Misconstrued tolerance: issues for multicultural and diversity training

Abstract

Purpose

Valuing diversity emphasizes the awareness, recognition, and appreciation of human differences and revolves around creating an inclusive environment in which everyone feels esteemed. This generally takes place through a series of training programs that attempt to improve interpersonal relationships among workers by asking participants to become more tolerant—generally understood today as an approval and acceptance of others' practices and beliefs. Because tolerance is such a highly desirable quality in many Western societies, and seemingly one of its few non‐controversial values, rarely is its significance questioned. Nevertheless, contemporary interpretations of tolerance can be problematic for multicultural programs, and tolerance understood as respect and civility toward others may be a more appropriate tool to easing hostile tensions between individuals and groups and to helping communities move past intractable conflict. The purpose of this paper is to offer a reinterpretation of tolerance.

Design/methodology/approach

This literature review suggests that contemporary interpretations of tolerance often used in multicultural workshops as the recognition, appreciation, acceptance, and celebration of differences may be problematic.

Findings

An understanding of tolerance involving civility and respect for others, not their beliefs or conduct, may lead to greater effectiveness of diversity training efforts. This new interpretation of tolerance may also help counter the belief among a number of leaders, particularly in Europe, that multiculturalism has failed.

Originality/value

Given the resistance and backlash that sometimes emerge in response to terms such as “diversity,” “inclusion,” and “discrimination,” it is possible that focusing on civility instead could improve the efficacy of existing multicultural training programs.

Citation

Von Bergen, C.W. (2013), "Misconstrued tolerance: issues for multicultural and diversity training", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 27 No. 2, pp. 9-12. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777281311302021