Building Mutual Respect

Building Mutual Respect

Overview • What are the dimensions of respect? • What are the values of tolerance and understanding? • How can you improve group effectiveness? Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Quick Write Have you ever felt that someone had judged you based on your appearance or something you did rather than on what’s inside you? Write five sentences about how that made you feel Share your reflection with several classmates Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Dimensions of Respect • Respect is the attention, regard, and consideration given to people and their rights, property, and ideas • Respect means accepting differences • You earn other people’s respect on the basis of your words and actions Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Dimensions of Respect • Americans believe that every human being has basic, inherent value and rights • You are obliged to respect others, and they are obliged to respect you Graphic available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Constitution_Pg1of4_AC.jpg Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Dimensions of Respect • Mutual respect is the two-way relationship that develops between people or members of groups after the lines of communication are open and trust develops Chapter 5, Lesson 2 Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

Dimensions of Respect • People develop respect for others when they feel that others respect their personal dignity • Personal dignity is the internal strength that helps people feel connected, worthwhile, and valued • A lack of respect breaks down personal dignity Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Ways of Showing Respect • On the personal level, one of the easiest ways to show respect is simply to be courteous. Say: • “Please” when you ask for something • “Thank you” when you receive something • “Excuse me” if you accidentally bump into someone • “Yes (or no) sir” or “Yes (or no) ma’am” to adults • “Good morning” or “Good afternoon,” especially to people older than you are Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Ways of Showing Respect • Other examples of personal respect include: • Holding the door for an elderly person or a child • Standing when an older person enters the room • Not interrupting people • Taking off your hat or cap when you’re indoors • Taking off a glove before you shake someone’s hand • Removing your sunglasses before speaking to someone Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Ways of Showing Respect • Some other ways to show respect on a professional basis include: • Dealing with people in a cooperative way • Communicating clearly • Listening actively • Giving constructive feedback Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Ways of Showing Respect • Some more ways to show respect on a professional basis include: • Being flexible • Creating opportunities to teach and learn • Sharing behaviors and feelings • Viewing situations as win-win scenarios • Using inclusive language (saying “we” instead of “you” or “they”) Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Tolerance • Toleranceisrespecting people’s differences and values • You might compare tolerance and mutual respect with a two-way street: • The traffic moves both ways • You show tolerance for others and they show tolerance for you • But you might encounter barriers on this street Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Tolerance • Among the barriers to tolerance and mutual respect are: • Prejudice • Discrimination • A failure to value diversity Chapter 5, Lesson 2 Photo courtesy of Clipart.com

Prejudice • Prejudiceis an unfair opinion or judgment of a person or a group of people • Prejudice shuts down critical thinking • You assume you have a person or situation figured out in advance • This leads you to make blanket assumptions about an entire group of people rather than looking at them as individuals Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Reasons for Prejudice • People aren’t born with prejudice any more than they are born with the ability to read • Prejudice is learned • You pick it up from the people around you and from the messages society sends Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Reasons for Prejudice • Fear—people are afraid of people, ideas, and cultures that are different from their own • A group’s belief that it is better than or superior to other groups • Misunderstanding—an innocent gesture or word in one culture can be an insult in another • History—you had a bad experience with a member of another group, then blame all members of that group Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Discrimination • One danger of prejudice is that it leads to discrimination • Discrimination is unfair treatment based on prejudice against a certain group • If someone says you’re “discriminatory” in your attitudes, watch out • You might be judging people on the basis of stereotypes Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Discrimination and Stereotypes • Astereotype is an idea or concept based on oversimplified assumptions or opinions, rather than on facts • For instance, if you hear a friend just bought a pit bull, you might immediately assume that it’s a vicious dog • If another friend bought a kitten, you might assume it was a cuddly little creature Both assumptions are based on stereotypes. Are all pit bulls vicious? Are all kittens cuddly? Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Diversity • Diversity means variation or difference • When someone says that American society values diversity, that means: • Americans encourage variety • Americans live in a society that respects differences among people • But if you read the headlines or watch the news, you realize that respect for diversity is a work in progress Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Religious Respect • Nowhere is tolerance more important than in matters of religion • Demonstrating religious respect is honoring the right of other people to hold their own personal beliefs • It is not condoning or condemning, but just respecting, their rights Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Gender Stereotypes • Gender stereotypes are limited ways of thinking about people on the basis of whether they are male or female. Gender stereotypes: • cover more than just the observable physical differences between males and females • include cultural, social, psychological, and behavioral traits Chapter 5, Lesson 2 Graphic courtesy of Clipart.com

Gender Stereotypes • Gender stereotypes have at least two big problems: • First, like prejudices, gender stereotypes halt the thinking process. They deal with people on the basis of false assumptions or misleading mental images • Second, gender stereotypes make clear communication difficult, if not impossible Chapter 5, Lesson 2

How Can You Avoid Stereotyping People by Gender? • Be sensitive to language that might contain gender stereotypes • Don’t go with your gut reaction—it’s likely to be based on preconceptions • Take time to think • Avoid using hurtful words or expressions • Don’t fall victim to peer pressure • View everyone as equals Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Demonstrating Tolerance • Overcoming prejudice and discrimination begins with each individual • Ask yourself: Am I treating them the way I would want them to treat me? • How would you feel if others made fun of your skin color, ethnic background, hair color, religion, or the region you are from? Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Demonstrating Tolerance • How would you feel if you were denied a place on the team, an education, a job, or an opportunity, simply because someone decided you belonged to the wrong group? • How would you feel if others refused to be friends with you, to eat in the school cafeteria with you, or to live in the same neighborhood with you because of prejudice? Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Improving Group Effectiveness • Establishing mutual respect, being tolerant, and valuing diversity are important: • For each person on an individual level • Equally important at the group or organization level • Work towards common goals Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Benefits of Accepting Differences • If a group or team is to function effectively, its members must accept each other’s differences • The best team is a unified whole • No team can be whole while any of its members holds assumptions, false impressions, and stereotypes about fellow team members Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Benefits of Accepting Differences • Communication is key to breaking down the barriers and accepting others’ differences • A diverse group of people can usually come up with much better solutions than can a group of people who all think the same • But to come up with the best solutions, members must trust and listen to each other • They must see diversity as a strength Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Evaluating and Measuring Group Effectiveness • The first step is to establish clear goals • The second is to decide whether the group is meeting those goals • Constantly seeking a measure of results—or movement toward results—is a necessary part of team building Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Some Tips for Greater Group Effectiveness • Forgive mistakes • Hold members accountable • Foster trust and commitment • Don’t make excuses • Make the hard decisions • Seek concrete answers and solutions • Respect differences • Constantly strive toward mutual respect Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Review • Respectis the attention, regard, and consideration given to people and their rights, property, and ideas • Mutual respect is the two-way relationship that develops between people or members of groups after the lines of communication are open and trust develops • On the personal level, one of the easiest ways to show respect is simply to be courteous Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Review • Toleranceisrespecting people’s differences and values • People aren’t born with prejudice any more than they are born with the ability to read • Prejudice is learned • One danger of prejudice is that it leads to discrimination Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Review • Overcoming prejudice and discrimination begins with each individual • No team can be whole while any of its members holds assumptions, false impressions, and stereotypes about fellow team members • Communication is the key to breaking down the barriers and accepting others’ differences Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Summary • What are the dimensions of respect? • What are the values of tolerance and understanding? • How can you improve group effectiveness? Chapter 5, Lesson 2

Next • Done—building mutual respect • Next—common vision Chapter 5, Lesson 2 Photo courtesy of Goodshoot Images

Building Mutual Respect