DIVERSITY TIP OF THE WEEK: Challenge Your Labels

Identity labels are useful at times, and problematic at other times.  Identity labels, like knowing whether someone is Christian or Buddhist or Muslim, can help us know what to expect and how to behave appropriately. For instance, it lets us know that it's important to remove shoes when entering certain personal or religious spaces.  But sometimes labels trip us up, causing us to make unwarranted assumptions or over-generalize or even stereotype.  This week, challenge the labels you apply to people. Ask yourself: Do these labels help me to behave in a culturally competent manner? Do they limit my perceptions of others and keep others from fully being themselves because of my expectations of them?

--Contributed by Jenny Denton, Office of Diversity & Inclusion

For more information, contact:

Jenny Denton

Office of Diversity & Inclusion

+1 301 405 6810

denton@umd.edu

www.diversity.umd.edu