Diversity

Question 1

What is human diversity?

Answer 1

Constructed differences among people along some dimensions such as skin colour, gender, ethnicity, age
Differences = deficits = inferiority
Use this to legitimise mechanisms of exclusion of subordinate group
Alternative is mainstream - “average” person doesn’t really exist

Question 2

What is gender diversity?

Answer 2

Heteronormativity assumes the gender binary - male/female

Gender is much more diverse in reality - on a continuum

Question 3

What is biological sex?

Answer 3

Sex as determined by genitalia at birth

Question 4

What is gender identity?

Answer 4

Sense of being male, female or other

Question 5

What is sexuality?

Answer 5

Identity
Orientation - who attracted to
Behaviour - who engage with sexually

Question 6

How has psychology approached diversity historically?

Answer 6

Positivist framework - the dominant/universal way of knowing things
Difference = deviance
Universality has resulted in many miscarriages of social justice
Viewing world through dominant paradigm leads to being unaware of privilege, leading to phobia

Question 7

How can psychology be more socially relevant?

Answer 7

More readily capture the complexities and contexts of phenomena

Question 8

What is culture?

Answer 8

A normative system that prescribes how individuals should behave
Is collective and intangible