What comes to mind when you think about racial tensions in the United States and the protests related to racial relations? Maybe you envision the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and Martin Luther King’s speech from the Lincoln Memorial. Or maybe you think about the Black Lives Matter protests and the many men and women of color who have died at the hands of police officers in the United States.
Recent protests have taken a very different turn. Parents and conservative activists in many areas of the U.S. are protesting the inclusion of issues related to race, gender, diversity, and equity in the school curriculum. Using the term “critical race theory” (which is actually a decades-old approach to examining issues from a perspective of institutional racism and is not standard curriculum in K-12 schools), the objections include any number of issues, but tend to focus on initiatives to counter racism and bias. Since January 2021, 37 states have introduced bills or taken other steps that would restrict teaching critical race theory or limit how teachers can discuss racism and sexism (Map…, 2020). Fourteen states have imposed these bans and restrictions either through legislation or other avenues. Given the pressure from parents, communities, and legislators, many school administrators and teachers are hesitant to take a stand in support of teaching about issues of diversity and equity. To a lesser extent, these protests have also been directed at colleges and universities in some states.
In light of the recent backlash against teaching about diversity, equity, and inclusion, it is worthwhile to reflect anew on the many benefits of having an inclusive curriculum. In contrast to the view that addressing topics such as privilege and systemic inequity is harmful, research shows that experience with these issues leads to positive changes in students’ attitudes and values (Gurin et al., 2002). An inclusive classroom also provides global academic benefits, such as improved critical thinking (Bowman, 2010) and higher overall achievement levels for both majority and minority group members (Elicker et al., 2009). In addition, when students have positive diversity experiences, their interest in improving the lives of people in their communities increases (Bowman, 2011).
An important goal in diversity education is helping students recognize their biases. Whether they are implicit or explicit, biases stem from reliance on common cognitive heuristics that help people navigate their complex social world. Thus, they are part of being human. Students may be troubled by this knowledge—few people like hearing that they might be prejudiced. This discomfort can be addressed by explaining that biases need not result in resentment or hate against outgroup members; more often they reflect instead a generalized preference for the ingroup that comes at the expense of the outgroup (Brewer, 2017). Moreover, teaching about how biases operate can open the door to educating students about ways to prevent acting on their biases (Casad et al., 2013). Interestingly, learning about personal biases may be especially helpful for people high in prejudice. For instance, Adams and colleagues (2014) asked students to complete the Implicit Association Test. They then completed teaching modules on conscious and unconscious bias. It turned out that the students who initially displayed the highest levels of bias later reported the greatest motivation to control their prejudice. Thus, when students are given the tools for understanding and addressing social justice inequities, their overall bias literacy, or their ability to detect their own and others’ prejudices, also increases (Monteith et al, 2019). Addressing these topics results in greater openness and understanding and increases students’ multicultural competence (Morris & Ashburn-Nardo, 2010).
Students do not always have experience discussing emotional issues. To help them manage difficult conversations, students need a safe classroom environment, with clearly established ground rules for discussion; ideally, students will have a voice in creating these rules (Goldstein, 2021). Both students and instructors also must be mindful of how privilege affects classroom dynamics. This awareness includes consideration of who is in the room and who has social power. It is essential that students from underrepresented groups have a voice (Warner et al., 2021). Instructors also need to consider their own level of multicultural competence and take steps to ensure that they are prepared to teach about complex emotional topics (Kite & Littleford, 2015). Teachers can also model how to find the right words for these situations and students can role play how to confront prejudice (Plous, 2000). Effective tactics include questioning (“Are you saying low-income people do not deserve quality healthcare?”), offering a direct challenge (“Actually, evidence suggests that White workers are favored in the job interview process.”), or expressing surprise (“Do you really believe that?”) (Monteith et al., 2019).
Positive outcomes, such as those described here, are reflected in APA’s emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion as a cornerstone of the organization’s strategic plan (APA, 2019). Ethical and social responsibility in a diverse world is also a major goal for the undergraduate major (APA, 2013). As instructors navigate the waters of today’s cultural climate, we hope they can find a way to help our students realize the benefits of diversity education, some of which we describe here.
