Course Dates
Course details
Tutors
Key Features
Aims of the course
- To provide an introduction to the key concepts in diversity.
- To analyse power and privilege.
- To critically engage with the policy and practice of diversity in the workplace, community, and society.
Course content overview
Diversity at a strategic and operational level in a volatile world presents numerous dilemmas/conundrums. These involve diversity domains and their intersections such as gender, ethnicity, disability, invisible diversity, age, and religion. How do we view power and privilege? What makes us different? How would we like to engage with others, and how would we like others to engage with us? What is the construction of inequality? How do shifting mobilities impact diversity? In addressing some of these questions we will engage at a micro (individual), meso (organisational/community, and macro (society/country) level in an intriguing journey into diverse spaces.
Target audience
This course is for those interested in how and why we are different and its impact on our lives. This course focuses on the foundational aspects of diversity through discussions and analysis of key diversity concepts.
Welcome week (Week 0)
Purpose:
- personal introductions
- introducing the course
- useful reading
- personal objectives
Learning outcomes:
By studying this week, the students should have:
- become familiar with navigating around the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and from VLE to links and back
- test your ability to access files and the web conferencing software and sort out any problems with the help of the Technology Enhanced Learning team
- learn how to look for, assess and reference internet resources
- contribute to a discussion forum to introduce yourself to other students and discuss why you are interested in the course and what you hope to get out of your studies
Week 1: Understanding diversity
Purpose:
This week, we will introduce key diversity theories and dilemmas/conundrums. We will explore subjects such as ‘Diversity domains’ and 'Theories/Frameworks of diversity.
Learning objectives:
- to familiarise ourselves with various diversity domains
- to understand theories/frameworks of diversity
- to reflect on how diversity impacts our lives
Week 2: Gender
Purpose:
This week, we will explore gender. This will include female, male, LGBTIQ+ categories and how they intersect with power and privilege.
Learning objectives:
- to familiarise ourselves with gender identities
- to continue to understand how gender impacts power and privilege
Week 3: Ethnicity/Race
Purpose:
This week, we will look to understand how ethnicity and race contribute to diversity at a strategic and operational level. We will also discuss how global mobilities impact diversity.
Learning objectives:
- to develop an understanding of ethnicity/race
- to interpret the impact of global mobilities in their specific context
Week 4: Religious/Faith/Spiritual Diversity
Purpose:
This week, we will ask why is religion/faith spirituality part of diversity? What does the expression of religion at work entail.
Learning objectives:
- to explore the impact of faith at a micro/meso/macro level
- to continue interpreting intersectionality
Week 5: Age, disability, and invisible diversities
Purpose:
How do we view older individuals? Why does age make a difference? In a world that is increasingly becoming older, some key tenets which facilitate age will be explored. Invisible diversities such as dyslexia, PTSD will be discussed
Learning objectives:
- to engage with inequality, power and privilege
- to understand our own age band and its implications for your identity and interaction with the broader community
Week 6: what next?
- assessment of student learning
- assessment of student satisfaction
- encouragement of further study
This course is open to everyone, and you don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the subject to attend.
Our short courses are designed especially for adult learners who want to advance their personal or professional development. They are taught by tutors who are expert in both their subjects and in teaching students of all ages and experiences.
Please note that all teaching is in English. You should have near-native command of the English language to get the maximum benefit from the course.
Each week of an online course is roughly equivalent to 2-3 hours of classroom time. On top of this, participants should expect to spend roughly 2-3 hours of self-study time, for example, reading materials, although this will vary from person to person.
While they have a specific start and end date and will follow a weekly schedule (for example, week 1 will cover topic A, week 2 will cover topic B), our tutor-led online courses are designed to be flexible and as such would normally not require participants to be online for a specific day of the week or time of the day (although some tutors may try to schedule times where participants can be online together for web seminars, which will be recorded so that those who are unable to be online at certain times are able to access material).
Unless otherwise stated, all course material will be posted on the VLE so that they can be accessed at any time throughout the duration of the course and interaction with your tutor and fellow participants will take place through a variety of different ways which will allow for both synchronous and asynchronous learning (using discussion boards etc).
Fees
The course fee includes access to the course on our VLE, personal feedback on your work from an expert tutor, a certificate of participation (if you complete work and take part in discussions), and access to the class resources for two years after your course finishes.
Concessions
For more information, please see our concessions information page.
Alison Fordham Bursary
University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education is proud to offer the Alison Fordham bursary, which is awarded to students who wish to study on one of our short online courses via our VLE, reducing the fee paid by 50%. The bursary is limited to a single award for each set of online courses.
Application criteria:
- applicants should set out their personal learning motivations since priority will be given to those who are returning to learning after an extended break, or have not previously engaged with fully online learning, or are seeking to use the online short course as a bridge towards undergraduate award-bearing study
- applicants who can demonstrate financial need
For more information, please see our bursaries information page.
A certificate of participation and a digital credential will be awarded to those who contribute constructively to weekly discussions, exercises and assignments for the duration of the course.
