Human and Abilities

October 21st, 2016

Differences in the Workplace

Posted by Erin Lyman in Uncategorized

In my future career, I hope to be working in a hospital setting. In this setting, I will experience many different types of people, cultures, and beliefs. I know that different cultures have different beliefs regarding medical attention and treatment; therefore I will do my best to educate myself on many cultures. This way, I will be able to help people while taking their cultures into consideration.

One problem about working with people from such different backgrounds is that it may be hard to identify their culture simply by looking at them. I would not want to look at them and assume their culture because that is stereotypical. Some people do not strongly identify with their culture, however for those who do I found some helpful questions to ask them. These questions could provide insight to their beliefs and how to best help them. Here is the link to the questions: http://www.d.umn.edu/~hrallis/courses/1100sp04/assignments/learn_cultures_qs.html

A difference that may be encountered in my future career besides culture is the difference of skin color. This is a difference that may make many children feel as though they do not belong. When children are the only one of their race in a classroom they feel excluded. This feeling could impact the child’s ability to learn, their overall school experience, and their confidence in themselves.

I do not plan on working in schools, however if my career takes me that way there are things I would do to make sure that I am ready for differences and that I am helping students who may feel left out. One thing I would do is similar to the “I would like my teacher to know” notecard we did the first day of class. Instead, I would allow the students to write down one thing they are struggling with, whether that is inside or outside of the classroom. I would do this once a week and doing so would allow open communication where students could tell me what they struggle with, especially if that is race-related.

I find that planning for differences is important because there will be diversity no matter where you work. With this being known, you cannot treat every person and situation the same. Every individual is different, as is every culture. The way that problems get handled should be examined on a case-to-case basis. One culture may not believe or support a solution that another culture does. Students who look different from their peers may not learn as well simply because they are uncomfortable in the classroom. It is important that professionals look at and understand why the people they are working with are behaving or acting a certain way. Then, the professionals can figure out the best way to treat or teach them

8 Responses to ' Differences in the Workplace '

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  1. Ashley Jondle said,

    on October 23rd, 2016 at 3:16 pm

    I agree 100% Erin that is often difficult to determine what background and culture a client may be from by simple looking at them for a short time. I agree that is is very important to be able to get to know in the time you are with them, where they are from and any background information that may allow you to have a deeper understanding of that person. I think you are really correct when you say that it is important to plan for differences, that way you are prepared for whatever comes your way. Great post Erin!

  2. Alyssa Ruchti said,

    on October 24th, 2016 at 5:36 pm

    When I was working towards my pharmacy degree I planned on working in a healthcare center like a hospital. We had a lot of workshops on dealing with cultural sensitivity. I found that asking open ended questions creates the opportunity for open dialogue conversations. This is a great way to understand more about what the patient finds important and an inconspicuous way to test your patient’s understanding.

    I love the idea you had on doing weekly check-ins with your potential students. I might have to steal this idea!

  3. Brooks Jackson said,

    on October 26th, 2016 at 8:19 pm

    Awesome Post Erin,
    I definitely agree that race will be an issue that many people face in their future career, as it has not fully dwindled away yet. I also highly agree with your idea that situations involving race, ethnicity, or culture should be dealt with on a case-to-case basis. I commented to another individual in our class about how teaching children to respect all at a young age is best. Incorporating compromise in to lesson plans should be important in all subjects, and having children understand the idea of allowing others to share their side is vital as well. I can only imagine how much more difficult it may be to change an elder individuals mind in a hospital about race. But I do believe their are tactics and techniques to ways in which you can handle situations like that, and help change those who may be stuck in their ways. I wish you luck and believe you will succeed if you encounter any situations like this in your future. 🙂


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