Diversity Consciousness: Opening Our Minds to People, Cultures, and Opportunities - Softcover

"It [Diversity Consciousness] is an extremely important topic that needs to be understood by all students in this rapidly shrinking world of global, rather than local, problems and opportunities."- Jim Cebulski, University of South Florida "This textbook will stimulate critical thinking in and out of the classroom."- Janice Pressey, Baltimore City Community College "College Students must know and understand diversity in order to value it and to develop a diversity consciousness which allows them to negotiate their way through personal, college, and workplace communities. I believe students will respond well to this [Diversity Consciousness] textbook overall...they will especially appreciate the student's voices represented in the text."- Kathleen C. York, Community College of Denver "Based upon my years of experience in business and as a college professor, Diversity Consciousness is a must read. Our world is becoming more diverse, not less. And how we view and appreciate diversity can put us on a path to enjoy a rich, rewarding life-or a life full of unnecessary difficulties and discomfort. Rich Bucher has written a book that sensitizes the reader to diversity issues and links the development of our diversity consciousness to our personal success. Diversity Consciousness uses a number of students stories that describe real life experiences with diversity issues. These stories set the stage for the reader to understand key diversity concepts. And they reinforce the importance for respecting and valuing diversity. Diversity Consciousness is clearly well researched. And Rich Bucher has written it in a thoughtful manner so the reader can not only grasp the range and depth of a wide range of diversity concepts but can also apply critical skills to address diversity issues we experience in everyday life. Read. Embrace. Use Diversity Consciousness. You will feel better off for doing so. I do."- Gary Izumo, Moorpark College

For undergraduate courses in Success/Orientation, Race and Ethnic Relations, Cultural Diversity in the Workplace (Business Management), Interpersonal Human Relations, and Allied Health/Human Services; also for teacher-training education courses, and staff/professional development workshops. This empowering study on human diversity helps students develop the ability to understand, respect, and value diversity-i.e., raise their "diversity consciousness"-and demonstrates how opening one's mind to the views of other peoples and cultures is central for a quality education and successful career. Personalizing the learning experience by weaving a wide variety of real-life student experiences and perspectives throughout the book, it discusses topics in a style that promotes self-reflection and dialogue, and uses an approach to diversity that is balanced, comprehensive, well-integrated, and relevant to students' goals in life. Complete with self-reflective journal questions and interactive exercises, it offers thorough and current discussions on diversity and workplace issues-what they are, their significance, and their relevance to the reader; discusses concepts such as teamwork, conflict management, leadership, racism, prejudice, and communication in a clear and concise fashion; and zeroes in on the relationship between an employee's success in the workplace and his/her ability to develop flexibility in their thinking so that he/she can positively and effectively deal with a variety of diversity issues.