EYE ON THE PROFESSION

A CLOSER LOOK AT TRENDS AND ISSUES IN THE PARK AND RECREATION PROFESSION

WILLIAMJ. M. WALD, CLP
is the executive director of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association. He has been deputy executive director of the association since 1994 and before that, for two years he was IPRA membership services director. Wald is a graduate of Western Illinois University, Roosevelt University and the National Golf Foundation/Oglebay School of Golf Management. He can be reached at 630.752.0141 or wald@ilipra.org.

Cultural Diversity

Taking a closer look at ourselves and at others

In choosing and researching my first "Eye on the Profession" topic as executive director of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association, I realized that cultural diversity is something that cannot be totally covered in one article and that research on the subject as it relates to the park and recreation field needs more attention. However, what can be learned immediately is the concept of more tolerance and acceptance of all citizens within our communities.

"Diversity consciousness" simply cannot be mandated into a system, integrated into a corporate culture, or prompted by financial incentives. It is reflective of an attitude that organizations and their staffs must adopt, so they can change their basic concepts about the public, employees and participants. Diversity consciousness converts "them" into "us."

Most people hold the belief that every human being is of equal worth, entitled to the same privileges and opportunities, without regard to race, gender, disability or age. This fundamental belief has led to changes in the way we manage our agencies and programs;
however, there is much more work to be done as we enter the 21 century.

The hard truth is that inequalities do exist within our communities due to stereotyping and preconceived ideas about a person based on race, gender, religious or cultural origins, age, physical or mental limitations, and more. Nevertheless, it is incumbent upon us to look past these categories when serving our communities' park and recreational needs. The basic conceptual terms of cultural diversity are changing within society. In defining cultural diversity, as professionals we all must remember that the term represents more than culture, religion or ethnicity. Cultural diversity is being redefined as the greater acceptance of disability, age and sexual orientation. Thus, it is imperative that park and recreation professionals understand the makeup of the community served and that we remember that these communities are changing on a yearly basis.

A Closer Look at Census Data

The U.S. Census Bureau released figures in February of 1999 that document what we have been seeing for more than a decade: the American melting pot continues to thicken, and effects are evident throughout Illinois. All regions are rapidly swelling with new citizens of all races and national origins who are redefining the communities in which we live.

A recent study by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic populations have seen higher increases over the past years. In Illinois, the Asian population is up 37.9 percent, the Hispanic population increased 35.4 percent, American Indian 12.9 percent, and Black 7.8 percent.

William J. M. Wald, CIP IPRA Executive Director

The Black population still represents the greatest minority with 15.3 percent of the Illinois population. Though Asian populations represent 3.3 percent of the total population, the Hispanic population represents 10.4 percent and is expected to take over as the largest minority by 2004 in Illinois. We must look at serving a more cultural diverse community not as a burden, but as an opportunity to explore and understand other backgrounds and lifestyles. This will enable the parks and recreation professional to better understand how we can be the unit of government that brings all segments of the populations together.

At 3 to 4 years of age, children are better at noticing differences in other people than younger children, but they are also susceptible to believing stereotypes.

Let's Begin with Children

The largest part of our service centers around children. Children are the most influential element regarding cultural bigotry. They absorb the reactions and behaviors of those around them. Communicating cultural values to

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