Foundations in Special and Inclusive Education

Module 1

Loden’s Wheel of Diversity

Marilyn Loden, the creator of the model, saw the need for a tool that would help people
better understand how group-based differences contribute to people's social identities.

"I wanted to identify the differences that make a major difference," she explains, " ... to
show which dimensions of diversity are important in people's lives, acknowledge their power so
that people who wanted to talk about them would be supported by the model." No definition of
this kind had emerged in earlier attempts to address America's workforce diversity, including
race relations, multiculturalism, affirmative action, and equal opportunity. Now, almost 20 years
later, Loden's work has turned her into a leading authority on managing change and
implementing diversity in the workplace. Her model, the Diversity Wheel, has become the lingua
franca for defining what is meant by the word "diversity." Her model has been used as a
principle text for diversity management training nationwide in the United States, and probably in
some other countries as well.

In the last 20 years, the global context for business and the workplace has become much
more clear, and diversity right along with it. To help make the diversity discussion more
relevant in this global context, Marilyn Loden decided the model needed an update. "I would like
[the model] to be part of diversity discussions in which people outside the United States also
participate. This last round of changes was my attempt to provide a more inclusive starting point
for the conversation," she explains.

The newest version of the model addresses identity issues that were implicit in earlier
versions, which Loden believed needed to be brought to the forefront. She has added the
dimensions of class and spiritual beliefs to the core circle as well as political beliefs to the
secondary circle; she hopes that the new model will open up the diversity discussion worldwide
and eventually serve to leverage diversity internationally.

HISTORY OF THE MODEL

 The original version of the Diversity Wheel appeared in Marilyn Loden and Judy
Rosener's book, Workforce America! Managing Employee Diversity as a Vital Resource (Irwin
Publishing, 1991). A second version was published in Loden's 1996 book, Implementing
Diversity (Irwin Publishing). In this version, Loden added four identifiers to the secondary
circle: first language, family status, work style, and communication style. Many of these
additions were already implicit in the original model, but Loden chose to make them more
explicit in the second version. First language was the only modification that was not included in
the original model.

In the 1990s, according to Loden, many people wanted to minimize the impact of race
and gender and focus more on diversity of thought. But Loden remained convinced that these
two dimensions of diversity were still very important and should not be glossed over or
minimized in diversity discussions. In developing the model, Loden has always believed it was
more important to emphasize key group-based differences that are present and powerful
throughout people's lives. "I wanted to limit the number of differences we talked about [to] the
ones that are particularly important in shaping our identities, and also the ones that are prone to
stereotypes," she states. She chose to emphasize the differences that often lead to frustration,
suspicion and conflict when they are not understood or acknowledged.

Loden wanted the model to be empowering, so that someone could say, "I want to talk
about race and the impact it has on my opportunities in this organization." Or women could point
to their gender and the impact it may have on their voice and how they are heard in the
organization. Loden's depiction of important group-based differences was the Diversity Wheel, a
model that pointed to what is core to our social identities, the ways in which people derive a
sense of self when identifying with certain groups. "I think diversity discussions are really about
understanding our social identities, acknowledging what is important and learning to integrate
into society so that no sub-group feels excluded or one down," Loden asserts. The wheel consists
of what she called primary, or core, and secondary dimensions of diversity. The categories
suggest how much influence these differences exert on a person's beliefs, expectations and life
experience.

She described the primary, core dimensions as the most powerful and sustaining
differences, ones that usually have an important impact on us throughout our lives. In the
original model, Loden presented six primary dimensions that help shape our basic self-image and
our worldviews: age, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, and sexual orientation.

She defined the secondary dimensions as other important differences that are acquired
later in life and presumably have less influence in defining who we are. "They are more mutable
differences that we acquire, discard, and/or modify throughout our lives," Loden states. In the
original model, the secondary dimensions included: educational background, income, marital
status, work experience, military experience, religion and geographic location. "I think diversity
discussions are really about understanding our social identities, acknowledging what is important
and learning to integrate into society so that no sub-group feels excluded or one down," Loden
asserts. The wheel consists of what she called primary, or core, and secondary dimensions of
diversity. The categories suggest how much influence these differences exert on a person's
beliefs, expectations and life experience.

She described the primary, core dimensions as the most powerful and sustaining
differences, ones that usually have an important impact on us throughout our lives. In the
original model, Loden presented six primary dimensions that help shape our basic self-image and
our worldviews: age, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, and sexual orientation.

She defined the secondary dimensions as other important differences that are acquired
later in life and presumably have less influence in defining who we are. "They are more mutable
differences that we acquire, discard, and/or modify throughout our lives," Loden states. In the
original model, the secondary dimensions included: educational background, income, marital
status, work experience, military experience, religion and geographic location.

ITERATIONS OF THE MODEL

Several years after the first publication of the Diversity Wheel, two other diversity
consultants, Lee Gardenswartz and Anita Rowe, published an adaptation of the Loden/Rosener
model in their book, Managing Diversity: A Complete Desk Reference and Planning Guide
(McGraw-Hill, 1998). Gardenswartz and Rowe changed the original language of core and
secondary diversity dimensions to "internal and external dimensions" of diversity that shape a
person's sense of self. They also added two additional concentric circles, personality and
organizational dimensions.
 Gardenswartz and Rowe describe the internal dimensions as those that have a powerful
impact on the way we treat others and the opportunities presented to us in organizations.
Additionally, they maintain that these six internal dimensions are relatively out of our control.
They describe the external dimensions as more controllable, but still important factors for the
way people are treated at work. Although they cited Loden and Rosener in their use of primary
and secondary dimensions in their model, Gardenswartz and Rowe also made modifications to
these circles, adding factors like "personal habits" as an external dimension of a person's social
identity.

Loden doesn't necessarily agree with the adaptation of her model, which Gardenswartz
and Rowe call, "the Four Layers of Diversity." Loden says the Gardenswartz and Rowe version
mixes individual and group-based differences. She thinks this confuses a key point she was
making: that group-based differences have a major impact on individual perceptions, experiences
and opportunities. As such she prefers to omit the focus on individualism and personality.

"I don't think [these concepts] belong in this discussion. That's not to say they aren't
important, they are. But I think they muddy the water in diversity work," Loden explains. Her
main goal in creating the wheel was to identify important group-based differences that not only
shape our expectations, but also are also prone to stereotyping and can create conflict if they are
devalued or misunderstood. Loden believes describing the primary and secondary dimensions as
internal and external differences in the Gardenswartz and Rowe model is misleading. "I don't see
the distinction between internal and external as helping to illuminate the model. In fact, I'm not
sure what it means." She also thinks the addition of personal and recreational habits to the
diversity wheel can water down the important key differences. "These categories are just not in
the same league as dimensions like family status, military experience and communication style.
They don't really belong in the discussion."

Lastly, Loden wishes that the derived model did not separate organization role and
affiliation from other secondary dimensions. "Again, it over-complicates what the diversity
discussion is about," she says, "giving too much prominence to organizational dimensions of
diversity."

EVOLUTION OF THE MODEL

 Loden has made several changes to her Diversity Wheel model since the original
publication in 1991. While most of the latest additions were implicit in the earlier versions,
Loden decided that several needed further emphasis in order to validate the experiences of
people who felt that these issues were more central to their core identities.

DIMENSIONS of DIVERSITY

Adapted from: Implementing Diversity by

Marilyn Loden. 1996. McGrawHill Publishing

One significant change to the model is the replacement of religion as a secondary

dimension with spiritual beliefs as a primary one. While Loden believes that the United States is
still a secular society, she recognizes that a global discussion of diversity has to focus on the
importance of spiritual beliefs in shaping societal norms. "This doesn't change the fact that
spiritual beliefs may be irrelevant to some individuals. But by adding it to the core, we are also
acknowledging how central this dimension is to some groups."

Loden recognizes the role that spiritual beliefs play in many people's lives, which is why
she moved spiritual beliefs to the core circle. "We are seeing shifts in our society and other
societies today, the emergence of fundamentalist beliefs, and more emphasis on religious dogma.
I do think this dimension is becoming more of a cultural conversation," Loden said, as she
briefly referenced the recent Islamic Center controversy in New York City.
 In another change, Loden added class to the core circle. After discussing the issue with
several scholars, she decided it was time to make class a stand-alone dimension so there could be
no mistaking its profound impact on social identity formation.

"As much as people may assert that the United States is a classless society, this simply
isn't true. While income, education, family status and other dimensions contribute to our
understanding of class, I thought it was time to make this an explicit dimension," Loden states.
And she adds, " As economic disparities continue to grow in the U.S. and throughout the world,
how we deal with differences in class is an increasingly important global issue. It is part of the
primary, core circle, because it shapes life experience and opportunities from the day that we are
born."

Other adjustments to the model include the addition of political beliefs to the secondary
dimensions. Over the last decade, Loden has noticed how much energy many people put into
arguing their political beliefs, so she added it to the model. Her rationale is that political beliefs
can be a major source of conflict and stereotyping among people, and therefore, this dimension
of difference should also be included in the general conversation.

LODEN'S ADVICE FOR USING THE MODEL

Loden's first piece of advice to people using the model is to open up the diversity
conversation so that everyone at the table can identify with some dimensions. "The goal for an
organization is to create an environment where, regardless of one's diversity profile, everyone
feels welcomed and where everyone's skills are leveraged, Loden explains, "The Diversity
Wheel is useful in explaining how group-based differences contribute to individual identities."

However, as the diversity conversation shifts from a U.S. context to a more global one, it
is important to remember that other cultures place different emphasis on certain dimensions.

"While it would be great to understand all the nuances of every culture and the correct
etiquette for negotiating the global terrain, it would take several lifetimes to learn all of this.
What we can do is keep in mind four principles for managing our own behavior in a global
context and dealing effectively with people globally. These four principles are respect, inclusion,
cooperation, and responsibility - or RICR."
Loden defines RICR as:

•RESPECT: treating others as they wish to be treated;

•INCLUSION: making certain everyone on the team is truly a part of the team decision-making
process;

•COOPERATION: actively helping others succeed rather than competing or attempting to one-
up someone;

•RESPONSIBILITY: managing personal behavior to maintain a diversity-positive environment

and questioning inappropriate behavior when it occurs.

Anticipating an upcoming trip to the Middle East, Loden explains how she will use RICR
to help navigate interactions: "What do I need to know? I am not entirely sure. But by using the
wheel, I can consider how cultural differences may be shaping other's identities and experiences
in the world. I can also demonstrate through my behavior that I am interested in showing respect,
including others in activities, cooperating rather than competing to accomplish goals and taking
responsibility for building a comfortable, diversity-positive environment."

WILL THE NEW SPIN ON THE DIVERSITY WHEEL HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT
GLOBALLY?

Currently, Loden believes we are a ways away from having a truly global conversation
about diversity and inclusion. The reason? Many countries believe that "diversity" is an
American concept focused primarily on race and gender. More importantly, other societies have
different, deeply-held cultural assumptions. Thus when working in international settings, it's
important to remember that others’ cultural assumptions and expectations will probably not
be the same as ours.

"Frankly, I think it's a mistake for America to assume that a US-centric model of
diversity fits in a global context. It doesn't. For example, if you are a global business operating in
the Middle East, you have to recognize the cultural tolerances - particularly as they apply to
women's roles. In some societies, women aren't expected or encouraged to function as equals in a
professional context. By assuming that gender equity is a given, employers can place female
workers in a real bind - where they must manage opposing expectations at work versus in their
communities. Changing cultural expectations takes time. It requires societal endorsement and, to
be sustainable, should bubble up from within rather than be imposed from outside," Loden
explains.

Although Loden in no way advocates the oppression of women, her point is that it is not
our place as Americans to assume we know what's best or what will work elsewhere. Instead, we
need the humility to recognize that every society's culture is different, and that what works for
America today may not work elsewhere.

At the same time, Loden believes the Diversity Wheel can be used to help facilitate
deeper discussions throughout the world. "At the very least, the model can be used to initiate
conversations about similarities and differences that cross societal and cultural boundaries. As
Americans, we have to understand that we are not in the same place as other societies, and that
has to be ok. It's what global diversity is truly about."

There is no doubt that globalization has put a new spin on the Diversity Wheel. How
these changes will be viewed by those outside of the United States, or those working here from
other countries, remains to be seen. As a change management expert, Loden is hopeful that the
re-focus will make cross-cultural conversations about diversity dimensions more fruitful and
more likely to occur - even as the topic of diversity itself continues to become more complex.

Test Your Understanding. Answer the following questions diligently.

1. What is the purpose of Loden's Wheel of Diversity?

The wheel was created to help ‘initiate cross-societal and cultural talks regarding similarities
and differences.’ Her main purpose in designing the wheel was to uncover fundamental
group-based characteristics that not only affect our expectations, but may also lead to
stereotyping and conflict if they are undervalued or misinterpreted. The Diversity Wheel
provides an overview of the different types of diversity that exist in one’s job or
environment. We can use the model to investigate differences as well as similarities from a
variety of angles, as well as our own assumptions and behavioral tendencies.
2. What is Loden's first piece of advice for using the model?
Loden's first piece of advice to people using the model is to open up the diversity
conversation so that everyone at the table can identify with some dimensions. "The goal for
an organization is to create an environment where, regardless of one's diversity profile,
everyone feels welcomed and where everyone's skills are leveraged, Loden explains, "The
Diversity Wheel is useful in explaining how group-based differences contribute to individual
identities." The Diversity Wheel is a useful tool for illuminating many, often hidden and less
explicit aspects of existence in an organization where diversity is present at all times. Using
this tool can help people who work together see things more clearly, increasing their
awareness and acceptance of diversity at work.

