How to Confront Prejudice

Do you react favorably to people who are different or are you standoffish and suspicious of those dissimilar from you? It is easy to prejudge someone who does not look like you or who comes from a different country or background. Appreciating diversity requires a concerted effort to welcome and accept, not just tolerate people who are different. This will mean identifying your own biases and prejudgments and taking steps to overcome them. The following suggestions can help you confront prejudice and learn to appreciate the differences in others.

Instructions

1. 1. Pay attention to your reaction each time you meet someone who is different because of ethnicity, race, gender, etc. Ask yourself:

   a) What is the prejudgment?
   b) Why am I responding this way?
   c) What should my response be?

2. Recognize and confront aspects of your personality and behavior that keep people from being fully accepted and appreciated by you.

3. Actively seek information about diverse cultures and backgrounds from people who are different from you.

4. Confront prejudice and intolerant behavior. Refuse to accept ethnic, racist, sexist, or other disparaging comments or behavior of others and don't do it yourself.

5. Deliberately seek out people who can bring different points of view to a discussion, problem or decision.

6. Model behavior that is inclusive and open by including a wide variety of diverse people in your personal network.

7. Invite people from different backgrounds to informal gatherings or social events to get to know them. Search for the things you have in common. Take a few to develop cross-cultural friendships.

Tips & Warnings

• A person's experiences throughout life, in his or her environment and culture are powerful influences that shape attitudes and beliefs about people who are different. It will take time and initiative to change these attitudes.

Resources

• How to Build Cross Cultural Friendships
• Christian Career Tools