Adams, V. H., Devos, T., Rivera, L. M., Smith, H., & Vega, L. A. (2014). Teaching about implicit prejudices and stereotypes: A pedagogical demonstration. Teaching of Psychology, 41, 204-212.
American Psychological Association (2019). Impact: American Psychological Association Strategic Plan. https://www.apa.org/about/apa/strategic-plan/impact-apa-strategic-plan.pdf).
American Psychological Association. (2013). APA Guidelines for the undergraduate major: Version 2.0. https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/about/psymajor-guidelines.pdf
Bowman, N. A. (2010). College diversity experiences and cognitive development: A meta-
analysis. Review of Educational Research, 80, 4-33. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654309352495
Bowman, N. A. (2011). Promoting participation in a diversity democracy: A meta-analysis of college diversity experiences and civic engagement. Review of Educational Research, 81, 29-68. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654310383047
Brewer, M. B. (2017). Ingroup discrimination: Ingroup love or outgroup hate? In F. K. Barlow & C. G. Sibley (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of the psychology of prejudice (pp. 90-110). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316161579.005
Casad, B. J., Flores, A. J., & Didway, J. D. (2013). Using the Implicit Association Test as an unconsciousness raising tool in psychology. Teaching of Psychology, 40, 118-123. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628312475031
Elicker, J. D., Snell, A. F., & O'Malley, A. L. (2009). Do student perceptions of diversity emphasis relate to perceived learning of psychology? Teaching of Psychology, 37, 36-40. https://doi.org/10.1080/00986280903425706
Goldstein, S. (2021). Ground rules for discussing diversity: Complex considerations. In Kite, M. E., Case, K. A., & Williams, W. R. (Eds.). Navigating difficult moments in teaching diversity and social justice (pp. 17-29). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000216-002
Gurin, P., Dey, E. L., Hurtado, S., & Gurin, G. (2002). Diversity and higher education: Theory and impact on educational outcomes. Harvard Educational Review, 72, 330-366. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.72.3.01151786u134n051
Kite, M. E., & Littleford, L. N. (2015). Teaching about diversity across the undergraduate psychology curriculum. In D. S. Dunn (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of undergraduate psychology education (pp. 129-141). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199933815.013.012
Monteith, J. J., Burns, M. D., & Hildebrand, L. K. (2019). Navigating successful confrontations: What should I say and how should I say it? In R. Mallet & M. J. Monteith (Eds.). Confronting prejudice and discrimination: The science of changing minds and behaviors (pp. 225-247). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-814715-3.00006-0
Morris, K. A., & Ashburn-Nardo, L. (2010). The Implicit Association Test as a class assignment: Student affective and attitudinal reactions. Teaching of Psychology, 37, 63-68. https://doi.org/10.1080/00986280903426019
Plous, S. (2000). Responding to overt displays of prejudice: A role-playing exercise. Teaching of Psychology, 27(3), 198-200. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15328023TOP2703_07
Warner, L. R., Wagner, L. S., & Grzanka, P. (2021). White privilege in the classroom. In Kite, M. E., Case, K. A., & Williams, W. R. (Eds.), Navigating difficult moments in teaching diversity and social justice (pp. 151-163). American Psychological Association.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0000216-011
Mary Kite, PhD, is Professor of Social Psychology at Ball State University. Her leadership roles include Past-President of The Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP, APA Division 2) and Past-President of the Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA). A Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, MPA, and APA Divisions 2, 8, 9, 35, & 44, she maintains an active research program in the area of stereotyping and prejudice. Her co-authored books include The Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination and Principles of Research in Behavioral Science. She recently co-edited Navigating Difficult Moments in Teaching Diversity and Social Justice. Mary received the Charles L. Brewer Award for Distinguished Teaching in Psychology in 2014 and a Presidential Citation from STP in 2011. She maintains the award-winning website www.breakingprejudice.org which focuses on diversity teaching resources.
Patricia Clark, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies at Ball State University. Her teaching focus is in teacher education at the early childhood and elementary grade levels, with an emphasis on diversity issues in classrooms and schools. She has directed numerous study abroad programs to further students’ exposure to diverse cultures and educational systems. She also co-founded a nationally recognized community-engaged teacher preparation program, which emphasizes the need for future teachers to understand the cultural wealth of the communities in which they work in order to promote an equitable education for all.
