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Show page 18 lessons, Spring/Summer 2002 "I tell my students I'm less interested in them agreeing with my ideas, and more interested in them going away thinking," Moriyasu said. Instructors hope that the diversity classes can change attitudes despite the students' somewhat uniform backgrounds. Crystal Parikh, who teaches Introduction to Ethnic Studies, said many of her students come into the class believing they already know what diversity means, but instead of changing their definitions of diversity, she tries to emphasize what it means to think critically about diversity. "I don't usually think of what I'm doing in ethnic studies as fostering appreciation or tolerance for diversity as much as getting students to think critically about what it means to live in a democracy and about concepts such as citizenship, sameness and difference, and justice and democratic access," she said. However, instructors do recognize the limits of teaching diversity in a classroom setting. "The best way to learn diversity is to be submersed in a culture, but you can't do that in a classroom," said Brian Riedsel, a psychologist who teaches Multicultural Issues classes. And so he uses films and guest speakers to improve the learning experience. "Seeing and interacting with live people is more powerful than just reading." Riedsel said he also encourages discussion and self-reflection so his students can learn from each other. "All of these issues go deep into people's identities," and they are often willing to discuss what they believe, he said. "We're here to gain insights into our own biases and prejudices. It's quite challenging at first, but it gets better throughout the semester." And though college may be about learning and experiencing new ways of thinking, some students say a diversity class is a waste of time. "While I think it is important to increase multicultural understanding, I think the diversity requirement is a superficial attempt," senior Robert Macdonald said. Still, he admits that though diversity makes school and life more interesting, it's "not particularly important to him." Sophomore Mischa Kuczunski said she thinks students "seeking diversity will do so on their own and those who have prejudices will hold onto them, regardless of one college course." Instructors understand students' reluctance to get excited about one diversity class so late in their education. However, they believe that one class is a start, and if it gets them thinking, then maybe they'll share their ideas in other classes. Pei-Te Lien, a political science professor who teaches Asian American Politics, said that in some ways "it's wonderful to give [students] a whole new set of information," and yet believes the U's mission of diversity would be better accomplished if there was some component of diversity education in other classes. "Then, students would be prepared to think about these issues," she said. Moriyasu supports the idea of faculty working together, and yet worries that those instructors who do not have a personal or educational background in multicultural issues may do more harm than good. Instead, she suggests students begin with the one class and look for other classes or opportunities to further their knowledge. Yes, requiring diversity classes in college may be too little too late for some students, but it is a valuable part of a university education, Moriyasu said. She teaches her students that when they come into her class it's actually okay to have misconceptions about other cultures-that way, once students become aware of their preconceived notions, they can change them. |
