Final Call,News Report,Starla Muhammad, Posted: Dec 03, 2010 (FinalCall.com) - For millions of her citizens, the American dream seems elusive as more fall into poverty each year.While most statisti...
http://newamericamedia.org/2010/12/poverty-on-the-rise-in-america.php
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Measuring up multiculturalism: The yardsticks may differ
Deccanherald.com - China blocked UN sanctions on 3 Pak-based terrorists:WikiLeaks 103-year-old Brazilian architect composes samba music Artists make folding Taj Mahal replica in Gujarat Be prepared to us...
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/117822/measuring-up-multiculturalism-yardsticks-may.html

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First Muslim Pro Hockey Player Great For Teaching Diversity
Clintcora.com - First Muslim Pro Hockey Player Great For Teaching Diversity #nhl #muslim #islam #islamic #hockey #diversity — Since the NHL hockey team Toronto Maple Leafs needed help in a big way, they called u...
http://www.clintcora.com/blog/?p=3831

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Companies question value of diversity training
Boston.com - Corporate diversity training has taken a beating in recent years.First, research surfaced that suggests that it doesn’t help much. Then, other studies began questioning whether it actually hurts. A...
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/brookline/articles/2010/12/05/companies_question_value_of_diversity_training/


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Companies Must Manage the ‘ISMs’ When Working With Diversity

Susan Klopfer writes

-- “We have some great new and positive ideas for restructuring our sales workforce, ultimately helping our entire company to get through this recession. But there is so much resistance to diversity that I can’t implement all of our plans and I am coming to you for some help. How do I encourage our sales division to make these changes?”
--Sales Vice President, Rema, describes her dilemma to members of her company’s special change management team during their weekly meeting at WXYZ Company.
--“Diversity is always a tough area of change,” says Pete, a team member who initiated its organization five years earlier. Pete had taken diversity management classes in college, becoming a devout follower of diversity gurus R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. and William Sonnenschein. He persuaded his company’s CEO to organize this group that advises other managers as they implement change throughout the organization. “We call this time of most resistance during any change project as being in the Delta,” he explains to Rema.
--“We know you’ve worked hard to get everyone behind the sales restructuring project, and it was especially critical that you considered the diversity component in these changes,” another group member, Marilyn, joins in.
--“But I am not surprised that you are encountering serious resistance from line managers, employees, and even senior managers. Resistance typically rises from many sources.”

Continued --
http://diversitythoughts.blogspot.com/p/companies-must-manage-isms-when-working.html
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Feel free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.

## End ##
Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration, lgbt, racism, discrimination, new civil rights movement, civil rights, feminist, latinos, Native Americans, hostile workplace, harassment

Friday, December 3, 2010

Diversity Briefings Daily Newsletter - Today's Edition

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 12/3/2010
Volume 1, Issue 22. Published Each Monday - Friday

Welcome back to Diversity Briefings.
I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading!

P.S. FREE GIFT inside today's issue! Remember, You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here -

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

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Same-Sex Partner of Missouri Cop Killed on Duty Gets No Survivor Benefits
Reported by gayrights.change.org - Missouri residents Kelly Glossip and Dennis Engelhard were together for 15 years, building a life together, owning a home together, raising a child together, even exchanging rings with each other.

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Call for Participants in a Study of Poverty in Ethnocultural Communities in Toronto and GTA  
From cleonet.ca - Call for Participants in a Study of Poverty in Ethnocultural Communities in Toronto and GTAPosted December 1, 2010From a Canada Without Poverty invitation: Canada Without Poverty [CWP] is launching...
http://paper.li/sklopfer/1290499511

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Children and Diversity Reported by hubpages.com - Ever thought of children and diversity training? This has not crossed most parents’ minds, but in an effort to create “glocal” children (local and global) this type of training has its benefits.
http://paper.li/sklopfer/1290499511/~list?topic=Education

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Diversity top on law agenda
From totalprofessions.com - The legal profession is often perceived as stuffy and almost entirely white, middle class and male. However both the Law Society and the Legal Services Board are making efforts to find out more abo...
http://paper.li/sklopfer/1290499511/~list?topic=Education

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Apple removes anti-gay app from App Store

Reports news.cnet.com - Apple has removed an iPhone app considered anti-gay following a wave of protests sent through the online petition site Change.org. Initially approved and available in the App Store in October, the ...

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Companies Must Manage the ‘ISMs’ When Working With Diversity

Susan Klopfer writes

-- “We have some great new and positive ideas for restructuring our sales workforce, ultimately helping our entire company to get through this recession. But there is so much resistance to diversity that I can’t implement all of our plans and I am coming to you for some help. How do I encourage our sales division to make these changes?”
--Sales Vice President, Rema, describes her dilemma to members of her company’s special change management team during their weekly meeting at WXYZ Company.
--“Diversity is always a tough area of change,” says Pete, a team member who initiated its organization five years earlier. Pete had taken diversity management classes in college, becoming a devout follower of diversity gurus R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. and William Sonnenschein. He persuaded his company’s CEO to organize this group that advises other managers as they implement change throughout the organization. “We call this time of most resistance during any change project as being in the Delta,” he explains to Rema.
--“We know you’ve worked hard to get everyone behind the sales restructuring project, and it was especially critical that you considered the diversity component in these changes,” another group member, Marilyn, joins in.
--“But I am not surprised that you are encountering serious resistance from line managers, employees, and even senior managers. Resistance typically rises from many sources.”

Continued --

/////
Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.

## End ##

Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration, lgbt, racism, discrimination, new civil rights movement, civil rights, feminist, latinos, Native Americans, hostile workplace, harassment

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Diversity Briefings Newsletter; November 23, 2010

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/23/2010
Volume 1, Issue 21. Published Each Monday - Friday

Welcome back to Diversity Briefings. Please note, there will be no published issues from Nov. 24 - Nov. 30. Next issue will be published Dec. 1. Have a wonderful holiday. Susan

I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading!
Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

P.S. FREE GIFT inside today's issue! Remember, You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here
Enter your email address:




Delivered by FeedBurner
/////
Wake up to your power
Rupert Nacoste, guest columnist for Technician Online: “I started working on diversity issues in the U.S. Navy in 1974. Back then diversity was all about black-white relations. But diversity in black and white is dead. Neo-diversity is what we live with today; a time and circumstance when for all of us, contact with people who do not look like us happens every day, and is unavoidable. Many people are having trouble adjusting to our neo-diversity America. Not so much because of prejudice and bigotry, but because of uncertainty and anxiety about how to interact.”
http://www.technicianonline.com/viewpoint/wake-up-to-your-power-1.2414892
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Diversity Student Council looks into starting "Power of Words" campaign
Kylie Corbett, reporting for The Lariat: Saddleback College's Diversity Student Council is currently looking into ideas for future events and campaigns. The promotion of awareness of social equality issues surrounding LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people has greatly influenced DSC's interest in starting a Power of Words campaign. DSC will soon be purchasing a banner and flag due to the increasing numbers of suicides as the result of peer bullying. The banner and flag will encompass the idea of equality. This campaign will emphasize the use of better words and the importance of accepting one another.
http://www.lariatnews.com/life/diversity-student-council-looks-into-starting-power-of-words-campaign-1.2414460
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Sandra Ciseneros Lectures at UCSB
Co-sponsor Mario Garcia, professor of Chicano Studies here at UCSB, discussed why he specifically wanted Cisneros to lecture on campus.“She is without question the finest Latina writer in the country and I wanted to expose my students to her. I am using her book House on Mango Street in my class so I wanted to put a face to the book.”
http://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/2010/11/sandra-ciseneros-lectures-at-ucsb
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Lynchburg schools under review for civil rights compliance; U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights is conducting the review.
Karen Kiley reporting for WDBJ7: The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) usually investigates complaints of civil rights violations in schools. It gets about 6,900 of those a year, nationwide, and investigates about one-third of those complaints. But now, D.O.E. officials say the OCR is trying to be proactive and is doing "random" compliance checks of school systems. Nearly two dozen of these types of investigations are currently underway, nationwide.
http://www.wdbj7.com/news/wdbj-lynchburg-schools-under-review-112210,0,5037255.story
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Travelers Share Tales of Airport Security-Induced Humiliation
Sandra Quinlan reporting for Justice News Flash: West Palm Beach, FL—Two travelers claimed they were humiliated while undergoing enhanced pat-downs by Transportation Safety Administration agents on two separate occasions in the last few months. The incidents, both of which involved cancer survivors, occurred at airports in Michigan and North Carolina.
http://www.justicenewsflash.com/2010/11/23/travelers-airport-security-induced-humiliation_201011236239.html

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FREE GIFT http://www.quoteactions.com/a/profile/841

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Companies Must Manage the ‘ISMs’ When Working With Diversity
Susan Klopfer writes
-- “We have some great new and positive ideas for restructuring our sales workforce, ultimately helping our entire company to get through this recession. But there is so much resistance to diversity that I can’t implement all of our plans and I am coming to you for some help. How do I encourage our sales division to make these changes?”

--Sales Vice President, Rema, describes her dilemma to members of her company’s special change management team during their weekly meeting at WXYZ Company.

--“Diversity is always a tough area of change,” says Pete, a team member who initiated its organization five years earlier. Pete had taken diversity management classes in college, becoming a devout follower of diversity gurus R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. and William Sonnenschein. He persuaded his company’s CEO to organize this group that advises other managers as they implement change throughout the organization. “We call this time of most resistance during any change project as being in the Delta,” he explains to Rema.

--“We know you’ve worked hard to get everyone behind the sales restructuring project, and it was especially critical that you considered the diversity component in these changes,” another group member, Marilyn, joins in.

--“But I am not surprised that you are encountering serious resistance from line managers, employees, and even senior managers. Resistance typically rises from many sources.”

Continued --

http://diversitythoughts.blogspot.com/p/companies-must-manage-isms-when-working.html
/////

Find still more Diversity News each day at Diversity News Online http://diversitynewsonline. Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.

