Student Perceptions towards Cultural Diversity Classroom Approaches: implications for the Hospitality Curriculum

• Matt A. Casado ^[1]
  1. [1] Northern Arizona University

     Northern Arizona University

     Estados Unidos

     
• Localización: Journal of hospitality and tourism education, ISSN 1096-3758, Vol. 21, Nº. 2, 2009, págs. 15-23
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • During the decade of the 1990s, the rapidly changing ethnic composition of our schools and workplace, especially in the hospitality industry, required that attention be given to curriculum content and methods of instruction to accommodate increasing numbers of minority students and employees. Most institutions, including hospitality programs, implemented directives for administrators and faculty to understand why diversity enriches learning/living experiences and how lack of diversity contributes to limited perspectives. This study analyzes the current perceptions of a sample of students at Northern Arizona University (NAU) on the concept of cultural diversity as a component of the curriculum, including those students in the Hotel and Restaurant Management program. Although the results of the study cannot be generalized to other campuses, the methodology could be adopted as a means to investigate the perceptions of minority students towards classroom approaches to diversity teaching in other institutions. Implications for cultural understanding in the workplace are also discussed.