You can add to the archive by posting a comment, below.
To start, here's the entry from the Oxford English Dictionary:
1. a. The condition or quality of being diverse, different, or varied; difference, unlikeness.
b. with a and pl. An instance of this condition or quality; a point of unlikeness; a difference, distinction; a different kind, a variety.
{dag}c. Divers manners or sorts: a variety. Obs.
2. Law. (See quot.)
{dag}3. Contrariety to what is agreeable, good, or right; perversity, evil, mischief. Obs.
4. diversity factor Electr. (see quot. 1943).
5. Radio. Applied attrib. to a system of reception in which, in order to reduce the effects of fading, a signal is received simultaneously by several channels, the signal or combination of signals of best quality being automatically selected.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
“Widely regarded as a feminist classic, This Bridge Called My Back broke new ground. Bringing together U.S. women-of-color feminists from diverse ethnic/racial, economic, sexual, and national backgrounds, This Bridge offered a crucial challenge to conventional feminist theorizing and the mainstream women’s movement in the United States” (8).
ReplyDeleteGloria Anzaldúa was inclusive when she talked about women’s problems leaving aside racial tensions, and way of lives to come together as a unifying force, a voice that could be heard and respected in a white-dominated society. By forming coalitions among minorities Anzaldúa attempted to defy the imposed system upon women of color, and stop the disembodiment suffered by generating extensive work in several literary genres that gave as a result queer theorizing and ground to challenge racial divisions.
“I’ve been thinking about my not identifying as “disabled.” The disabled category is a particular form of “Otherness;” all such western notions of “Otherness” are exclusive and hierarchical, and tend to homogenize, and compress a large number of people under one particular form of “Otherness,” allowing issues of class, cultural diversity, ethnicity, and gender to be ignored” (Anzaldúa reader, 301-302).
ReplyDeleteThis form of exclusion from the main-socially acceptable was Anzaldúa’s struggle. By not self-categorizing herself as “disabled” she tried to emerge from the dominant-group control for according to her, all aspects of society are shaped in labeling the colored people inferior to benefit the elite. Anzaldúa realized that “other minority groups” could be even more internally divided by internalizing societal expectations, and prejudices. Therefore, maintaining the economic system that causes a privileged position.
From The Tangled Web of Diversity and Democracy by George Sanchez
ReplyDelete[George Sanchez] “I strongly believe that we are currently witnessing the rapid decline of institutional support for programs built since the civil rights movement to open predominantly white institutions of higher learning to a diverse community of scholars, students, and teachers” (8).
“How can our colleges and universities become symbols of civic democracy when our own faculty and students question our commitment to true democracy and civic commitment embodied in concepts of diversity? What happens when the rhetoric of civic engagement smacks into the realities of the current limitations of access and fundamental retreat from concepts of inclusiveness, whatever the root causes? (11)
I want to retake Sanchez’s thoughts on this especially when we had a surge of racism at UCSD and a silence protest at Berkeley in support of African Americans and other minorities in San Diego. At Cal, administrators sell the slogan of a diverse community when clearly it is not really happening at all, given the low representation of African American, Native American, and Latino students. To make things worse, cutbacks on educational programs, fewer classes offered each semester and at the same time raising college tuition have downgraded our university. As a consequence, new barriers for students of color will be not only academicals but also financial.
The University of California system has to engage, and expand its scope within the communities where the campuses are located along the state, and set the example with transparent budgets, promote, prepare, and offer admission to more students of color and students from disadvantaged backgrounds for we need specific actions not rhetoric to encompass everyone in our society.
Foreword by Angela Y. Davis in Methodology of the Oppressed
ReplyDelete“Sandoval argued for an emancipatory potential in women-of-color formations and strategies precisely because, unlike in neoliberal conceptions of diversity, difference could be embraced in these formations and strategies not as an objective in itself, but rather as a point of departure and a method for transforming repressive and antidemocratic social circumstances” (Foreword).
The neoliberal conceptions of diversity that Sandoval points out are the multiculturalism that media show and political correctness. This conception appropriated the values and meanings of people of color by establishing a common culture based on the hegemonic powers. In doing so, the neoliberal project avoids issues or race and identities because according to them what matters is overall benefit of the majority of the population measured in income even though it benefits disproportionately those in the upper socioeconomic ladder and damages people at the bottom. For this reason, Sandoval encourages an emancipation of the oppressed peoples to transform the social framework.
A veto threat by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger stopped a 2006 bill that would have required textbooks to show a diversity of sexual orientation and include "the contributions of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender to the total development of California and the United States," basing choices of important people not solely on their accomplishments but on their sexual orientation. (LA Times)
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to consider diversity and the push for diversity within education. People continually push for diversity and inclusion within curriculum and within the participants of education. This stopped bill just goes to show that the government is not on the same page of "diversity" as many others. This exclusion of a certain group of people keeps students from learning about the diversity of people and the diversity of opinions and thought. Students should be exposed to the diversity of thought. Textbooks are very narrowly composed in terms of how history is told and how the US is portrayed. This exclusion shows the censorship of the materials that students are exposed to.
But I have been most proud of the University of Michigan when I have watched the intellectual and political work of Pat Gurin and former Michigan faculty Sylvia Hurtado and Earl Lewis who, with friends and colleagues from around the nation, stood up to right-wing foundations and fought for the sanctity and sanity of affirmative action in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. This was community engagement of the highest order, combining the importance of diversity in what we see daily in our classrooms and scholarly communities with institutional support to take on those who would limit opportunity in this country. (Sanchez)
ReplyDeleteSanchez brings out a connection of community and diversity. In the struggles with diversity there is a lot of community building that happens before. The people who have common interests in the problems with diversity come together under common causes. The lack of diversity also affects communities as it is the different communities that are left out, economically, historically, etc. It is interesting that in the struggle with diversity that people often have such a narrow focus. Sanchez points out a bigger problem that should be addressed, which leads to the struggle with diversity: who limits opportunities in this country. It is because certain people have more power, the power to keep the communities from reaching full inclusion and diversity.
The school board in Raleigh voted 5 to 4 Tuesday to roll back a policy that buses students to achieve diversity. The vote came in a tense meeting at which three people were arrested. The Wake County school board approved a plan to place students in schools near their homes rather than bus them to achieve economic diversity. The district’s busing policy began in 1999. With the Supreme Court in 2007 limiting the use of race in assigning students, the policy became a model for other districts that wanted to maintain balance in school demographics. (NY Times)
ReplyDeleteThe problem with busing to achieve diversity is that the real problem is being ignored: why there is no diversity already in existence within the communities. Instead of continually trying to place students in schools so they can have a balance of school demographics, they should analyze why there is a lack of diversity from one are to another. There should be a study so that people can finally see the differences in economic backgrounds of the different families in different ares. It seems as if in addressing diversity, or the lack thereof, that people always settle on a quick solution instead of taking the time to truly figure out the bigger problems that revolve around it.
The recent business trends of globalization and increasing ethnic and gender diversity are turning managers' attention to the management of cultural differences. The management literature has suggested that organizations should value diversity to enhance organizational effectiveness. However, the specific link between managing diversity and organizational competitiveness is rarely made explicit and no article has reviewed actual research data supporting such a link. This article reviews arguments and research data on how managing diversity can create a competitive advantage. We address cost, attraction of human resources, marketing success, creativity and innovation, problem-solving quality, and organizational flexibility as six dimensions of business performance directly impacted by the management of cultural diversity. We then offer suggestions for improving organizational capability to manage this diversity.(JSTOR®)
ReplyDeleteThis article sums up the current trend that many buisness leaders are going through. Underistanding diversity to benifit both the buisness and community. When the buisness or firm has a clearer understadnding of what the divrsity of the commuity is, they can target it their goods to meet the needs. Not only is this of value for the companies, but it can also help the general public. By understanding what diversity truly means, we can beging the process of bridge building. So, by having buisnesses intrested in diversity, we can wait and see a new attitude towrds diffrentces.
The dominance of anti-essentialist thinking has rendered contemporary discussions of Black Nationalism politically impotent. Current theorizations of Black solidarity and racial identity rely on the promises of liberalism and the hope of racial equality to justify ethical appeals to humanism and cosmopolitan care ethics without encountering the possibility that racial equality may never be attainable. With this possibility looming in the background, this article asks how Black scholars can begin to think about political theories under this pessimistic reality. Using Derrick Bell’s Racial Realism as a philosophical foundation, I attempt to read Delany’s infamous statement that Blacks are “a nation within a nation” as the philosophical origins of nation-ism, and contend that John E. Bruce’s development of Delany’s notion of race can provide an important contribution to racial identity theory in the age of social construction. (TJ Curry)
ReplyDeleteRacial Realism, which should be countied in with diversity. Is the inability to recognize and acknowledge racism as a valid and living entity. This inability promotes the continous use of racism in our everyday life. To begin to rid our selfs of this, we must begin to dicect and bring down the issues we face as a community. Racial Realism is what causes our oppression and keeps us in a constant cycle of poverty and oppression. Moving forward me must tackle this issue at hand or else we cannot move away from the past.
Worldwide immigration and quests for rights by minority groups have caused social scientists and educators to raise serious questions about liberal assimilationist conceptions of citizenship that historically have dominated citizenship education in nation-states. The author of this article challenges liberal assimilationist conceptions of citizenship and citizenship education. He argues that citizenship education should be reformed so that it reflects the home cultures and languages of students from diverse groups, and he contends that group rights can help individuals to attain structural equality. In the final part of the article, he discusses the implications of his analysis for transforming citizenship education. (James A. Banks)
ReplyDeleteAt the heart of the diversity 'argument' is the notion of assimilation and intergration. Intergration, by means of education and social incorperation, is a way to rid a nation of its diversity. Diversity offers a nation or a region, the value of new people and new ideas. However, not everyone is agreement with diversity. As with a section of this article we see that there are people that not supportive of diversity. In fact,they would rather change the system and have people assimilate into the greater society. If this is done, we stand to lose people that bring in valuable information. The inclusion of diversity is not always looked upon favorably, sometimes its looked at with distast and dislike.
Epistemic diversality shall be the ground for political and ethical cosmopolitan projects. In other words, diversity as a universal project (that is, diversality) shall be the aim instead of longing for a new abstract universal and rehearsing a new universality grounded in the “true” Greek or Enlightenment legacy. Diversality as the horizon of critical and dialogic cosmopolitanism presupposes border thinking or border epistemology grounded on the critique of all possible fundamentalism (Western and non-Western, national and religious, neoliberal and neosocialist) and on the faith in accumulation at any cost that sustains capitalist organizations of the economy (Mignolo 2000). Since diversality (or diversity as a universal project) emerges from the experience of coloniality of power and the colonial difference, it cannot be reduced to a new form of cultural relativism but should be thought out as new forms of projecting and imagining, ethically and politically, from subaltern perspectives. (Mignolo-The Many Faces...)
ReplyDeleteMignolo makes an interesting point in saying that we should aim for diversality instead of trying to create a new abstract universal. There is often this struggle between trying to "fix" what already exists and creating something new as a way to ignore what was. Mignolo also links diversality to border thinking and capitalism. Diversality could be key in understanding the different opinions and thinking. Diversality would lead to critical dialogs about cultural relativism, border epistemology, and the subaltern perspective.
AAC&U has provided national leadership on the issue of diversity in higher education since 1971. AAC&U’s current work in this area focuses primarily on deploying diversity as an educational asset for all students, and preparing future graduates for socially responsible engagement in a diverse democracy and interdependent world. Both are key elements of a quality liberal education. AAC&U has created a community of institutions committed to making diversity an integral part of educational excellence and civic engagement (Association of American Colleges and Universities)
ReplyDeleteFraming this with the student strikes going on now, one would question the work that this organization claims to do as diversity in colleges are not really that diverse. The access to higher education is not available to everyone and in effect not creating a space for diversity. Once again we can see a connection between community and diversity, where community works towards diversity. Diversity and education have been connected for so long and there has long been a debate about whether diversity exists in education. There needs to be more work done on creating more diversity in education, after all America claims to be a very diverse country, so why not extend that into education.
Homogenous societies are quickly becoming a relic of the past. Continuing migrations, intercultural communications, international agreements, transnational cooperations, and cross-cultural coalitions all testify to the fact that we have entered the age of diversity. Life and work in a multiethnic society comprises ambivalences, conflicts, and contradictions around the experience of national or ethnic identity. People have multiple identities and they use multiple strategies to achieve their aims. The challenge we are facing is: How can we create justice and respect between groups of people and between individuals at a time when global migrations have intensified and new community situations have emerged?
ReplyDeleteAs a response to this when I read newspapers last week with information about a rally in favor of immigrants in Los Angeles, and then when I read comments posted on the Los Angeles times full of hate speech made me wonder: Why is it that there is so much contention and reluctance to give to immigrants the right to be here legally? There are millions of people in the shadows that deserve an opportunity to better their lives and what is more they have been contributing to this country for many years, and are hardworking people. Why is this nation is proud of being a diverse country where supposedly everyone gets along while reality says all the contrary:
“The illegal aliens do deserve immigration rights, they have the right to go back to Mexico and quit using our tax dollars for social programs”; “Arrest them where they stand. They make it easy to find them, so arrest these dumb illegal aliens”; “Here's "Immigration Reform" I would support... Build the fence, deport all illegals, cut all benefits, jail employers, get in line in your country of origin”.
The immigration laws have excluded people of color while expedite European immigration. However, employers prefer cheap labor to make profits, and the Anglo Saxon mainstream media only do not care about tolerance, inclusion, and equal rights for everyone. In other words everything that questions the status quo is seen as alien and threatening to the accepted culture forgetting cultural diversity.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/03/immigrant-rights-supporters-rally-in-downtown-la.html
Keyword: Diversity
ReplyDeleteDate: 2004
Title: "A field study of group diversity, participation in diversity education programs, and performance"
Author: Robin Ely
Link: http://web.mit.edu/cortiz/www/Diversity/Ely%202004.pdf
Context: “Field studies have found sex diversity to have negative effects in male-dominated but not in female-dominated samples (O’Reilly et al., 1997), possibly because men in predominantly female jobs or organizations are well integrated (Fairhurst & Snavely, 1983) and experience little hostility from their woman co-workers (Schreiber, 1979).”
Analysis: Robin Ely, the author discusses four different aspects of diversity-tenure, age, sex, and race to conduct a field study on employee participation in a firm. I focused on reading the aspect of sex diversity. It was discussed that men have an easier time adjusting to work spaces in which it is the majority of women, while womyn have a harder time. The author then discusses that the greater sex diversity should be associated with greater psychological commitment for both men and women, which then positively affects team performance. Every aspect, the author hypothesis that having diversity, whether it is tenure, age, sex, or race based is positive. I agree that having diversity is a positive characteristic of any space because it helps to bring about creativity and tolerance.
Keyword: Diversity
ReplyDeleteDate: 2/18/2010
Title: Haas family gift to boost UC Berkeley diversity studies
Author: Matt Krupnick
Link: http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_14427737 (ContraCosta Times)
Context: “A $16 million donation will help UC Berkeley study diversity and related issues and, university leaders hope, make minority students feel more welcome on campus.”
Analysis: After reading this article I started to question what specifically diversity meant to administration at institutions such as the university. They keep using the word “minority” to describe students of color that are from a low income household. How can they study diversity and “make students feel more welcomed”?? I feel that UC Berkeley is always advertised as a “Diverse” campus, when in fact there is still not enough student of colors admitted. The “diversity” walls around campus try to depict a campus that is very diverse, when infact there is still a lot of segregation and racism present. It takes more than just money to achieve cultural diversity in institutions like universities, there is a need to think in terms of decolonizing.
Keyword: Diversity
ReplyDeleteDate: March 5, 2010
Title: March 4 Protest
Author: Robert J Birgeneau, Chancellor
Link: email sent out to the campus community
Context: “In the midst of these effective actions we deeply regret recent and continuing hateful acts directed at African American, LGBTQ and Jewish communities on some of the UC campuses. Yet, here too, we know that we are joined together in condemnation of these incidents and remain committed to a campus and country that celebrates its diversity.”
Analysis: UC Berkeley’s Chancellor Birgeneau ended his email that analyzed the March 4 demonstrations with the word diversity. A country that celebrates its diversity, is a statement that is far from the truth. I feel that the word diversity is sometimes used very loosely, for instance Birgeneau uses Diverse because it is thought of as a positive characteristic to a campus, which it is, but why use the word when in reality diversity is not always celebrated and is instead regarded as a negative trait. Assimilation was created in opposition to diversity and it demonstrate that diversity is not always celebrated. The history of this country is not one of celebrating diversity, when it has and to this day still opresses various groups that viewed as “different”.
Keyword: Diversity
ReplyDeleteDate: 1998
Title: Searching for Common Threads: Understanding the Multiple Effects of Diversity in Organizational Groups
Author: Frances J millinken, Luis Martins
Link: Jstor, http://www.jstor.org/pss/258667
Context: “Further, the U.S. population is becoming more ethnically diverse, suggesting that organizations operating in the United States will need to learn how to manage more heterogenous workgroups than they have managed previously....thereby bringing them into contact with people who may have very different training skills, functional background, and even values.”
Analysis: Here we see how organizations are dealing with the ethnic diversity present in the country. With growing diversity, there is a need to change certain point of views and to be open to tolerance. It is interesting to relate this to education and its lack of having diverse ways to educate students that have different learning capacities and abilities. The new Census might reveal an even more diverse society and it is interesting to see the upcoming changes that are going to have to be made in a society that is still very colonial.
Keyword: Diversity
ReplyDeleteDate: March 28, 2010
Title:Ivy League Schools’ barrier to Asian Americans
Author: Jules Older
Link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/28/IN3L1CKNM1.DTL
Context: “They were kept out by the quota system, by a newfound interest in "geographic diversity" and by plain old bigotry. They weren't wanted, and those who did squeeze through the barriers (in that pushy way of theirs) were simply too smart to keep out.”
Analysis: In the article we see that “mostly Western Asians of this one are being routinely, systematically and almost openly discriminated against by America's leading educational institutions.” Issues surrounding diversity such as white privilege, legacy admissions and affirmative action are brought up to my mind. I think that diversity is a positive component to any campus, whether it is private or public. The institutionalized racism present is very obvious when we keep seeing that the numbers of students of colors pursuing higher education continue to be very low. Brown and Black students are systematically discriminated against, so it is very hard to achieve a diverse campus community. There is a need to look for a way to make sure that students of color are able to afford and be accepted into universities.
Keyword: Diversity Date: April 4, 2010 Title:New faces on Southland art museum scene Author: Suzanne Muchnic Link: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-curators4-2010apr04,0,61172.story Context: “an infusion of new curatorial blood at Southern California museums reflects a growing ethnic diversity as well as fresh perspectives and programmatic growth.”
ReplyDeleteAnalysis: Amongst the financial crisis, museums have also been affected. The new curators, or keepers of a museum’s collection are happy to fill in the new positions available. The new “diverse staffs” are going to try to develop a program and collection in which ‘the cultural riches of the region [Los Angeles]’ are able to make a relationship between the consumer and the museum culture. The author, names some of the new curators and their native country. I felt as if it was almost as if it was just tokenizing the folks that were now hired, as if the art history museums are trying to say that they have a diverse staff so they can connect to the community. This makes me think of the problem that is brought about by diversity, which is tokenizing. Often times, folks of color find themselves being tokenized just to fit a quota, or to try to make institutions seem more culturally accepting.
Keyword: Diversity Date: 3/29/2010 Title: Trinity students want diplomas without 'Our Lord' Author: The Associated Press Link: http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_14778072 Context: “Some Trinity University students are asking school trustees to drop the words "Our Lord" from their diplomas, arguing that the reference doesn't respect the diversity of religions on campus.”
ReplyDeleteAnalysis: Often times the word diversity is associated with race or ethnicity. Yet, we also have to keep in mind that there are various aspects related to diverse/diversity. Diversity is variety, showing more than just two options. We know that there are hundreds of different religious beliefs. “President Dennis Ahlburg said Trinity should continue to foster a diverse environment but should not ignore its cultural and religious roots.” Being acceptive and supportive of all faiths is important and it would proper for the students to accept and tolerate the words on the diploma, he states. Yet the students are being reasonable by seeking a change only only for students who desired it, but university staff told them the school would not print custom diplomas. Mr. Ahlburg should then take his own advice, and tolerate the fact that some students dont want the words “our lord’ on their diploma. THe university has supposedly taken “pains” to increase diversity so that its not only white Christians.
As we all are aware, the United States was founded on a history of conquest, colonial exploitation, patriarchal assumptions, labor migration, and slavery. From the initial formation of the thirteen states divisions emerged with respect to religion, language, and cultural practice. Patterns of landownership, slavery and class, definitions of democracy, and the expectations of civil society differed by state and region and certainly differed dramatically from the diversity that we find United States of today. (Susser, and Patterson in Cultural Diversity in the United States, 4).
ReplyDeleteTherefore, much of the public debate concerning education, health, and other dimensions of inequality in the United States centers on questions of biological and cultural differences that have had as a consequence political demands for civil rights, women’s rights, and issues related to power, culture, and social movements within the United States. I our ethnic studies class, we have learned to thin critically about American diversity, citizenship, gender divisions, sexual orientation, race, and class consciousness. In addition, we have examined hegemonic constructions of whiteness, and who gets to be defined racially poor.
Class, ethnicity, race, and gender are not natural categories; they are socially and culturally constructed. It is important to realize this in light of renewed claims since the 1980s that human diversity and the exploitative, repressive and oppressive relations manifested in class, ethnic, gender, and racial hierarchies are rooted in biology or in the kind of deep historical past explored by archeologists. That such diversity is constructed means that the categories of ethnicity, gender, and race are produced in the complex interplay of various historically constituted and contingent forces, relations, and practices that are both structural and cultural. It also means that the categories themselves were forged and reproduced by the peoples whose activities bolster and sustain those relations and practices rather than by the anthropologists who study them. It further implies that while some societies are cross-cut by gender, ethnic, and racial divisions, others may not exhibit such diversity.
ReplyDeleteIn other words, there are and certainly were societies where race and ethnicity were not meaningful categories or did not bear the same load they have had in the United States in the late 20th century, and there are and were societies where gender reflected a technical division of labor rather than difference. Class and state formation constitute an important circumstance in which social and cultural diversity-based on gender, ethnic, or racial distinctions- has been constructed, reproduced, and contested. (Patterson, Thomas in Diversity and Archeology, 9).
I strongly agree with Patterson, we have internalized race, class, ethnicity and gender as part of our culture affecting our society. Also, some groups have taken full advantage of this to get resources, and suppress other peoples. Nevertheless, these categories offer theoretical and methodological frameworks that allow us to explore this diversity and its implications. We should address issues of cultural diversity, and to suggest directions that might be used to appreciate it.
In the United States, people tend to imagine linguistic diversity as a mosaic or quilt. In this linguistic imaginary, each piece is labeled-“Southern,” “Brooklyness,” “Ebonics,” Bilingualism,” and so on – and typified as collections of words and phrases used by certain kinds of people. The words and phrases are imagined as packages that stand out against the linguistic background, the middle class English standard. Thus way of imagining language is the organizing principle for two opposing positions: diversity-as-a wonderful-garden and diversity-as-polluting-and-dangerous. These positions, typified as “liberal” and “conservative”, are assumed to represent the spectrum of possible understandings of language. They do not: neither is based on an ethnographically or historically accurate understanding of what language is. But they do share the same fallacy: that languages are things which come in neat packages matching ethnic, racial, regional, or national types of people. In this imaginary, the historical and social processes that make diversity dynamic and complex fade from consideration (Urcioli, Bonnie in the Complex Diversity of Language in the United States, 190).
ReplyDeleteCertainly what Urcioli mentions is truth in the United States people feel proud for having a diversity of languages, but when it comes to recognize another language as official besides English concerns emerge in society expressing a threat to the ‘American values’. There is a polarization between English and Spanish and the argument has been on for quite some years, People take a moral position to defend English from other languages so much as they are about being “American”. On the one hand, people living in the United States have to compel to the formal system, and learn English. On the other hand, people speaking different languages that contrast with the White norm politicizing linguistic situations. In summary, diversity as a part of the United States is very different from diversity as a linguistic concept.
An important product of the migration, domestic and international, of ethnic groups has been the increase in the diversity of ethnic groups living within the largest metropolitan areas, both within the United States and in other western countries. The term “EthniCity” has been coined to refer to those cities having diverse collections of ethnic groups. Because many different peoples have come together in these places, EthniCities share both the problems and advantages of ethnic diversity. Problems include widespread uneven political representation, inequities in housing and employment, language instruction difficulties in schools, and interethnic tensions. Advantages might include a wide array of cultural activities, such as festivals and restaurants. Even though several ethnic groups may be sharing the same city or metropolitan area, however, they may not be sharing residential space. Significant residential segregation still exists and ethnic enclaves, barrios, and ghettos are still a prominent feature on the residential landscape of major cities (Vigil and Roseman in Teaching Ethnicity and place, 410).
ReplyDeleteThe competition among metropolitan jurisdictions to attract higher-income residents and exclude the less well off has been a powerful factor promoting the concentration of poor people in central cities. On the other hand, upper-income people and businesses that pay taxes but do not demand many services use zoning regulations, high prices, and even racial prejudice to keep out unwanted or the least privileged that in many cases are recent immigrants. These immigrants form enclaves where they establish residence and business achieving a daily interaction. Therefore, communities in the metropolitan areas have been redesigned, and developed in order to control local areas such as the Fruitvale district in Oakland and the Mission in San Francisco. However, as Vigil and Roseman mentioned this has caused an uneven political representation in these communities that most of the time leave them out of the political life in the city.
Family Change and Family Diversity
ReplyDelete“Future historians of the family will undoubtedly look upon the final decades of the twentieth century as a time of upheaval, when a major shift occurred in the form and function of the Western family. During the last third of the century, the nuclear family built around durable conjugal ties and a distinct division of labor based on gender has given way to a multiplicity of kinship types. This new diversity of family forms has provoked considerably commentary and controversy on the consequences of these changes for producing basic civic values required for social order” (Fursterberg, 147 in Diversity and Its Discontents).
“By any historical standard, the changes that have occurred in the family over the past several decades have been truly remarkable. It can be fairly said that in no comparable era outside of wartime have we seen such a rapid shift in the shape of households and in the behavior of families. No doubt, these changes are highlighted by the fact that several decades ago one family type predominated as never before: the vast majority of American were living or aspired to live in nuclear families, a form of the family that now ironically is referred to as the “traditional” American family. In some sense this attribution is not appropriate, because American families had always assumed a nuclear form, it nonetheless rings hollow to those able to recall that when this family form was in its heyday, many observers were bemoaning the disappearance of more extended and complex family forms and fearing that the nuclear family was becoming isolated from the network of kin and the larger community” (Fursterberg, 147-148 in Diversity and Its Discontents).
The nuclear family has changed lately, we have seen that people marry older because they want to gain economic stability, get more educated or enjoy life even more before committing to a long-term relationship. Also, there is a sense of personal autonomy that moves people away from the ‘traditional’ family that we conceived twenty years ago to the present where we see that marriage is no longer the master event that sets the departure from home. Rising rates of divorce are seen more often because people do not hesitate to break away from destructive relationships. On the other hand, temporary partnerships and cohabitation have become alternatives to marriage.
It is important to point out that diversity in couples have resulted from cultural shifts and tolerance to consider marriage outside their own ethnicity. Therefore, class and ethnic diversity are likely to grow exacerbating differences between the preferred family patterns and the new family (partnerships, same-sex marriage, and cohabitation), which mean that the family system in the United States will become more diverse.
More than 70 percent of students in Brockton public schools are African-American, Hispanic or belong to another minority race, according to the nonprofit Brockton Interfaith Community. But you won’t find that diversity on the district’s teaching staff. The group says that only 12 percent of the more than 1,000 teachers in the district are minorities.
ReplyDeleteThe Brockton Interfaith Community, which took a leadership role in the city’s housing foreclosure crisis, is now tackling diversity in the city’s teaching force. The group is pushing for the schools to increase the diversity of its teachers, saying it would benefit both minority and white students to have a variety of perspectives in the classroom. (http://www.enterprisenews.com/news/education/x905415737/Brockton-superintendent-and-religious-group-seek-more-diversity-among-teachers)
In reading this article I question what does diversity mean to this school. It is more important to teach these minorities properly so that they can have the opportunity to reach higher education. If the teacher is properly qualified it should not matter the racial make-up of the teaching staff. It could be argued that students will learn better from someone who understands them better, but who is to say that a teacher of color can understand a student of color better. Often times we are too quick to jump to conclusions. People of color, although often times are those who live in poverty, there are people of all backgrounds who live in poverty. The school's priority should be the advancement of the student. I am not saying that teachers of color are less qualified than white teachers, but rather I am saying that the teachers that should be teaching are those who are qualified and care about their students.
High school students given scholarships for their work with diversity. “Diversity makes a tremendous impact in enriching our community,” he said. “The Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation (NWAWF), through [the Diversity Makes a Difference Scholarship] program, encourages young people in our community to take action, to inspire action around diversity, and to instill this belief in the power of diversity in others.” “We shouldn’t celebrate diversity. We should celebrate what we do with diversity, what we make of diversity,” Liu added. ● Rima Akras, a student at Bellevue High School, traveled to Syria and volunteered for the Red Crescent organization, which helps young Iraqi women refugees better their lives. She has also raised money for the American Cancer Society and the American Diabetes Association. ● Maheleone Faalelea, a student at Foster High School, worked as a leader in the Multicultural Action Committee and then co-founded a new club called Educating the Pacific Islander Community. She accepted her award with tears of joy and said, “I know this scholarship will change my life dramatically, so thank you.” ● Imran Hafiz, a student at Squalicum High School, co-authored a book called “The American Muslim Teenager’s Handbook,” one that addresses negative stereotypes about Islam. As a State Department Cultural Ambassador, he also participates in quarterly web chats with foreign embassies about issues involving diversity. ● Kaycee Keegan, a student in Olympia High School, was able to get Nobel Prize Nominee Greg Mortensen to speak at her school and raise $25,000 for his non-profit organization. Mortensen has devoted his life to building schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Keegan has also contributed to the Pennies for Peace drive for schools in Afghanistan. ● Grace Kim, a student at Gig Harbor High School, dedicates hours of her time to promote understanding and appreciation of the African culture. She is also a volunteer for World Vision in Tacoma. (northwestasianweekly.com)
ReplyDeleteThis article may seem to be about diversity but after reading it, one may question how the work these students did actually did with this diversity. The work that these students did enriched their lives but what has it done for the community around them. Their work is admirable but it is in my opinion that the organization seems to encompass bringing diversity to the community. I think that it is important to have diversity of cultures, but at the same time there needs to be a willingness to accept this diversity. Pushing diversity (of culture among other diversity) onto a community does not usually yield positive, accepting responses. I think that a very positive, "bringing diversity to the community" work done by one of these students is the "Educating the Pacific Islander Community" club. This directly affects the community and could be a good resource to spreading diversity.
Fight for diversity not an easy one among area police forces.
ReplyDeleteBoth men believe race should play no part in hiring the very best police and fire personnel, and believe economic realities play a bigger role in their department's diversity issues than anything else. Word said Samuels' departure ignited a racial firestorm that then-Mayor Jerry Brown tried to extinguish by naming him to the post. The new chief said he realized at the time that the move had as much to do with his color as with his credentials."A lot of men and women of color look at the bigger cities," he said. "It's a struggle for us to get them, even though we have good pay and benefits. It's a concern with me, and I want to address that." (contracostatimes.com)
I think that it is interesting that this topic is even brought up in the media. As we have learned from past exposes, there was a time where some police forces brought in white officers from the south. This article also brings up the point about class being a problem that prevents diversity from happening at times. All areas (neighborhoods) cannot not be completely diverse because different families can afford different housing areas. In talking about diversity it is important to consider why there is a lack of diversity and how to work with that reason and create more awareness. Diversity is a tricky idea to deal with, not everyone cares enough to do something about it or even listen to those who do care.
The library invited the public to experience culture and diversity as a start to their celebration of National Library Week, April 11- 17, according to Susan Braunstein, programming associate for the library.
ReplyDelete“It is just to bring together people from all different organizations that help with the diversity of the community,” Braunstein said. It is the second year for the cultural day.
About 12 members of the Regional Support Group of the South Dakota Army National Guard stopped by as a part of their training, according to Kristi Palmer, the Equal Opportunity Advisor for the National Guard group.
“It’s been really, overall, a good little glimpse into the cultures,” Palmer said.
Exposure to diverse cultures and ethnicities is part of a soldier’s training. Palmer said it helps them respect and understand the people in the countries in which they might deploy. (rapidcityjournal.com)
This article is evidence to the fact that the term diversity and culture are constantly intertwined. When we think of diversity most people connect it to culture, ethnicity, or both. It is interesting to know that there is a group that has part of the training include exposure to different cultures, as they are deployed to places where the cultures are not exactly the same. Often times people get caught up with trying to get others to learn and understand their culture that they forget to try and understand the other people's cultures in addition to their own. It is also nice to see that this diversity of culture is linked to the library which is seen as a place of education.
Burger King Corp. Receives 2010 Diversity Leader Award from Profiles in Diversity Journal" Burger King Corp. announced the company has received Profiles in Diversity Journal's 2010 Diversity Leader Award, which recognizes companies for their commitment to diversity and inclusion communication practices. Our culture enables us to focus on developing our people and celebrate their contributions to our business," Perkins said. "We respect and embrace the diversity of our employees, as well as the diversity of the communities we serve." In addition, BKC recognizes that a strong and diverse supplier base is an important driver of the brand's success. As such, the company consistently works to create business opportunities within the BURGER KING(R) system for qualified women- and minority-owned suppliers. (marketwatch.com)
ReplyDeleteIt is great that Burger King supports women-owned and minority-owned suppliers. However, Burger King is a huge corporation that underpays its workers, who are usually of color. They market to people looking for food at low prices and thus increasing the amount of processed food they eat. This also in turn makes people unhealthy and have health problems. The people who turn to fast food as a source of affordable and quick food are people who make less money and work a lot of hours. I think that they should continue in their development of embracing the diversity of their employees and the communities they serve and consider paying their employees a better wage and feeding the communities better, healthier food.
Keyword: Diversity
ReplyDeleteDate: February 19, 2010
Title: Vast Genetic Diversity Found Among Africans
Author: Malcolm Ritter
Link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/18/MNQ91C34DM.DTL
Context: "If we really want to understand human diversity, we need to go to (southern) Africa and we need to study those people," said Stephan Schuster of Pennsylvania State University.
Analysis: In this article the fact that more genetic diversity exists between two Africans than a European and Asian is highlighted. I felt that the way in which the word diversity was used in the sentence that I used was used in a way to create “us” and “them”. The way in which it states that if we “really want to understand human diversity we need to go to Africana and study “those” people” makes me not like the use of the word in this context. It is as if human diversity is made into solely a scientific fact and thus legitimized race as being scientific as well. I feel that there is more to human diversity than genetic differences and that is the type of diversity that we should be focusing on.
Keyword: Diversity
ReplyDeleteDate: November 1, 1999
Title: Diversity and Multiculturalism: The New Racism
Author: Michael Berliner
Link: http://www.capitalismmagazine.com/index.php?news=3425 Context: “Ethnic diversity” is merely racism in a politically correct disguise; The diversity movement claims that its goal is to extinguish racism and build tolerance of differences. This is a complete sham.
Analysis: The author talks about the negatives of diversity and how advocates of diversity are true racists that try to view the world through colored lenses by race and gender. The author argues that schools should not be concerned about being diverse. This leads to a person being a “separatist”, choosing his friends -- and enemies -- based on ethnicity. “This separatism has resulted in the spectacle of student-segregated dormitories and segregated graduations.” The word diversity is given a negative discourse when it comes to this article. The way in which diversity, or differences in ethnicities, is thought about is negative because it leads to “separation” of people based on color.
Keyword: Diversity
ReplyDelete26 July 2007
http://minority-health.pitt.edu/archive/00000621/
"The first section of the report examines the literature on campus climate for diversity, the experiences of various racial/ethnic groups, and the effect of campus climate educational outcomes."
This article, although long, is directed at the higher institutions of learnig. It outlines way to have a more diverse and inclusive campus by broadining the subject covered and litriture given to students. The abstract summerizes the diffrent areas that are covered by the report. It states how the whole campus can participate in diversity efforts and what are the problems that the institution might face. This is relevent to our findings because it starts that the level of education we are currently in. It also gives us insight into how the Adminsitration thinks and reacts to diversity on campus.
Keyword: Diversity
ReplyDeleteAlesina, Alberto, and Eliana La Ferrara. 2005. "Ethnic Diversity and Economic Performance." Journal of Economic Literature, 43(3): 762–800.
http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/002205105774431243
Findings:
While diversity is a term used mostly to discribe a broad arange of people. We often don't see what happens behind the image of ethnic diversity. This article goes through the economics that surround Ethinic Diveristy. It graples with how well certain groups do economicly in diffrent places around the world. While the findings of this article are based on surveys it deals with economic policies on the divers communities and how they react. This is important because in this sense diversity is used to discribe and outline issues of economics and policies.
Keyword: Diversity
ReplyDeleteUnderstanding Ethnic Diversity
The Role of Ethnic Identity
JEAN S. PHINNEY
American Behavioral Scientist, Vol. 40, No. 2, 143-152 (1996)
"By exploring their own and others' ethnic identity, students can gain insight into the implications of ethnicity in a diverse society."
Findings:
This article is about the development of ethnic identity and the ability to understand diversity later on in life. The findings go into the childhood, where at a young age a child begings to question and examen their ethnicities past and images given off. This is criticle to the development of the child and their identification later on in life. When the child understands who they are, they are more understanding of a more diverse community.
Kew Word: Diversity
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jstor.org/stable/20440100
Diversity within Unity: Essential Principles for Teaching and Learning in a Multicultural Society
James A. Banks, Peter Cookson, Geneva Gay, Willis D. Hawley, Jacqueline Jordan Irvine, Sonia Nieto, ... more
The Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 83, No. 3 (Nov., 2001), pp. 196-198, 200-203
"Principle 1. Professional development programs should help teachers understand the complex characteristics of ethnic groups within U.S. society and the way in which race, ethnicity, language, and social class interact to influence student behavior."
Findings:
This article is similar to one I posted earlier. However, this one deals with the primary educational system in the United States. This article is a guide for teachers and administrators on how to understand the complexity that is ethnic diversity and identity. This is a tool for teachers to use and how to boost the performance of students who do not do so well in class. By understanding the diverse backgrounds students come from, we can tailor a better educational program that will suit who they are better. This is something that is overlooked too often. If teachers do not understand the diverse background their studnets come from, how can they help them out?
Keyword: Diversity
ReplyDeleteJournal of Organizational Behavior
Volume 27 Issue 4, Pages 419 - 442
Published Online: 5 May 2006
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/112605056/PDFSTART
"Specifically, among people of color with high ethnic identity achievement, having a supervisor of color was more strongly associated with positive views of subjective norms toward inclusive behavior, understanding others, and treating others with respect than among people of color with low ethnic identity achievement."
Findings:
This article takes a look at diversity in the work place. It talks about how each ethinic identity works with others. The findings took into concideration the ethnicity of the worker, where they came from, and how 'diverse' their background was. What the reserach showed was that those that came from a person of color background were more inclined to be accepting of cultural diversity. The white workers were a bit more resistful. However, they still had a postive work interaction with the rest of their co-workers.
Keyword:Diversity
ReplyDeleteDiversity: gender, color, and culture By Philomena Essed
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=4X4dy9NmDOwC&oi=fnd&pg=PP9&dq=People+of+Color+Diversity&ots=Rwg6kFntKE&sig=KT84larZUmejAOsWrD0B0n1t4do#v=onepage&q=People%20of%20Color%20Diversity&f=false
1996
"Acknowledging diversity involves the whole person and the whole society, where we cannot separate education from identity formation; ethnic minority family life from the impact of immigration laws…”
Findings:
This book is benificial because it covers the whole array of diversity. It deals with issues that other may not life or do not deal with. Some of these include immigration law and discrimination in the work place. It gives a general over view of the concept of diversity and it has ways of dealing with it. Not all the time is going to be easy, but it is something that must be done. The book also covers the areas that afect people of color the most, including higher education. Over all this book is would be a great source because of how much information is covered.
Keyword: diversity
ReplyDeleteValuing Diversity: A Tale of Two Organizations
Jacqueline A. Gilbert and John M. Ivancevich
The Academy of Management Executive (1993), Vol. 14, No. 1, Themes: Forming Impressions and Giving F... more
"Published by: Academy of Management
Despite expensive court settlements and negative public relations, organizations continue to experience conflict between corporate practices and their increasingly diverse workforce."
Findings:
This article talks about the reasons why a work place might begin to have diveristy in its setting. Often this happens when it is mandated by the government to have a more diverse background of people and a way to prevent sexism and prejudice. This article talks about the efforts being made that would increase diversity in the work place and in the greater community. It also deals with issues of lawsuits against corperations and organizations that can be see as discriminatory. This artile is a good source when trying to find ways of addressing the issue of diversity in the work place and of laws that promote diversitifcation.
Keyword: Diversity
ReplyDeleteDate: February 19, 2008
Title: Oxnard slaying prompts diversity education bill
Author: Gregory W. Griggs
Link: http://articles.latimes.com/2008/feb/19/local/me-hate19
Context: Eng hopes to create a pilot program by allocating up to $150,000 to establish a diversity and sensitivity curriculum at a few school districts.
Analysis: In this newspaper article, the hate crime of a homosexual student in Oxnard is the main focus. An assemblyman Mike Eng, introduce a bill to expand diversity education in California schools. In this case diversity is looked at in a positive aspect and is seen as the solution to crimes basked on race, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. In this case meaning of diversity is connected to tolerance and education. By education students on differences and diversity it is believed that students will be more tolerant and respecting of differences.