3. In Loden's Wheel of Diversity, what are the four principles that define as RICR for
managing our own behaviour in a global context and dealing effectively with people
globally? Explain each principle.
 RESPECT: treating others as they wish to be treated
 INCLUSION: making certain everyone on the team is truly a part of the team
decision-making process;
 COOPERATION: actively helping others succeed rather than competing or
attempting to one-up someone;
 RESPONSIBILITY: managing personal behavior to maintain a diversity-positive
environment and questioning inappropriate behavior when it occurs.

4. How can the wheel of diversity be utilized?

The "Diversity Wheel" can be utilized in a variety of ways to inspire people and
organizations to consider their values, beliefs, and dimensions of identity. It enables people
to learn from one another and learn from each others diversity may it be in culture, religion,
language traditions, beliefs etc.

5. Is diversity a positive or negative influence in the society?

People of many races, cultures, faiths, countries, ethnic groupings, and backgrounds make up
a diverse community. There are different types of diversity like Cultural Diversity which
refers to the diversity of human civilization and culture in a given region or even globally.
Language, dress, tradition, and how individuals interact with their environment are all
examples of it. Diversity is instrumental in understanding the positive relationship between
individual self-efficacy and change commitment in teams. Diversity has both positive and
negative effects in the society, different in culture, language etc. might cause conflict or may
confuse people but diversity may also help people to learn from one another with their
differences it solely depends on how we approach these diversities.

6. Does diversity divides or unites people?

People who judge others are the ones who promote splits. Diversity is not only a unique
human trait, but it is also essential for our personal well-being if we choose to use it. Because
it challenges two basic human goals – selfishness and jealousy – diversity has a negative
reputation. We may rapidly analyze our flaws and limitations if we are honest with ourselves.
This suggests that whatever we require for our own well-being can be found in others. It just
comes in many packages. We must learn to see those wrappings as gifts rather than obstacles
in our journey. We were created to complement one another.

7. In Loden’s Wheel of Diversity, spiritual beliefs were placed in the core. How important is
it?
As a student spiritual beliefs is important because It aids in the attainment of virtue since
some spiritual ideas encourage people to develop excellent morals. Laws and norms govern
most spiritual pursuits. Christianity, for example, has the golden rule: "Do unto others as you
would have them do unto you," love your neighbor as yourself, greatest commandments
(love of God and love of mankind), ten commandments, and so on. Other religions contain
rules that encourage individuals to love and be good as well. In a similar line, spiritual beliefs
can be a caring ethic that guides promises to serve others. It can also be a measure of
equanimity, indicating how well a student can find meaning in difficult situations, perceive
each day as a gift, and feel at ease. It can also increase a student's desire to participate in
altruistic activities such as community service and unreservedly aiding others. It can also
help to counteract social vices, strengthen morals, and promote good health.
8. In your own way, how can you utilize Loden’s Diversity Wheel in your field of teaching?
 The Loden’s Wheel of Diversity is a great tool for us future educators to understand our
students with diverse cultures, religion, beliefs, tradition, practices etc. It enables us to
approach appropriately with our students, most of the time students with diverse ethnicity,
race, sexuality, physical abilities and characteristics, etc. are often misunderstood as a teacher
the Loden’s Wheel of Diversity serves as a guide in order to approach appropriately with our
students, nowadays diversity is often misunderstood and seems to divide people but as an
educator we have to look for the positive side of diversity and learn from these diversities in
that way we can approach appropriately our students, respect their diversity and at the same
time we can gain additional knowledge from these diversities.

SOURCES:

 Gardenswartz, Lee and Anita Rowe. Managing Diversity: A Complete Desk Reference
and Planning Guide. Ed. Jeffrey Krames. United States: McGraw Hill, 1998. Print.

 Loden, Marilyn. Implementing Diversity. Ed. Jeffrey Krames. United States: Irwin
Publishing, 1996. Print.

 Loden, Marilyn and Judy Rosener. Workforce America! Managing Employee Diversity
as a Vital Resource. Ed. Jeffrey A. Krames. United States: Irwin Publishing, 1991. Print.

 Barbara Deane is the editor-in-chief at DiversityCentral.com.

Prepared by:

MARK JOSEPH C. BERNARDO, LPT, MA.ED-AS, MPA (CAR)

Instructor