Diversity and Creating a sense of Belonging
understanding our unique selves and what we each bring to the table to create community

Arabella Perez, MSW, DSW

Social Work Professor and  DEI Consultant

In this chapter, you will engage in an enriching learning experience designed to enhance your understanding of culture, diversity, and the impact these concepts have on our daily lives. You will explore these topics through a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical activities. These activities are carefully crafted to help you reflect on your own identity, biases, and how they shape your interactions with others.

 

By examining culture and diversity in a structured way, you will develop a deeper awareness of yourself and the world around you. This self-awareness is a crucial step in recognizing and addressing biases that may unconsciously influence your thoughts and behaviors. The chapter encourages you to think critically about these issues, fostering a mindset that values inclusivity and respect for all individuals.

 

Additionally, you will learn and identify essential skills that contribute to creating inclusive environments. These skills are not only beneficial in personal interactions but are also vital in professional and community settings. By the end of this chapter, you will be better equipped to foster environments where everyone feels valued, respected, and included.

Introduction

We will begin with an overview of the purpose of this chapter, followed by an introduction of the presenter and outline the two main topics we will explore, Culture and Diversity and Creating a Sense of Belonging. The introduction concludes with an activity to enhance your understanding of key terminology. This activity will direct you to a website where you can familiarize yourself with commonly used terms in the field. 

Resource: Introduction

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website is a rich resource to explore key diversity, equity and inclusion terms. You will find:

Click on the logo or click here to explore the page. 

Culture and Diversity

In this section you will do a deep dive into these two concepts, exploring the meaning of both terms and the cultural competency continuum. We will end this section with instructions for two activities that will provide you with an opportunity to reflect on these concepts.

Resource: Culture and Diversity

The iceberg concept of culture illustrates the visible and hidden aspects of culture. This model, developed by anthropologist Edward T. Hall, likens culture to an iceberg floating in water. The small portion visible above the surface represents the observable elements of culture, such as clothing, language, food, and celebrations. The larger, submerged portion of the iceberg represents the deeper, less visible elements of culture. These include values, beliefs, attitudes, and assumptions that shape our worldview. To truly understand a culture, we have look beyond the surface and explore the hidden, often unconscious aspects of cultural identity and influence. The model highlights the importance of recognizing and navigating the less obvious cultural differences that can significantly impact interactions and relationships. 

Handout IcebergCultureWORDS 2_PDF.pdf

Activity: Culture and Diversity

Diversity Dimensions Handout.pdf

The diversity wheel describes the many ways that each of us is unique. It is a resource for the self-assessment.

Diversity Self-Assessment.docx

“This self-assessment tool is designed to explore individual cultural competence. Its purpose is to help you to consider your skills, knowledge, and awareness of yourself in your interactions with others." Its goal is to help you recognize ways to live and work more effectively in a diverse environment.

Reflection: Culture and Diversity

How do your personal experiences and background shape your approach to:

Click here to complete the first of three reflections in this chapter. Entering your reflection will also record your progress. Important: Complete each section before moving on to its corresponding reflection. When you return to the form, you will automatically be taken to where you last left off. 

Diversity and Creating a Sense of Belonging, part 1

The first part of this section provides you with information about Implicit Bias and the importance of understanding that we all have bias. You will be directed to a short video on the science that explains Implicit Bias and have the option to take the Implicit Bias Test.

Important Note for the Test: This test is confidential and entirely voluntary. Due to the sensitive nature of bias, you may find some of the results surprising or even unsettling. It's important to take time to reflect on what you learn from this test. If needed, consider discussing your results with a trusted friend or a professional who can help you process them. Remember to be kind to yourself throughout this process. Biases are a natural part of being human and recognizing them is the first step towards using this awareness in a constructive way.

Activity - Tools to promote inclusion

This video will help you understand how our brains work to create implicit biases and how we can confront our biases. 

This activity is optional. It aims to identify your biases and can help you see where your implicit biases and personal beliefs may differ. 

Reflection: Tools to Promote Inclusion

We all have biases. Thinking about your age-friendly community initiative, what are some of the ways your implicit biases, or the biases of your age-friendly colleagues, may affect the work you are doing? Click here to complete the second of three reflections in this chapter. Entering your reflection will also record your progress. Important: Complete each section before moving on to its corresponding reflection. When you return to the form, you will automatically be taken to where you last left off. 

Diversity and Creating a Sense of Belonging, part 2

We will wrap up this chapter by connecting the ideas learned in previous sections. We will look at skills that foster belonging, and we will highlight the importance of creating “new flocks” that represent the diversity of our communities.”

Reflection: Creating a Sense of Belonging 

Think about your age-friendly community. How can you make events and volunteer opportunities welcoming to your town’s diverse residents? How can you foster an environment where everyone feels comfortable participating in decision making?  Click here to complete the final reflections in this chapter. Entering your reflection will also record completion of the Diversity chapter. Note: Clicking will bring you back to where you left off when you completed your last reflection. When you have finished, please click "submit" to record completion of the Diversity chapter. 

Additional Resources

Friends Service Alliance. DEI Glossary

The Friends Service Alliance created this list of carefully researched and thoughtfully discussed key social justice terms and definitions. This is not a comprehensive list. Our understanding of terms that reflect equity, diversity, and inclusion principles is evolving, but it is a good place to start. 

US Aging. Innovations from the Field: AAAs Work to Improve Diversity, Equity and Inclusion . This reource includes case studies of how Area Agencies on Aging throughout the United States have worked to make their agencies and services more inclusive. One example is our very own Southern Maine Agency on Aging!

Meet Your Chapter Guide - Arabella Perez, MSW, DSW

Dr. Pérez is a licensed clinical social worker with three decades of experience. Currently an adjunct social work professor she works fulltime as the Chief Operating Officer at Social Current, an organization based in Washington DC, specializing in social services accreditation, and providing technical assistance and consultation to the social sector. 

Before joining Social Current, Dr. Pérez held the position of Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at the National Association of Social Work. Additionally, she served as a social work professor at the University of New England, where she directed the trauma-informed certificate program within the College of Health Professions. In this capacity she spearheaded a University wide initiative to assess programs using Trauma-Informed principles and supporting faculty in demonstrating trauma informed pedagogy competencies. 

From 2005 to 2015, Dr. Pérez demonstrated her leadership as a system of care director, overseeing three trauma-informed grant projects in Maine funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) focused on child welfare, juvenile justice, and behavioral health services.

Beyond her administrative roles, she founded and previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of THRIVE, a nonprofit technical assistance center dedicated to trauma- and culturally-informed care.

Dr. Pérez is not only recognized for her leadership roles but is also a highly sought-after presenter, sharing her insights on the intersection of trauma-informed care and DEI. Lastly, she earned both her MSW and DSW degrees from Tulane University with a focus on leadership and trauma, further solidifying her passion for all things social work.

During this chapter, we hope you gained a few tools to be inclusive and welcoming of the diversity of life experiences and cultures in your community.
If you have any questions as you are going through the material, please email: lifelong@maine.edu.