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New Books....Cultural Diversity Collection

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New Books : Cultural Diversity Collection
by Helen Madden, MLS - Catalog Librarian

Thanks to the Health Center Auxiliary and the Office of Diversity, the Library has received a collection of books covering a broad range of topics on Cultural Diversity. Some are memoirs drawn from personal and professional experiences; others are based on statistical data . Some focus on health-related issues; others on employment, housing, education and societal issues. All deal with some aspect of prejudice and discrimination: how to recognize it and overcome it, within ourselves and our institutions. Here is a sampling of the titles:

RACE MANNERS: Navigating the Minefield Between Black and White Americans. Author: Bruce A. Jacobs. New York: Arcade Publishing, 1999. HT 1503 J17r 1999

Many Americans, black and white, are afraid to broach the topic of race. This book shows how to begin the conversation: by looking at common interactions that happen around us each day. Each observance reveals how we act toward, and react to, one another without even being aware of it.

DIVERSITY IN THE POWER ELITE: Have Women and Minorities Reached the Top? Authors: Richard L. Zweigenhaft, G. William Domhoff. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998. HT 1503 Z97d 1998

The authors' position is that, while women and minorities have made inroads into the power elite, they tend to be similar in social class and educational background to the traditional members of this group and that there are few liberals and crusaders among them. Thus diversification has served to solidify and strengthen the power elite, for its members continue to share the same perspectives on business and government, and the presence of women and minorities has even served to make this select group more legitimate to its critics.

De COLORES MEANS ALL OF US: Latina Views for a Multi-Colored Century. Author: Elizabeth Martinez. Chicago: South end Press, 1998. HT 1503 M385d 1998

A collection of essays by a Chicana activist on racial activism and social movements in the United States and Latin America. Her message is to build coalitions among groups which are subject to social domination, in order to oppose racism, patriarchy, homophobia and global capitalist exploitation.

FACE TO FACE: the Changing State of Racism Across America. Author: James Waller. New York: Insight Books, 1998. HT 1503 W198f 1998

This book is an analysis of race in America and the effects of racism on society. It challenges the myths that life is good for racial minorities, that racism is on the wane, and that America can be a color-blind society. It concludes with seven principles for attaining racial reconciliation and unity in diversity.

THE DIVERSITY FACTOR: Capturing the Competitive Advantage of a Changing Workforce. Editors: Elsie Y. Cross, Margaret Blackburn White. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996. HT 1503 D618 1996

Essays on how to take each step of the process needed to make a true culture change within an organization. Topics include: identifying existing problems, group prejudice, deeply-ingrained stereotypes, getting top management involved, and creating an action plan for a new culture that will mean something to the people involved.

CULTURE AND HEALTH. Author: Malcolm MacLachlan. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1997. WA 30 C968a 1997

This book recognizes the interplay between culture and health. Written for clinicians who work with patients from cultures different from their own, it explores the relationship between physical and mental symptoms individuals may experience, and the communities and cultures to which they belong.

BUILDING A HOUSE FOR DIVERSITY. Authors: R. Roosevelt Thomas, jr., Marjorie I. Woodruff. New York: AMACOM, 1999. HT 1503 T461b 1999

In today's workplace, diversity effectiveness is critical to productivity and growth. This book gets organizations started on examining their assumptions about power, influence, affirmative action, and acceptance of others, breaking down walls between "insiders" and "outsiders", and handling the inevitable tension and complexities which are healthy signs of change.