This framework for thinking about dimensions of diversity can be used to encourage thinking about values, beliefs, and dimensions of identity for people and organizations.
In 1990, Marilyn Loden and Judy Rosener developed a framework for thinking about the different dimensions of diversity within individuals and institutions. Depicted as concentric circles, this “Diversity Wheel” can be used in many different ways to encourage thinking about values, beliefs, and dimensions of identity for people and organizations.
Adapted from “Workforce America! Managing Employee Diversity as a Vital Resource,” McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing, 1990, we’ve included the wheel here as a graphic and as a pdf for your use. The following outline possible ways to use the Diversity Wheel with staff to encourage dialogue and new perspective taking.
Facilitation: After spending time looking at the wheel, invite participants to write down 5 things that describe who they are—the top five things they think of when they think to describe themselves. (Ideally, you’ve passed out post-it notes and can encourage staff to write one characteristic on each of 5 post-it notes. Also, the descriptions don’t have to line up with the categories on the wheel, but it can be helpful to think of them that way.) Invite participants to locate their characteristics on the Diversity Wheel and then talk with one or two other people about how they identified themselves and what they noticed when they tried to put their characteristics into the areas of the wheel.
This activity explores where we come from, in recognition of the important role our heritage and ancestors play in who we are and who we become. As we engage in this place-finding experience, it reminds us of the rich identities we each hold and how they contribute to how we view and experience the world and our place in it. When you do this activity with a group of people from your organization, a community group, or in a conference setting, everyone involved can see and appreciate the rich tapestry of those who are in the room.
Each person we interact with has their own set of identities, cultural touchstones, characteristics, and family experiences. In Cambio, we believe that providing opportunities for people to share their own experiences, values, and cultural practices encourages connection, builds understanding, and creates a more inclusive environment. These two activities can be used to build community in different settings, with staff groups and community groups, in professional development or at special events.
Building bridges can be a powerful metaphor for the work museums can do to engage with their communities. Thinking about different types of bridges, their purposes, and the materials and methods used to build them can help museum professionals to consider the processes, goals and outcomes of working together with communities so museums can become more inclusive places. This activity encourages museum teams to relate bridge-building processes to their community engagement strategies.
Cambio embraces the notion that STEM is both a cultural endeavor and a component of culture. This assumption is a shift from the view that STEM is agnostic, neutral, or separate from culture. With this in mind, Cambio encourages museum practitioners to examine both dominant and non-dominant norms of STEM, recognizing that these are not binary—instead, they exist on a spectrum, across many dimensions of diversity. As we consider Who, What, When, Where, Why and How STEM is practiced in the world, we can begin to expand our ideas about who is an expert and where and how they engage with science, math, and engineering concepts in their lived experience.
The Cambio STEM Identity Balance provides a way to consider personal and organizational orientations and norms around STEM. Engaging in dialogue with colleagues about our assumptions about STEM and how we portray and practice those assumptions in our museums can help us begin to adopt a more culturally expansive and inclusive view of STEM–both what it is and how (and by whom) it is practiced in everyday life.
Lotería is a traditional Mexican game of chance, similar to bingo but played with a deck of illustrated cards. It’s simple, fun, and often played in Latinx communities during family gatherings or celebrations. Each card in Lotería typically features a colorful and symbolic image accompanied by a dicho (adage or saying). We created this custom version of Lotería for Cambio. It adapts some of the traditional images and dichos to provide an engaging, memorable experience to celebrate and understand more deeply the intent and potential application of the Cambio Spokes, a set of principles for equitable practices in museums.
The Cambio Asset Map builds on your organization’s existing strengths by identifying key partnerships, staff, volunteers, and processes to leverage when envisioning how your museum can engage with local Latinx communities and families.
To maximize this tool’s impact, we recommend convening staff who are already focused on increasing your museum’s relevance to and connection with Latinx community members. Engaging conversation participants from across your organization will help incorporate diverse perspectives and bring transparency to your work. Use the questions on the map to guide discussion, and be sure to end by setting a goal and next steps.
The Asset Map can be used digitally, printed out and passed around with pens and Post-it’s, or simply as a conversation starter.
