CDT Diversity & Inclusion Frameworks & Theories 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Critical Race Theory (CRT) primarily examines:
- Individual instances of racial prejudice and how to correct them through personal behavior change
- How race and racism are embedded in legal systems, policies, and societal structures (Correct answer)
- Biological differences between racial groups that lead to disparate outcomes
- Cross-cultural communication breakdowns between racial groups
Correct answer: How race and racism are embedded in legal systems, policies, and societal structures
CRT holds that racism is not merely individual prejudice but is systemic and embedded in laws, policies, and institutions, producing differential outcomes across racial groups.
Question 2: The concept of 'stereotype threat,' as researched by Claude Steele, describes:
- The risk that HR professionals face when applying stereotypes in hiring decisions
- The performance-impairing anxiety individuals experience when at risk of confirming a negative group stereotype (Correct answer)
- Legal threats faced by organizations that rely on stereotyping in the workplace
- The tendency for dominant groups to unconsciously assign stereotypes to outgroups
Correct answer: The performance-impairing anxiety individuals experience when at risk of confirming a negative group stereotype
Stereotype threat is the situational predicament in which individuals feel at risk of confirming negative stereotypes about their group, which can impair cognitive performance and well-being.
Question 3: In the IDI (Intercultural Development Inventory), the 'Minimization' orientation is characterized by:
- Denying that cultural differences exist between groups
- Emphasizing human commonality in ways that can obscure significant cultural differences (Correct answer)
- Actively reversing one's own cultural worldview to adopt another
- Viewing other cultures as inferior to one's own
Correct answer: Emphasizing human commonality in ways that can obscure significant cultural differences
Minimization involves highlighting human similarities and universal values but often functions to ignore the real impact of cultural differences, typically reflecting unexamined privilege.
Question 4: Which of the following best defines 'structural racism'?
- Explicit racial slurs and discriminatory language used in workplaces
- Racially biased attitudes held by individual employees
- Cumulative and compounding effects of policies and practices across institutions that disadvantage racial minorities (Correct answer)
- Racial segregation enforced by formal legal statutes
Correct answer: Cumulative and compounding effects of policies and practices across institutions that disadvantage racial minorities
Structural racism refers to the totality of ways in which societies foster racial discrimination through mutually reinforcing inequitable systems (housing, education, employment, etc.) that advantage white people and disadvantage people of color.
Question 5: The 'Four Layers of Diversity' model by Gardenswartz and Rowe identifies which as the innermost (core) layer?
- Secondary dimensions such as education and income
- Organizational dimensions such as seniority and department
- Personality (Correct answer)
- Primary dimensions such as race, gender, and age
Correct answer: Personality
In the Four Layers of Diversity model, personality sits at the innermost core, surrounded by internal (primary) dimensions, external (secondary) dimensions, and organizational dimensions.
Question 6: A 'diversity audit' is most accurately described as:
- A legal review of an organization's compliance with EEO laws
- A systematic assessment of an organization's workforce composition, policies, and climate related to diversity and inclusion (Correct answer)
- An anonymous employee satisfaction survey conducted annually
- A financial review of resources allocated to diversity programming
Correct answer: A systematic assessment of an organization's workforce composition, policies, and climate related to diversity and inclusion
A diversity audit is a comprehensive, data-driven examination of an organization's diversity-related metrics, policies, practices, and culture to identify gaps and inform strategy.
Question 7: The term 'tokenism' in D&I contexts refers to:
- Awarding monetary tokens or bonuses to underrepresented employees for outstanding diversity contributions
- The practice of making symbolic gestures toward diversity without meaningful inclusion or systemic change (Correct answer)
- The use of diversity symbols and logos in organizational marketing materials
- A formal recognition program celebrating diverse employee achievements
Correct answer: The practice of making symbolic gestures toward diversity without meaningful inclusion or systemic change
Tokenism occurs when organizations include a small number of people from underrepresented groups as a performative gesture, without addressing underlying power structures or genuinely integrating them.
CDT Diversity & Inclusion Frameworks & Theories 3
Critical Race Theory (CRT) primarily examines: