Positive Relationships Across Difference: Emerging Lenses on the Minority Experience.

In recent years, researchers have paid increasing attention to relationships across difference (RADs), or interpersonal relationships between coworkers who have different cultural identities (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual identity). Much of the research has emphasized that RADs, such as cross-race relationships, involve significant challenges such as prejudicial interactions, intergroup anxiety, and identity threat. The papers in this symposium complement previous research on challenges associated with RADs by also investigating key variables involved in positive relational dynamics in RADs. Although previous research has suggested that a learning approach is critical for positive relationships (Davidson & James, 2007), more research is needed to understand variables involved in relational dynamics that foster learning, especially in RADs. The papers in this symposium identify important factors that may affect learning in RADs, such as mindful correcting, sharing struggles, generative emotions and diversity cultures, and role models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]