Teaching diversity topic of CLU talk

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - March 12, 2010) A California Lutheran University political science professor will discuss good and bad ways of teaching people about diversity at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 24, in the Roth Nelson Room.

Jose Marichal, Ph.D., will present "ThickCulture: Constructing a Civic Rationale for Diversity and Multiculturalism" as part of the Center for Equality and Justice Faculty Lecture Series.

Everyone agrees that diversity education is essential for training citizens for a global economy. But how should we teach college students about cultural differences? Marichal suggests that not all ways of teaching diversity create good citizens. In his talk, he will present different approaches to diversity and their impact on helping to develop students who can be effective in a diverse, democratic society. He argues that we need to explore the political assumptions that lie beneath how we discuss diversity. He also calls for more thinking about the use of social networking technologies like Facebook and Twitter to enhance diversity education.

Marichal is founder of ThickCulture, a multidisciplinary blog sponsored by the American Sociological Association that explores what makes cultures "thick," including politics, multiculturalism and civic engagement in the age of Web 2.0. He also teaches and writes about public policy, race and politics, civic engagement, the Internet and politics, and community development. His current projects include examining how the Internet affects cross-cultural interaction, exploring the relationship between diversity and civic engagement, and identifying Latino youth understandings of civic leadership.

The Roth Nelson Room is located on Mountclef Boulevard near Memorial Parkway in Thousand Oaks.

CLU's Center for Equality and Justice is sponsoring the free lecture. For information, contact Gregory Freeland at freeland@callutheran.edu or (805) 493-3477.