Mark Williams (author)
Mark Williams is the author of The 10 Lenses: Your Guide to Living and Working in a Multicultural World (Capitol, 2001).In 2000 and 2001 The Gallup organization field tested and validated the theory underlying the 10 lenses in a phone survey of over 4000 people.The 10 Lenses are:
Assimilationist; who want individuals to submerge their individual and cultural identities in favor of nationalistic and patriotic ideals.
Colorblind;see people as individuals and ignore race, color, ethnicity and other external cultural factors.
Culturalcentrists; seek to improve the welfare of their cultural group by accentuating their own history and identity.
Elitist; believe in the superiority of the upper class and embrace the importance of family roots, wealth and social status.
Integrationist; support breaking down all barriers between racial groups by merging people of different cultures together in communities and in the workplace.
Meritocratists; believe in the individualist credo of America: if you have the abilities and work hard enough, you can compete with anyone to make your dreams come true.
Multiculturalists; celebrate the diversity of cultures in the United States and the contributions they make to our national character and history.
Seclusionist;feel strongly that they should protect themselves from racial, cultural, and/or ethnic groups that diminish the character and quality of their group’s experiences within the society.
Transcendents; focus on the human spirit, our universal connection, and our shared humanity.
Victim/Caretakers; see their liberation as a crucial goal. They feel that they are still suffering from the generational impact of previous oppression.
In addition to the 10 lenses Mr. Williams is the author of Fit in! The Unofficial Guide to Corporate Culture (Capitol Books, 2007), and Your Identity Zones (Capitol, 2004). Mr. Williams is a well-known public speaker and educator who blends his expertise in diversity, identity organizational development and cross-cultural understanding with music, video and other multi-media elements. He is a musical composer and has collaborated with such artists as Vanessa Williams, Christopher Reeve, Dennis Quaid, Al Jarreau and Danny Glover. His composition "One Song, Many Voices" is the official theme song of the United Nations International Day of Tolerance and has been translated into six languages by Warner Music.