ABSTRACT
This chapter briefly defines stress and then discusses the occupational stress, including student resistance, that is experienced by instructors who address topics of diversity. It also discusses a variety of coping strategies for managing stress, giving special consideration to minority group instructors, who face unique stressors. The simplest way to define stress and one that allows for subjective differences and physiological and psychological components is that stress is the upsetting of homeostasis, or the state of balance within one’s body. Learners who accept the ideas may find the new information exciting and liberating, drawing strength from the experience. For most diversity scholars, the goal is helping navigate learners through difficult emotions in a process of understanding the lived experiences of diverse individuals and groups as well as understanding societal oppression and other historical social issues. The emerging field of positive psychology can also provide useful strategies to build optimism and reduce stress.
