Toward a civic culture for multicultural organizations

Article Abstract:

A workplaces become more demographically diverse, there is an increased need for an overarching civic culture that explicitly addresses relations and interactions among various identity groups within an organization. Despite differences in the level of analysis and the standpoints of organization versus subgroup, both the integration and differentiation perspectives on organizational culture are inadequate to address cultural conflicts associated with demographic diversity. Based on a literature review of works by philosophers, political scientists, and educators, the authors suggest that civic culture, which focuses on relational values such as equality and a respect for differences rather than on substantive values such as product quality and timeliness, is an appropriate framework for multicultural organizations. An empirical study found preliminary evidence that people in demographically diverse organizations are more likely to emphasize relational over substantive values and that values proposed for diverse organizations emphasize both differentiation and integration. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Corporate culture, Social groups

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Processual approaches to multicultural education

Article Abstract:

Although "multicultural education" has been implemented in school districts across the country for more than two decades, these approaches generally have relegated notions of "culture" to observable surface markers of folklore, food, and holidays. Practitioners have been in-serviced with new sets of stereotypes that assume that all members of a particular group share a normative and an integrated view of their own culture. Processual approaches to culture that take into account ambiguity and multiple perspectives can reorient educators to consider the everyday lived experiences of their students. The households from which students emerge are intersected by multiply mediated constructs that can belie a harmonious and homogenous set of shared cultural forms. Data from an educational project that exposes practitioners to alternative views of cultural processes are presented and analyzed in terms of classroom practice. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Social policy, Schools, Intercultural education, Multicultural education

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An anthropological approach to multicultural diversity training

Article Abstract:

This article describes an anthropological training process for fostering multicultural diversity competence. Multicultural diversity competence refers to the ability to demonstrate respect and understanding, to communicate effectively, and to work collaboratively with people of diverse cultural backgrounds. Based on principles of anthropological fieldwork, the training process is multilevel. It is designed to address personal and interpersonal knowledge and skills, and organization-wide policies and procedures. Participants become aware of the multidimensions of current diversity problems and of the need for interpersonal and organizational intervention strategies. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Research, Employee training

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