week 11

  
Readings
· Benson, P. L., Leffert, N., Scales, P. C., & Blyth, D. A. (2012). Beyond the “village” rhetoric: Creating healthy communities for children and adolescents. Applied Developmental Science, 16(1), 3–23.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
· Chatham, M. (2005). Child development across cultures. In C. Fisher & R. Lerner (Eds.), Encyclopedia of applied developmental science (pp. 244–245). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
· Mac Naughton, G. M. (2006). Respect for diversity: An international overview (Working Paper 40). The Hague, Netherlands: Bernard van Leer Foundation.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. 
· Mustanski, B., Birkett, M., Greene, G. J., Hatzenbuehler, M. L., & Newcomb, M. E. (2014). Envisioning an America without sexual orientation inequities in adolescent health. American Journal of Public Health, 104(2), 218–225.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. 
Media
· Laureate Education (Producer). (2014e). Diversity and social change [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Discussion 1: What Diversity Means to You
As you studied the impact of diversity on child and adolescent development and learning, you might have discovered that diversity is a more complex topic than you originally thought. You began this course by searching your own biases and perspectives on diversity. These were formed through personal experiences as you grew and developed. Now, you have the opportunity to revisit these perspectives to discover if they have changed or stayed the same, and why.
To prepare:
· Review your post from Week 1, Discussion 1. 
· Consider your current perspectives regarding the impact of various characteristics of diversity on child and adolescent development. Have your perspectives changed since you began this course? Have they remained the same? What led you to reach that conclusion?
Post by Day 3: 
Explain whether this course changed your perspectives on the effect of diversity on child and adolescent development, and why. If your perspectives have changed, describe how they have changed. If they have not changed, explain why you think they have stayed the same. 
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Discussion 2: Knowledge of Diversity to Promote Social Change 
Throughout this course, you examined aspects of diversity that can impact the lives of children and adolescents. When promoting positive social change for this population, these same aspects of diversity might need to be considered. Using your current view of diversity, think about how you can be an agent of positive social change. What types of social change can you promote in your work with children and adolescents? 
To prepare:
· Review the Learning Resources for this week.
· Think about the topics covered within this course in relation to improving the lives of children and adolescents.
· Select one of the diversity topics discussed in this course, and consider how this topic could impact the success of social change initiatives within a young population. 
Post by Day 4: 
Explain how knowledge of the diversity topic you chose could be used to enhance a social change initiative for children and adolescents. Be specific, and provide examples.