## End ##

Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration, lgbt, racism, discrimination, new civil rights movement, civil rights, feminist, latinos, Native Americans, hostile workplace, harassment

Monday, November 22, 2010

Diversity Briefings Newsletter, November 22, 2010

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/22/2010
Volume 1, Issue 20. Published Each Monday - Friday
Welcome back to Diversity Briefings.
I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading!

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

P.S. FREE GIFT inside today's issue! Remember, You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here

Enter your email address:



Delivered by FeedBurner
----- ----- ----- -----
GINA: It's More Than Just a Pretty Name
From Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLP: The employment-related provisions (Title II) of the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2008 took effect November 21, 2009. Although the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces the GINA, issued proposed regulations in March 2009, the final regulations were issued only last week. They will take effect January 10, 2011.The GINA appears eminently reasonable on its face, but it is riddled with traps and technicalities that could create problems for inattentive employers. In general, “GINA prohibits use of genetic information in employment decision making, restricts acquisition of genetic information, requires that genetic information be maintained as a confidential medical record, and places strict limits on disclosure of genetic information.” Although this sounds unremarkable, an individual’s family history is considered “genetic information.” Thus, an essential part of most medical examinations is generally off-limits.
http://www.constangy.com/communications-308.html
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EEOC poised to help older workers fight hiring bias
From Marcia Meercer, InsideNova.com: The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission seems poised to fight age bias in hiring. That’s good news for workers older than 55, who have more trouble recovering from job losses than younger folks. Unemployment for people 55 and older soared from 3 percent in November 2007 to 7.3 percent in August. While 7.3 percent may not sound bad when the national unemployment rate is stuck near 10 percent, the past 22 months have been the longest spell of high unemployment older workers as a group have experienced in 60 years.
http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2010/nov/21/mercer-eeoc-poised-help-older-workers-fight-hiring-ar-666516/
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Lilly Ledbetter's fight for equal pay goes on
Reports Roy L Williams, The Birmingham News: For Lilly Ledbetter, last week was a sign that her battle for equal pay is not over. On Wednesday, the Alabama native and namesake of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was in Washington as the U.S. Senate debated the Paycheck Fairness Act. The Paycheck Fairness Act, which had already passed the U.S. House, would ensure that women aren't retaliated against for seeking information about what their male co-workers earn to ensure they are being paid properly.
http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2010/nov/21/mercer-eeoc-poised-help-older-workers-fight-hiring-ar-666516/
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Workers with hygiene issues need to be told
Reports Joyce E.A. Russell, The Washington Post: Obviously, personal hygiene is important at work. Most people wouldn't go to a job interview without combing their hair or wearing clean clothes because they know that hiring decisions are heavily influenced by first impressions. Being clean and neat makes people feel more confident, especially in social situations, and those who aren't properly groomed run the risk of being ridiculed or ostracized… You do have to be sensitive to the fact that people from different backgrounds and cultures might have different norms for bathing, dress and hygiene. It is okay, though, to share the organization's norms, especially if working relationships with colleagues and clients are being affected.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/19/AR2010111906390.html
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Civil Rights Fast Continues in New York
Out In Jersey reports: On November 2, the LGBT Civil Rights Fast team of Alan Bounville and Iana Di Bona began a fast. They made a simple demand that in accordance with the successful passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (CRA), assuring full equality for all Americans, that it now include LGBTQ people by adding, “sexual orientation and gender identity. We have been sitting/standing/sleeping outside our senator’s office with one simple demand: please file the bill in Washington that adds “sexual orientation and gender identity" to the Civil Rights Act” says Alan Bounville.
http://www.outinjersey.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=998:civil-rights-fast-continues-in-new-york&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50
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Is Internet Access the Next Civil Rights Battle?
Urban Inside reports: Many of the country’s leading civil rights organizations are siding with the phone and cable companies in their bid to prevent federal regulations over their broadband, or high-speed, Internet services. At stake: whether to preserve “network neutrality” — the longstanding principle that all consumers can access whatever websites or applications they want on the Internet, at the same speed and without limitations imposed by Internet service providers. Clouding the issue, however, is that more than half a dozen of these groups are fighting accusations of being bought off by the telecom industry. Records of telecom contributions to minority interests reveal a minimum of nearly $2 billion in cash and in-kind support made in the past decade by the top three providers — AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast.
