Introduction to Categorization and Diversity Perceptions

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From the course by ESSEC Business School

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace

44 ratings

ESSEC Business School

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace

44 ratings

Diversity is a fact. It is also paradoxical. We need to be capable of seeing and hearing differences in order to reap the benefits of diversity. But seeing and hearing differences hone our discriminating reflexes and can also lead to discrimination. If you take this MOOC, you will: 1. understand this paradox, 2. understand its dynamics, and 3. identify ways to manage it, so that you can better channel the diversity potential in the workplace for greater performance and innovation.

From the lesson

Categorization and Diversity Perceptions

Now that you have a solid understanding of diversity and inclusion concepts, this second leg of the learning journey is all about you within an increasingly diversified social context. This module introduces you to how cognitive processes such as social categorization impact what we see and how we react to our social environment. It will help you understand your own and others' perceptions and reactions to difference. By the end of this module, you will have acquired conceptual tools and experiential data in order to analyse your reactions in social interactions in the workplace.

Introduction to Categorization and Diversity Perceptions2:46

Meet the Instructors

Junko Takagi
Teaching Professor
Management Department, Chair of Leadership & Diversity

[MUSIC]

Obviously, there is no correct answer to the story puzzle of the sergeant and

the son.

And you can see the variety of responses that are possible to the question,

who is the surgeon, from your different explanations.

We can say, however, that the response of least resistance, that is to say,

the simplest response, is the surgeon is the child's mother.

A surprising majority of us do not instinctively arrive at this conclusion.

Even though, for most of us, once it is explained, this response seems obvious.

Take me for example.

The first time I heard the story, didn't get it.

Five years later when I heard the story again, I knew there was a twist to it, but

didn't get it, okay.

So if you didn't think of the mother straight away, before you start kicking

yourself for not getting the right answer, or to justify your response based on, for

example, the biased presentation of the story, etc., etc.

I'd like you to take time out to consider the overall statistics

included in the supplementary materials to this module.

And think about why this might be the case.

In this particular case, the focus is on gender.

As we saw previously, gender, unlike some other diversity categories such as

disabilities or ethnicity, is a diversity category that is prevalent everywhere.

Since we encounter gender interactions in all aspects of our lives,

at home, at school, in the street, at work, everywhere.

Gender is also a diversity category which is not a minority category.

It is, however, a category where we observe significant differences in terms

of interaction patterns, communication styles, job opportunities,

renumeration, career patterns, and so on, between men and women.

These differences are related to the cognitive schemas that we have for men and

women, and the expectations attached to these cognitive schemas.

In this module, Categorization and Diversity Perceptions,

you will develop a conceptual understanding of cognitive processes that

determine our perceptions of difference and the construction of cognitive schemas.

The role of expectations on our attitudes and behaviors, and

the importance of developing an awareness of these processes to deal with cognitive

biases related to diversity.

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