Twentieth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

We know how challenging it can be to convey to students the realities of oppression and injustice associated with social identity (ethnicity, indigenous, sexual orientation, disability, etc.). Often we emphasize expository readings covering data and theory. Yet research shows that this approach has limited utility for motivating empathy and critical thinking, essential to this realm of the human experience. Drawing on a long-standing research and pedagogical grounding by educators, social psychologists, and others, I demonstrate the power of a curricular framework using global literature to engage in the exploration of diversity and justice. Through literature, according to Louise Rosenblatt, in Literature as Exploration, we share vicariously in people’s lives. I illustrate from my own teaching how to implement key elements of this curriculum, including free choice reading, a combination of genres, and reflection. First, because literature must strike some responsive chord in the individual reader, students are given a choice of books from which to pick. Second, books from a range of genres are used: narrative non-fiction such as memoirs, fiction, and social analyses by activists who offer their visions for social change. Finally, students are given opportunities to reflect on what they’ve read. Although we are exposed to the world, “knowledge depends upon the living relationship between what we see going on and ourselves.” As a deeply personal transaction between the reader—their concerns, emotions, and insights—and the text, that experience can be provided through literature. I will share my 150+ contemporary book list with session participants.