http://www.urbaninsite.com/?p=12597
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FREE GIFT http://www.quoteactions.com/a/profile/841
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Urban League supporters ponder the future of civil rights groups
Reports Robert L. Smith, The Plain Dealer: The Urban League of Greater Cleveland, which recently faced its own mortality, inspired a discussion Friday about the future of civil rights organizations and whether they can and should survive. A consensus quickly emerged that the need to address inequality remains great but that new strategies are required to pay for it.
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/11/urban_league_supporters_ponder.html
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Workplace diversity is key to success: Nasscom to IT Inc
From Bangladore, India DH News Service reports : Nasscom, on Monday, said diversity and inclusion have become key business strategies for IT companies, who no longer view gender inclusion as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Addressing the Nasscom summit, Senior Director Sucharita Eashwar said member companies today show a great deal of maturity in the way they define policies on diversity and equality at work place. Despite encouraging 40 per cent out of an estimated 400 million IT work force in the country being women, industry leaders agree that the net has to be cast wider across disability, language, geography, age and other barriers if the 10 million deficit in manpower were to be plugged.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/114988/workplace-diversity-key-success-nasscom.html
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Demographic shift will affect how news is covered and consumed
Diversity Inc. reports: According to an August 2008 report by the U.S. Census Bureau, groups currently categorized as racial/ethnic "minorities"—Blacks and Latinos, East Asians and South Asians—will account for a majority of the U.S. population by the year 2042. In 2008, nearly half (47 percent) of the nation's children under 5 years of age were listed as a minority, with 25 percent being Latino. By the fall of 2018—just nine years away—public high schools across the nation will have a majority of traditionally underrepresented students, says the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, a research group headquartered in Boulder, Colo. Some states already have a majority population that is not white: California, 70 percent; Texas, more than 60 percent; Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, 53 percent in each. Other states stand on the brink of the majority-minority change: Illinois, New York and North Carolina. This large demographic shift will affect everything, including how news is covered and consumed.
http://www.diversityinc.com/department/103/Diversity-News/
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Why are more Latinos heading for college?
Gail Zoppo of Diversity Inc. reports: Instead of trying to compete for jobs during the economic downturn, a record 2.6 million full-time freshmen enrolled in 6,100 institutions during the start of the recession (2007–2008), reports the Pew Research Center, with the percentage of Latino enrollment outpacing all other racial/ethnic groups. According to the just-released "Minorities and the Recession-Era College Enrollment Boom," the 6 percent enrollment spike was the largest increase in 40 years. And the majority of growth came from Latino and Black student enrollment: Between 2007 and 2008, Latino freshmen enrollment grew 15 percent and Black enrollment jumped 8 percent, compared with an increase of only 3 percent among white freshmen. What else did the study find?
http://diversityinc.com/article/7789/Why-Are-More-Latinos-Going-to-College/
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Companies Must Manage the ‘ISMs’ When Working With Diversity
Susan Klopfer writes
-- “We have some great new and positive ideas for restructuring our sales workforce, ultimately helping our entire company to get through this recession. But there is so much resistance to diversity that I can’t implement all of our plans and I am coming to you for some help. How do I encourage our sales division to make these changes?”
--Sales Vice President, Rema, describes her dilemma to members of her company’s special change management team during their weekly meeting at WXYZ Company.
--“Diversity is always a tough area of change,” says Pete, a team member who initiated its organization five years earlier. Pete had taken diversity management classes in college, becoming a devout follower of diversity gurus R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. and William Sonnenschein. He persuaded his company’s CEO to organize this group that advises other managers as they implement change throughout the organization. “We call this time of most resistance during any change project as being in the Delta,” he explains to Rema.
--“We know you’ve worked hard to get everyone behind the sales restructuring project, and it was especially critical that you considered the diversity component in these changes,” another group member, Marilyn, joins in.
--“But I am not surprised that you are encountering serious resistance from line managers, employees, and even senior managers. Resistance typically rises from many sources.”
Continued --
http://diversitythoughts.blogspot.com/p/companies-must-manage-isms-when-working.html
/////
Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.
/////
You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here
Enter your email address:



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Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration, lgbt, racism, discrimination, new civil rights movement, civil rights, feminist, latinos, Native Americans, hostile workplace, harassment

Friday, November 19, 2010

Diversity Briefings Newsletter, Nov. 19, 2010

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/19/2010
Volume 1, Issue 19. Published Each Monday - Friday
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Welcome back to Diversity Briefings.
I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading!

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

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Diversity speaker talks sexuality, racial profiling
The Kentucky Kernal reports: “I was falsely accused, arrested and sat in jail for 30 days only to have all the charges dropped because they didn’t have any evidence,” Jonathan Perry said. “I felt like my civil rights were being violated, and I’m still dealing with it two months later. It taught me to be more vigilant.”
--“It was the most traumatic experience of my entire life,” said Perry. “For law enforcement agencies to arrest people simply because they’re black — it has a profound impact on how I feel about people.”
http://kykernel.com/2010/11/17/diversity-speaker-talks-sexuality-racial-profiling/
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Other generations growing weary of Baby Boomers
USA Today reports: “Boomers have certainly sucked up a lot of cultural oxygen," says Leonard Steinhorn, 54, a communication professor at American University in Washington and author of The Greater Generation: In Defense of the Baby Boom Legacy. "They are outsized. They changed America in deep and profound ways," he says. "It's natural for other generations to think they didn't get their time in the sun." Other generations tend to roll their eyes at some perceived Baby Boomer traits.
http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/parenting-family/2010-11-18-boomerloathing18_CV_N.htm
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Air Products among 'Best Places to Work' for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees
Allentown Morning Call reports: Trexlertown gas-maker Air Products and several other companies with operations in the Lehigh Valley have been recognized as "Best Places to Work" from the Human Rights Campaign, a civil rights group advocating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. Air Products, the region's third-largest employer, is among 337 businesses that received top marks in the group's 9th annual survey, which analyzed and rated the work policies affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgencer workers at 618 of the country's largest businesses and law firms.
http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-allentown-air-products-rights-20101118,0,6869953.story
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Family farming as the backbone to ensure countries’ “food sovereignty”
From Merco Press: Representatives from Mercosur, Africa, China, India and multilateral organizations such as the United Nations [have] called for the right to “food sovereignty”, thus preventing the international corporations from taking control of the seeds’ market.
http://en.mercopress.com/2010/11/18/family-farming-as-the-backbone-to-ensure-countries-food-sovereignty?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily
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Phyliss Frye, who fought for transgender rights, is now a judge
From The Houston Chroncile: Thirty years ago, Phyliss Frye, a longtime activist for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender causes, could have been arrested for wearing women's clothing in the Houston City Council chamber.Frye, a transgender Houston attorney born as Phillip Frye, fought back tears earlier this week as the mayor appointed her to a municipal bench in the same room where she helped repeal Houston's "cross-dressing ordinance" in 1980."I almost started crying, because I remembered 31 years ago, in that very same chamber, I was subject to arrest," Frye said.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7300931.html
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Museum suspends expedition to meet uncontacted tribes in the Paraguayan Chaco
Merco Press reports: London's Natural History Museum has suspended a planned expedition to a remote region of Paraguay after protests that it might disturb one of the world's last uncontacted tribes. Campaigners had warned that the expedition to the Chaco region was likely to encounter the Ayoreo people. Contact might expose them to infectious diseases that could wipe them out.
http://en.mercopress.com/2010/11/19/museum-suspends-expedition-to-meet-uncontacted-tribes-in-the-paraguayan-chaco?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily
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Smokers need not apply: Is hiring ban trend of the future?
The Christian Science Monitor reports: Employers have confined smokers to designated areas, moved smoking areas outside buildings, and limited smoking breaks. Now, some companies are opting to push smokers out of the workplace altogether.That's the case with the Massachusetts Hospital Association (MHA), an employer of 45 that announced earlier this month it would no longer hire people who smoke.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2010/1117/Smokers-need-not-apply-Is-hiring-ban-trend-of-the-future
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Civil rights leader John Lewis to get presidential medal
From Reuters: Congressman John Lewis, a civil rights leader beaten unconscious by Alabama state troopers in 1965 during a march for voting rights, is to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.The medal, to be given early next year, is the country's highest civilian award and other honorees on President Barack Obama's list include former President George H. W. Bush, writer Maya Angelou, businessman Warren Buffet and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AH3J720101118
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What Can Bosses Do About Corporate Bullying?
MyFox Houston reports: How bad is corporate bullying? Recent statistics show one in three American workers are victims. Twenty percent of bullying crosses the line into harassment which then becomes illegal. Sixty percent of corporate bullies are men. They tend to bully males and females equally, however; studies show female bullies are more likely to target other females on the job.
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/business/101117-what-can-bosses-do-about-corporate-bullying
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Year of the Woman? Eight Jobs That Are Still Sexist
Newsweek reports: In March 1970, 46 NEWSWEEK employees became the first group of media women to sue for employment discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Time, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, and a number of other publications would follow. But 40 years later, how much has changed? We may have two female anchors on network television, but in print journalism, male bylines still outnumber female bylines by a rate of seven to one—despite women being the majority of journalism graduates since 1977.
http://education.newsweek.com/index.html
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The Discipline of Diversity
The Spec reports: In the olden days, universities were viewed as places where students learned to think. In large part, they did so through listening to a range of opinions and determining for themselves how they felt about any given issue.It appears that is, increasingly, no longer the case. It appears that, these days, if one disagrees with someone’s opinion, one simply shuts them down, makes them go away. And in doing so, one robs others of the opportunity to hear that divergent view.
http://www.thespec.com/opinion/article/276931--the-discipline-of-diversity
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2-star, USNA professor clash on diversity
Navy Times reports: A Naval Academy alumni event grew contentious Tuesday when a two-star admiral clashed with an academy professor on issues of diversity and admissions standards. Bruce Fleming, an English professor who has taught at the academy for 24 years, said affirmative action and the pursuit of a competitive Division I football team led to the “corruption of the morale of the Naval Academy,” in remarks as guest speaker to the Greater Washington Chapter of the Naval Academy Alumni Association.
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/11/navy-academy-diversity-111710w/
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Checking Out The Job Market – Diversity Checklist in Hand
Johanna and her academic advisor are talking about Johanna’s future. As the end of fall term approaches, the senior transgender accounting student, born as “John,” is starting to look for a good internship with a company that embraces diversity. “How can I really learn what a company really does, versus what a company says they do, with respect to diversity,” she asks her advisor.
--“Especially, when reality is that diversity hasn't really happened in most companies, and progress remains slow?”
--Johanna’s advisor understands her student’s apprehension, and adds her own perception, that by not developing a diverse workforce from the top down African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and Asian Americans are too often relegated to lower-skilled, lower-pay positions and are not able to fulfill their true potential. A poor economy has made this situation worse, she adds.
--“But some businesses are finally recognizing that diversity contributes to the bottom line in so many ways. They are finally understanding how diversity actually makes it easier to retain good employees or lower costs by developing skills in-house, and developing a reputation that helps attract new employees. This is especially important as the economy starts to recover and the demand for skilled labor slowly starts to increase,” the advisor states.
Susan Klopfer continues – http://diversitythoughts.blogspot.com/p/looking-for-diversity-friendly-whats.html
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Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.
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Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration, lgbt, racism, discrimination, new civil rights movement, civil rights, feminist, latinos, Native Americans, hostile workplace, harassment

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Diversity Briefings Newsletter, Nov. 18, 2010

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/18/2010
Volume 1, Issue 21. Published Each Monday - Friday
Welcome back to Diversity Briefings

Today's issue is really brief. My apologies. We will be back in full force tomorrow.

Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

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Justice Department Announces Settlement of Litigation with AMC Entertainment Inc.
The Justice Departent today announced a settlement agreement with AMC Entertainment Incl to resolve a lawsuit filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The suit challenged, among other things, the design of stadium-style movie theaters that fail to provide persons who use wheelchairs with comparable lines of sight to those of other moviegoers. AMC is the second largest movie theater chain in the country with about 5,300 screens. “Going to the movies is an archetypal American leisure activity,” said Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for civil rights. “We are pleased that AMC is taking steps to provide persons who use wheelchairs with access to the enhanced viewing experience of stadium-style theaters.”
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/November/10-crt-1319.html
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Suit says ethnic stereotypes in nursing textbook
(Reuters) - Do many African Americans tend to be high-keyed, animated, confrontational and interpersonal? Are men of Japanese heritage presumed incapable of managing their day-to-day affairs? Are Cubans particularly sexually attracted to the overweight? A former nursing professor at the University of Central Florida says she was fired in 2008 after refusing to use a textbook, "Guide to Culturally Competent Health Care" by Larry Purnell and Betty Paulanka, containing descriptions like these.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AH4OO20101118
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Senator pushes for vote on gender discrimination treaty
From Robert Koeni, St. Louis Beacon, Washington correspondent: When Linda Tarr-Whelan was President Jimmy Carter's White House assistant for women's issues in 1980, she and her 12-year-old daughter were thrilled when he signed an international pact called the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (called CEDAW). This year, that daughter celebrated her 42nd birthday, and Tarr-Whelan's 12-year-old granddaughter was assigned to write a school paper about why the U.S. Senate had never ratified the treaty, which affirms principles of human rights and equality for women -- even though 186 of 193 countries have done so.
http://www.stlbeacon.org/issues-politics/280-washington/106408-durbin-pushes-for-vote-on-gender-discrimination-treaty
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Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.
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Wednesday, November 17, 2010

DIVERSITY BRIEFINGS NEWSLETTER: Nov. 17, 2010

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/17/2010
Volume 1, Issue 20. Published Each Monday - Friday
Welcome back to Diversity Briefings
I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading!
Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher
P.S. This is a VERY brief issue today. Our apologies. We will be back in full form, tomorrow. sk

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12,000 American Muslims to Make Pilgrimage to Mecca (United States, Saudi Arabia)
Omar Sacirbey, for Religion News Service: Some 12,000 American Muslims are expected to join an estimated 2.5 million pilgrims in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca for the hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage that this year runs between Nov. 14 and 18. The number of pilgrims expected is about the same as in recent years, said Nail Al-Jubeir, a spokesman for the Saudi Arabian embassy in Washington, D.C., which limits pilgrims to making the pilgrimage no more than once every five years.Islam requires followers who are physically and financially capable to complete the hajj once in their lifetime.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/09/12000-american-muslims-to_n_781230.html
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Alameda County juries not reflective of community diversity, report finds
Paul T. Rosynsky, for The Oakland Tribune: Criminal defendants in Alameda County are being denied their right to be judged by a jury of their peers, a new study found, because the court system is failing to attract enough African-Americans and Latinos to its jury pool. An analysis of 11 criminal cases conducted in the last year found that, on average, blacks and Latinos each make up only 8 percent of a jury while the two racial groups constitute 18 percent and 12 percent, respectively, of the county's population. Meanwhile, the study conducted by the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, found that whites make up, on average, 54 percent of juries and Asians constitute 26 percent. Whites constitute 54 percent of the county's population while Asians make up 15 percent.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16629478?nclick_check=1
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Queen Bees are the Consequence, Not the Cause, of Workplace Sexism
Queen Bee is a term used in business psychology to refer to women in senior positions who boast about their own masculine attributes, whilst derogating their female subordinates and endorsing sexist stereotypes. According to articles in the popular press, the presence of Queen Bees is as much a cause of gender inequality at work as is the sexism shown by men. A new article by Belle Derks and her colleagues challenges this claim, arguing instead that sexist work-places are a breeding ground for Queen Bees - that the latter are a consequence, not a cause, of sexism at work. (Derks B, Ellemers N, van Laar C, and de Groot K (2010). The British journal of social psychology.)
http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2010/11/queen-bees-are-consequence-not-cause-of.html
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Workplace Violence Prevention: That Couldn’t Happen here?
Jennifer Brown Shaw and Geoffrey M. Hash for The Daily Recorder: Workplace violence incidents remain in the news. The headlines contain shocking accounts of attacks at workplaces of all sizes, in the public and private sectors. The industries involved range from academia to office environments, from government offices, to manufacturing settings. The locations vary from Connecticut to Texas; from Albuquerque to Baltimore. Perpetrators and victims alike come from all backgrounds, crossing gender, race, socio-economic, educational, professional and virtually all other lines. Yet, the headlines only scratch the surface because the news media typically report on only the most sensational issues, usually involving homicide and guns. In reality, the problem of workplace violence is bigger than we are led to believe by selective coverage.
http://shawvalenza.com/publications.php?id=287
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Shining a spotlight on gender bias in movies
Heidi Stevens, Tribune Newspapers: A new study that reveals family films often portray female characters as eye candy. The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, founded by the "Thelma and Louise" actress in 2004 to improve images of girls in television and films, recently commissioned a study that examined 122 top-grossing domestic family films rated G, PG and PG-13 from 2006 to 2009. The findings: Of 5,554 speaking characters studied, 71 percent were male, 29 percent female, and 24 percent of females were depicted in sexualized attire, as opposed to 4 percent of males.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-11-16/features/sc-fam-1116-movie-bias-20101116_1_gender-character-geena-davis-institute
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Senate looks at a bill to update the Equal Pay Act of 1963
From National Public Radio: The Senate will take up a bill making sure men and women receive the same pay for the same work. Some see it as a needed update to the Equal Pay Act of 1963, other think it will be a burden on businesses.
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/11/17/am-the-senate-looks-at-a-bill-to-update-the-equal-pay-act-of-196/
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Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration, lgbt, racism, discrimination, new civil rights movement, civil rights, feminist, latinos, Native Americans, hostile workplace, harassment





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Monday, November 15, 2010

Diversity Briefings Newsletter, Nov. 15, 2010

Welcome to Diversity Briefings: 11/15/2010
Volume 1, Issue 18. Published Each Monday - Friday
Today’s New Diversity Topics: Shirley Sherrod, Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr., Distinguished Dialogue Event - American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc. Reports on Cross-Generational Engagement in the Workplace - Group Alleges Discrimination Against Blind - Hate-crime Law Called Ineffective - Culture of Bullying: Loss of Civility at School, Work, Politics - Ernst & Young Leader Says Global Diversity Drives Revenue - Brief History of Multicultural Education  - Too Sensual For Promotion? - Even When Minorities Are At Their ‘Best,’ Another Set Of Rules Applies + Today's Diversity Management Briefing
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Welcome back to Diversity Briefings.
I hope you are enjoying each issue of this newsletter. Please feel free to resend this Diversity newsletter on to friends and colleagues. If you would like to subscribe to receive daily updates, the form for Diversity Briefings is below. Also, if you have some extra time, take a look at the new diversity glossary, upper left on this blog site. Take Care and Good Reading!
Susan Klopfer, editor and publisher

P.S. Free gift offer inside today's issue! Remember, You can subscribe to Diversity Briefings here
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Shirley Sherrod and Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr., Distinguished Dialogue Event
The American Institute for Managing Diversity Hosts an Evening Reception with Shirley Sherrod and Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr. on December 8, 2010. Emory University Law School,Tull Auditorium.
--Dr. Thomas writes: “During the 25 plus years I have been active in the diversity arena, many have asked, “How can we achieve a society with communities and organizations that move beyond race?” Shirley Sherrod’s story provides a case study of how one person got over her racial animosities and developed a capability to serve non-discriminately with respect to race. Yet, as her story has unfolded, relatively little attention has been paid to her reconciliation process.” Registration information at
http://www.aimd.org/index.php
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American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc. Reports on Cross-Generational Engagement in the Workplace
The demographics of organizations continue to change over the years due to the entrance of younger workers and delayed retirement of older workers. As a result, organizations must effectively manage the existence of four different generational groups with divergent work ethics, values, expectations and behaviors. AIMD has culled through an array of research and diversity literature to produce two user friendly reports on approaches and practices that help foster effective cross-generational engagement.
http://www.aimd.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=85
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Group Alleges Discrimination Against Blind
DUQ News reports: The National Federation of the Blind has filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education claiming that Penn State University discriminates against blind students and faculty. The advocacy group alleges that various university computer and technology based services and websites are inaccessible to the blind. The organization says there are text-to-speech programs and other tools to make the services accessible but Penn State has not used them.
http://wduqnews.blogspot.com/2010/11/group-alleges-discrimination-against.html
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Revised hate-crime law criticized as ineffective
Chron National reports: WASHINGTON — No one has been brought to trial or convicted under an amended federal hate crimes law in the year since it was expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity.The Department of Justice reports there are about 76 such cases pending across the country, a category that includes anything from an investigation to an indictment. Some gay and civil rights groups say the law has proved ineffective.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/7293936.html
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Culture of Bullying: Loss of Civility at School, Work, Politics
DiversityInc reports: "In today's America, incivility is on prominent display: in the schools, where bullying is pervasive; in the workplace, where an increasing number are more stressed out by coworkers than their jobs; on the roads, where road rage maims and kills; in politics, where strident intolerance takes the place of earnest dialogue; and on the web, where many check their inhibitions at the digital door," says Pier M. Forni, author of "The Civility Solution: What to Do When People are Rude" and director of The Civility Initiative at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
http://diversityinc.com/article/8105/The-Culture-of-Bullying-Loss-of-Civility-at-School-Work-Politics/
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Ernst & Young Leader Says Global Diversity Drives Revenue
“Cultures will change, but this can't be an exporting of an American culture, a British culture, or a French culture to anywhere else. This has to be an evolution of a culture on its own. I always say to our people around the world that if we are leading that cultural change within each geography, then we're doing the right thing. If we try to be too far out ahead of it, that's not going to work.” From an interview with Jim Turley, chairman and CEO of Ernst &Young, reported by DiversityInc.
