Diversity Training Manual (Coursework Sample)

Diversity Training Manual
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Demographics of the US Population:
Religion
Table 1 indicates the current religious statistics in America (Pew Research Center, 2007).
The population of adult Americans affiliated to the Christian faith widely outnumbers other religions. According to the US Religious Landscape survey, Christians constitute 78.4% of the total population leaving 4.7% to other religions; and 16.1% unaffiliated.
There is a marked difference in religious affiliation across the generational and ethnic divide. Most young adults (below 30) are unaffiliated to any religion in comparison to the older generation (over 70). Statistics give a 25% vs 8 % comparison.
The current trends in religious environment are as highlighted below:
There are major internal divisions and subdivisions within almost all religious groups. For instance Christians are divided into Catholics, Protestants or Mormons. Furthermore, Protestants ere either evangelical, historical black or mainline churches
Christian Protestants constitute the biggest denominational following of all religions in America at 51%. In comparing some of the other major religions: Catholics come a distant second at 23%, religious and secular unaffiliated (12.1%), Agnostics (2.4%), both Jews and Mormons (1.7%), Buddhists (0.7%), Muslims (0.6%) and Hindus (0.4%)
The rates of affiliation changes between denominations is on the increase. A little more than a quarter (28%) of the entire population have in the course of their life changed their original religious affiliation with Catholicism bearing the greatest brunt.
The overall rate of follower acquisition and loss is predominantly neutral amongst all religious groups. The numbers of lost followers is offset by the new members joining the denominations.
More young Americans are making religious moves either across denominations or to un-affiliation in comparison to the older folk
The population of religious unaffiliated persons has been on the marked increase while the number of Protestants is declining.
Several studies predict that the US is likely to transform into a minority protestant country due to the increasing rates of denominational changes and trends to religious un-affiliation.
Race
Table 2 illustrates the population make-up of the population in 2005 and the projected figures for 2050.


Table 2 (Source: Pew Research Center, 2008)
The statistics indicate that whites still make up the biggest racial group of the US population. Americans of Hispanic origin fall a distant second at 14% with black and Asian Americans constituting 13% and 5% of the population respectively.
Based on Pasel & Cohn (2008), various trends can be deduced in relation to the racial divisions of the American population:
The proportion of non-Hispanic whites in American has over the years been on the decline (from 87% in 1960 to 67% in 2005).
Conversely, the population of Hispanics and Asian Americans has been on an increasing trend since the 1960s.
There is a growing trend in the population of mixed race births which is widely expected to affect future ethnic classifications.
In the next 50 years, the total American population is expected to increase substantially – by almost double figures (48%). As projected, the ethnic mix will experience some major changes with the population of Hispanics doubling (14% to 29%) while that of whites reducing (from 67% to 47%). The population of Asian Americans is also forecasted to increase (from 5%to 9%) while the black Americans will form roughly the same proportion of the population.
Age
According to Pierce (n.d.), the 21st century work force is characterized by four generations. Each group was born at a particular era and exhibits characteristics that are diverse and unique from each other:
5%-10% Traditionalists. Born between 1925 and 1946. This group is very loyal and places great value on work ethics and morality. The individuals expect recognition for their sacrifice and hard work from their supervisors.
40%-45% Baby Boomers born between 1946- 1963. This group is characterized by a generation of individuals with strong team-work skills and whose greatest motivator is personal growth and gratification. The thirst for status advancements and take pride in material possessions such as money/bonuses, cars and nice homes
40%-45% Generation X. born between 1963-1981. This is in overall a group with very liberal ideals. They have an appreciation for change and diversity. They focus on a positive balance between life and work and firmly trust.
5%-10% Generation Why. Born between 1981 and 2000, this generation is characterized by a high level of technological awareness. The concepts of efficiency, multitasking, quick feedback and flexibility are synonymous with this group.
From table I, the percentage of the working population exceeds that of the elderly and children in America. This trend is forecasted to prevail into the future albeit with the population of the elderly expected to rise considerably by about 7%. Due to this, the dependency ratio will rise substantially from 52% to about 72%.
Immigrants vs Natives
The figure below indicates the immigration statistics since the...