Diversity, You Could Be At Risk! (463 hits)
Category: GeneralRating: 1.25 on 7 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by calbearspolo (View user info) at 2006-09-16 18:30:45 EDT
This is the first in what I hope is a multi-topic series:
Recently the topic came up, at my job, that diversity was and important and long term goal of my company. Great. Fabulous. Go for it. We all rest better at night thinking about ourselves as a culturally accepting and Diverse person who tries to exercise, call our parents, eat right and recycle (all future topics I might cover).
I don't think it has ever truly been a point of contention that true Diversity is a good thing. Coming from a genetics background, the Diversity of genotypes creates stronger and less homogenized phenotypes, which are in turn more adaptable to various evolutionary pressures like disease, the environment, parasites, etc. So, go team, get your Diversity on. But what is Diversity really?
Here, I will clarify two types of diversity, so play along like I am making sense. The first is Diversity, which I am capitalizing the letter "D" so that it denotes the true diversity to which I am referring. The second is diversity, which is lower case and italicized so as not to be confused with actual diversity, as this term is the popularized and politically correct idea of what "diversity" is now.
Now, the best way that I know how to combat the idiocy that is pop culture and political correctness is an example: Theory contends that a diverse (note the lower case and italics) population for educational institutes is better for all involved.
This is patently false.
Let's start with the concept that having a population with differing skin tones is a Diverse one to begin with. Is it possible that a group of people of various racial backgrounds might all share: the same educational background, socioeconomic status, business and work habits, familial ties and aspirations, career goals, health status, thought processes regarding common stimuli, eating habits, outside interests, or anything else? Of course it is. In fact, one might argue that a local area office of a large company like mine would actually be an environment that would foster similarities like those, where most of the people would be the same in most, if not all, of the aforementioned areas. It would make perfect sense; take a successful person and mimic their successful traits, or at least find individuals who do. Such grouping would likely apply to any socialized group too, if you think about it.
But wait; wouldn't this make this my office, despite having black people, Asians, whites, and Mexicans NOT Diverse? If the only variable you are diversifying is a non-factor to the ability to function correctly, you don't have much Diversity at all. You have diversity.
There are extensive studies done, constantly through various groups, to correlate the relationship between diversity and its overall effect on productivity and success. The result? No statistical evidence that mixing different racial backgrounds has any positive outcome on relationships [source1] and an actual decline in the efficacy of the educational process in schools [source2]. I knew I would have to site sources for the flame-throwers out there, least I be accused of falsifying data.
So it is now tough to support the idea that a mixed melanin containing population studies any better together, or drives each other to improvement. In fact, the higher the level of diversity, the more fractionated the minority groups become and actually segregate themselves from the majority population. It is understandable that academia and corporate America wants to promote multi-racial populations that can work cohesively and foster sharing of experiences and ideas from an idealistic sense, but force feeding certain schools and business with a prescribed racial content is actually hurting the effort. True Diversity is more than simple racial blending, it needs to involve people of different socio-economic, religious, geographical, intellectual, moral, sexual, genetic, and cultural backgrounds. The term diversity, at least as it currently is defined in society, is effectively worthless at achieving any of the goals it is being implemented to do.
Think about it. In congress they talk about the BLACK caucus, a group of solely black congress members, in gay lobby groups The Human Rights Campaign fights for many LGBT issues, and La Raza, the biggest organization of its type, recently helped organize thousands of Mexican migrant workers to protest illegal residents of the United States. While I purport nothing about the legitimacy or success of any of them, even a fool can recognize that each group derives its power almost entirely from the fact that they are NOT a Diverse group. Doesn't this directly counter the idea that Diversity is an empowering thing by itself?
To recap, we now have actual Diversity, which is nearly impossible to come by, and diversity, which people use to feel better about themselves in a public front. So where to now?
That's the problem. There is no solution to this issue. But, upon reflection, is there really an issue here that needs to be addressed? Sure, racism and bigotry are wrong for a variety of reasons and ethnically diverse populations help in modernizing the antiquated ideas that are at their base, but we still haven't created a truly Diverse population. We have piecemealed a solution together. Maybe Diversity isn't a reality so much as an idea, a concept of idealistic intent, so that we have a blueprint for comparison for the future.
Perhaps in our ever-reaching attempt to seem and feel like we are doing the correct thing, at least in the perception of those around us, we just act respectably and leave it at that. There is no bigger hurdle than the political correct machinery that spins us all.
More to come.
[source1] = http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/frndseg.htm
[source2] = http://www.massnews.com/2003_Editions/3_March/032703_nytimes_study_challenges_diversity.shtml
User Reviews
Submitted by Amontillado (user info) at 2006-09-18 11:27:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
read it.
Submitted by FlakMonkey (user info) at 2006-09-17 12:42:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
embrace diversity- what bullshit. Fuck diversity. Political correctness is bullshit also, however I have decided to embrace it. I will be politically correct. From now on I am not white, caucasian, cracka or whatever. I am now going to refer to myself as european-american.
p.s. I am not racist. I hate everyone. I am an equal opportunity hater.
Submitted by DCWoody (user info) at 2006-09-17 08:04:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
That was long and unintersting. You really never noticed before that there's no italics on Uber?
Submitted by shandythedog (user info) at 2006-09-17 02:48:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
didn't get through this, but i suggest the politically correct Diversity should have teh capital, and the real diversity should be lower case
that would illistrate your point better
Submitted by Samo (user info) at 2006-09-16 18:40:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I didn't read, I might get round to it maybe
Submitted by Samo (user info) at 2006-09-16 18:36:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Italics? Have you never noticed this? is this your type of brain? How? let me know. You signed up in 2004.
Submitted by calbearspolo (user info) at 2006-09-16 18:31:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Ah crap, my italics didn't translate over. damnit.