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Chapter 12:Religion
Chapter 12
Religion
Table of Contents
Page No. in the IM
Chapter Outline
1
Chapter Objectives
1
Lecture Notes and Teaching Suggestions
2
Key Facts (and Associated Questions)
3
Selected Items for Instructors’ Consideration as Discussion Points
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5
Actions and Exercises
6
Suggested Readings
7
Suggested Test Questions
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Chapter Outline
2. History of Religious Diversity in the United States
4. Race, Ethnicity, and Religion
6. The Diversity among Arab Americans and Muslims in the United States
8. Women’s Roles in Organized Religion
10. Recommendations for Individuals
12. Summary
14. Questions to Consider
15. Actions and Exercises
Chapter Objectives
After completing this chapter, readers should have a greater understanding of religion as
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Chapter 12:Religion
an aspect of diversity in organizations. Specifically, they should be able to:
• discuss religion as an aspect of diversity.
• explain legislation related to religious diversity and selected legal cases involving
religious discrimination.
Lecture Notes and Teaching Suggestions
This chapter considers religion as an aspect of diversity. Religion is one of the original
areas covered by Title VII; however, when compared to race and sex, religion has
received considerably less attention as a diversity concern. In recent years, however,
religious diversity has attracted more scrutiny, in part due to increased overt
discrimination against Muslims or those perceived to be Muslims.
The chapter briefly covers the history of religious diversity in the U.S., emphasizing that
although many people came to the U.S. fleeing religious persecution, they did not always
find refuge in the U.S. Catholics and Jews faced severe discrimination in employment,
housing, and other areas. As in the past, the majority of the U.S. population continues to
identify themselves as Christian—about 76%, down from 86% in 1990.
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Chapter 12:Religion
Religious discrimination against Arabs and Muslims are discussed, as such
discrimination has increased since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United
States. The chapter emphasizes that most Arabs are not Muslims, and most Muslims are
not Arabs, which is surprising to many students.
Key Facts (and Associated Questions)
Questions following each “Key Fact” are helpful in stimulating class discussion.
(Selected key facts include discussion points in this Instructors’ Manual. Instructors may
choose different ones to emphasize depending on the needs/interests of students and
instructors). Instructors may wish to have students formulate questions of their own
relevant to the key facts and use them for class discussion.
• An estimated 84% of the world’s population is part of a religion.
Question: Were you surprised by the fact that so many people identify with a
religion?
• In the United States, employers are required to make reasonable accommodations
for employees’ religious practices, much as they make reasonable accommodations
for people with disabilities.
Questions: How does an employer determine what is reasonable and what is not
reasonable? Did you know employers should make accommodations to allow
people to observe their religious practices at work? What or who determines what is
“reasonable”?
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Chapter 12:Religion
Emphasize that what reasonable is varies by employer and the circumstances at
hand. Many accommodations are associated with no costs, such as allowing time
off to pray (which can be made up), or allowing employees to wear certain religious
• Harassment of Middle Easterners, Asian Indians, Sikhs, and others believed or
known to be Muslims increased significantly in the United States after September
11, 2001, and has not returned to previous levels.
Question: Are you aware of any such harassment? Discuss.
Students may be familiar with cases in which people who looked Middle Eastern
• Women clergy experience a “stained glass ceiling” in religious organizations that is
similar to the glass ceiling in other organizations.
Question: Have you heard of “the stained glass ceiling”? What factors affect
women’s experiences with the stained glass ceiling? How is the stained glass
ceiling similar to the regular glass ceiling that women face in other organizations?
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Chapter 12:Religion
• Employees may post religious sayings in their workspaces, as long as they are of a
size that is reasonable for personal viewing, but posting large religious sayings that
target specific groups can be grounds for dismissal.
Question: Why can employers dictate what kinds and sizes of religious sayings can
be posted?
Emphasize that when at work, employers can prescribe much of the conduct that
Selected Items for Instructors’ Consideration as Discussion
Points
1. Table 12.2: Clarifying Religious Discrimination (EEOC)
This table provides definitions of different types of religious discrimination drawn
from the EEOC website to help employers understand issues associated with
religion and national origin discrimination and reasonable accommodations.
Students often wonder how a manager can tell if someone is just trying to use
Questions to Consider (End of Chapter)
1. How is the “stained glass ceiling” similar to and different from the regular “glass
ceiling”?
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Chapter 12:Religion
Depending on the type of religion (denomination), women may or may not face
2. Title VII requires that employers make reasonable accommodations for employees’
or applicants’ religious beliefs that do not cause undue hardship. How frequent do
you think requests for religious accommodation are?
3. Given that the majority of Arabs in the United States are Christians, why is the
perception that they are Muslims so widespread?
4. This chapter considers profiling against people who look as though they might be
Arab but aren’t. How do mistakes such as these relate to the “identifiability”
characterizations of minority groups as proposed by Dworkin and Dworkin? What
implications do these mistakes have for perpetrators of profiling and hate crimes
and for their targets?
These types of mistakes emphasize that one must be identifiable in some way to be
Actions and Exercises
1. By attending a service (or watching from outside as people enter or leave),
investigate the racial variation at a religious service in the area in which you live.
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Chapter 12:Religion
Compare your observed proportions with the racial composition of the area’s
population. What is apparent in this nonscientific study of diversity among
members of religious organizations?
2. If you know a woman who is a minister or can locate one, interview her about her
experiences. How did she become a minister? What route did she take? Did she
have a male minister as a mentor? What interesting diversity-related stories does
she tell?
Suggested Readings
The instructor should preview books for appropriateness to the specific levels, classes,
and students.
Brodkin, K. (1998). How Jews Became White Folks & What That Says About Race in
America. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Suggested Test Questions
1. What is the “stained glass ceiling”? How is the “stained glass ceiling” similar to
and different from the regular “glass ceiling”? Explain.
2. What should employers do when appearance requirements conflict with employees’
religious requirements?
3. What is the relationship between religious fundamentalism and intolerance for
sexual minorities?
4. How does the “identifiability” aspect of Dworkin and Dworkin’s characterization
of minority groups apply to religious diversity?