http://diversityinc.com/article/8092/CEO-Chat-EYs-Leader-Tells-How-Global-Diversity-Drives-Revenue/
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A Brief History of Multicultural Education
Paul C. Gorski, Hamline University and EdChange writes: “As conceptualizations of multicultural education evolve and diversify, it is important to revisit its historical foundation -- the roots from which it sprang. What did the earliest forms of multicultural education look like and what social conditions gave rise to them? What educational traditions and philosophies provided the framework for the development of multicultural education? How has multicultural education changed since its earliest conceptualization? The answers to these questions provide an important contextual grounding for understanding the various models of multicultural education evolving today.”
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/edchange_history.html
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“Too Sensual For Promotion?” Fired Employee Claims Harassment, Sues
Former Devereux Foundation employee, Amy-Erin Blakely, is alleging she was fired because she complained she was being harassed when she reportedly was told she was "too sensual" for promotion. Blakely is now suing the company, saying that for the six years she worked there she felt harassed and humiliated. She also said she was reprimanded for filing an initial complaint after she was told that male colleagues were distracted in meetings because of her "large breasts." She said that it was when she complained for a second time that she was fired. Devereux Foundation says the lawsuit is "purposefully inflammatory," and does not "represent the truth about our organization." Read more:
http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/11/12/too-sensual-for-promotion-amy-erin-blakely-sues-employer-for-harassment/#ixzz15N4FaMZT
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Even When Minorities Are At Their ‘Best,’ Another Set Of Rules Applies
The idea of Black Faces in White Places isn't just a numbers game. It is "about pursuing greatness in ways that leverage your culture and ethnicity as assets, not as liabilities," the authors say. The conventional wisdom passed down that blacks must work twice as hard as their white counterparts isn't completely off the mark, they say. But these strategies aren't enough. Among the strategies they map out is No. 3: Demonstrate excellence. “This may sound obvious, but the challenge is that American society tells us that we will be rewarded for being our best, but sometimes when we are the best, another set of rules based on nepotism, cronyism, or some arbitrary criteria seems to apply. And the way it plays out can be subtle,” says business scholar Jeffrey Robinson.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/jobcenter/workplace/kay/2010-11-15-black-faces-in-white-places_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
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Managing Diversity: Success With Diversity, Globalization Means Cutting Through Communication Noise
"You're kidding me. I can't graduate unless I take a speech class? But my major is engineering." Sue isn't happy after learning about this added requirement. "It is going to cost me time and money - something I am almost out of since you keep increasing my class requirements and my tuition keeps going up," she complains to her academic advisor.
--"Is this speech class really necessary?" Like Sue, many students are not happy about taking a speech class, especially if they in an "unrelated" field. Besides time and money, fear can be another factor. (Who among us can say they were not scared stiff to give their first public speech?)
--Yet, with increased globalization and diversity, the need to learn as much as possible about communication and cross-cultural communication before taking a first job, and throughout one's professional career, is becoming more and more apparent.
--If Sue's academic counselor is at all communication savvy, she will point out three immediate reasons why a speech class is required for all students: first, communication is critical for functioning in society. Second, oral tradition is a keystone to the democratic process, and third, globalization and expanding information technologies making our world smaller, putting us in contact more and more with people who communicate differently than the members of the dominant U.S. culture. As these three reasons expand due to global economic change, there becomes even more need for people to be better communicators.
http://diversitythoughts.blogspot.com/p/muting-noise-in-cultural-and-cross.html
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Feel Free to pass this Diversity Briefings Newsletter on to your co-workers and others. Thank you for visiting the Diversity Briefings website. Please note that the information located on our site is general and not intended to provide specific legal advice. You should consult with an attorney and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific situation.
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Keywords: cultural diversity, manage and value diversity, diversity training, diversity education, workplace violence, workplace, employment, diversity, disability, inclusion, ethnic, racial, gender, multiculturalism, immigration, lgbt, racism, discrimination, new civil rights movement, civil rights, feminist, latinos, Native Americans, hostile workplace, harassment
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