CPE CPE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Cultural humility in peer education is best described as:
- Knowing all facts about every cultural group
- An ongoing process of self-reflection and learning about others' cultures (Correct answer)
- Teaching peers to adopt mainstream US cultural norms
- Avoiding discussion of cultural differences entirely
Correct answer: An ongoing process of self-reflection and learning about others' cultures
Cultural humility is a lifelong commitment to self-reflection, learning, and openness about cultural differences rather than claiming mastery of any culture.
Question 2: A microaggression in a peer education setting is best defined as:
- An openly hostile act of discrimination
- A subtle, often unintentional comment or action that conveys a negative message to a marginalized group (Correct answer)
- A major institutional policy that excludes minority groups
- A deliberate insult directed at a specific individual
Correct answer: A subtle, often unintentional comment or action that conveys a negative message to a marginalized group
Microaggressions are brief, commonplace indignities — often unintentional — that communicate derogatory or negative messages to members of marginalized groups.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes the concept of intersectionality in DEI education?
- The overlap between academic and social life
- The way multiple social identities interact and create unique experiences of privilege or oppression (Correct answer)
- The process of integrating DEI topics into all curriculum areas
- The intersection of peer education and mental health support
Correct answer: The way multiple social identities interact and create unique experiences of privilege or oppression
Intersectionality, coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, describes how overlapping identities (race, gender, class, etc.) create layered, unique experiences of discrimination or privilege.
Question 4: When facilitating a DEI discussion, a peer educator encounters a participant who makes an insensitive comment. The best response is to:
- Ignore the comment to avoid conflict
- Immediately ask the participant to leave the session
- Pause the discussion and use it as a teachable moment using restorative dialogue (Correct answer)
- Agree with the comment to build rapport
Correct answer: Pause the discussion and use it as a teachable moment using restorative dialogue
Restorative dialogue turns harmful moments into learning opportunities without shaming the speaker, maintaining a safe environment for all participants.
Question 5: In inclusive peer education, using someone's correct pronouns is important because:
- It is required by federal law in all settings
- It affirms the person's identity and fosters a respectful, safe environment (Correct answer)
- It only matters if the person has formally changed their legal name
- It applies only in LGBTQ+-specific programs
Correct answer: It affirms the person's identity and fosters a respectful, safe environment
Using correct pronouns is a basic act of respect that affirms a person's gender identity and contributes to a psychologically safe educational environment.
Question 6: Equity in peer education differs from equality in that equity:
- Gives every student the exact same resources
- Provides resources and support based on individual needs to achieve fair outcomes (Correct answer)
- Ignores systemic barriers to focus on individual effort
- Applies only to racial and ethnic minority groups
Correct answer: Provides resources and support based on individual needs to achieve fair outcomes
Equity means tailoring support to each person's needs and circumstances, while equality means giving everyone the same resources regardless of their starting point.
CPE CPE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 1
Cultural humility in peer education is best described as: