Diversity Report Reflection
Students’ Name:
Institutional Affiliation:
Date:
Introduction
According to Byrd (2016), the concept of diversity implies variations of various characteristics in populations or groups of people. These characteristics refer to any element of uniqueness displayed by any group members, such as personality traits, cognitive skills, and things that help shape our identity, including sexual orientation, race, gender, age, cultural background, and religion (West et al. 2018). Social setups, like schools or workplaces, help put into perspective the concept of diversity. For instance, at school, a student might interact with fellow students of different age groups, genders, faiths, and social classes. Similarly, in the workplace, employees could possess distinct personalities, traits, and have various capabilities.
Thus this paper reflects on personal lessons about diversity in class about diversity. The article will outline the main aspects covered in the course during the eight-week lessons, including the concept of diversity and its dimensions, workplace diversity and prejudices, the ideas of adultism and ageism, religious diversity, the complexity of gender, and transgender equality. This paper will also investigate race as a social construct, the concept of disability, and ableism. The report will then describe a personality action plan to help promote diversity of values. The paper will also explain how the lessons learned can be used to advocate for civil rights and the ratification of diversity within groups, communities, and organizations.
Key Takeaways
Diversity exists in different dimensions and contexts. (SITE) describes the diversity of age, culture, gender, sexual orientation, among others. Age diversity refers to the ability to accept all ages in all social contexts. On the other hand, diversity of culture cuts across; it encompasses language, age, race, and religion. Cultural diversity is essential because the country, schools, and workplaces significantly have diverse ethnic groups and races. (SITE) argues that cultural diversity provides people with opportunities to learn from each other. However, some level of understanding must be established in order to ensure cooperation and collaboration. The phrases like “black lives matter” still show that American society is still less accommodative to some groups of people, especially in many people’s minds. There are reports of ender disparity in the work environment, especially with equal pay for both women and men (SITE), and some religious groups are also still associated with terrorism and radicalization. These observations are nowhere close to describing a just and fair society where every person is treated equally and with an equal chance of inclusion in important matters.
According to a report by (SITE), US black persons are twice less likely to be unemployed than white persons due to white privilege. According to (SITE), white privilege or white skin privilege refers to the societal privilege that benefits while skipping people over non-whilte persons in some societies, even when both the white and non-white persons possess similar economic, social, or political circumstance (SITE). The lessons pointed out that white privilege does not mean that white persons have not worked for what they possess. Research shows that many white people do not enjoy the perceived privilege of relative affluence like food security or the privilege that comes with access, such as a nearby hospital. Therefore, it should never be assumed that every success a white skin person attains is unaired; most white skin individuals have worked so hard to attain success. However, white privilege should be perceived as a built-in advantage devoid of an individual’s level of effort or income (SITE).
The term discrimination is also important for this reflection since is involves non-inclusion, prejudicial or unfair treatment of groups of people based on their characteristics, including age, race, sexual orientation, and gender. The lessons pointed out that even though it is natural for the brain to categorize items, care should be taken not to place appropriate values to these different categories, which could be picked by peers or children in the case of parents to perpetuate discrimination, especially to those considered disabled. According to ADA, disability implies mental or physical impairment that has the potential of limiting one’s major life activities; the ADA makes it unlawful to discriminate against people based on their association with disabled persons (SITE). The lessons helped describe ableism as the discrimination towards those considered disabled by devaluing or limiting their potential unnecessary. The lessons emphasized having a measured approach; first, by understanding that every human has imitations, whether disabled or not disabled. Second, it is vital to interact with persons with disabilities to understand their plight, and lastly, taking time to educate oneself regarding disability issues could be critical to stopping the problem (SITE).
Diversity also means the acceptance of persons with different sexual orientation or gender. Borrowing from the study by (SITE), privilege is considered the right or immunity granted as a favor or an advantage for some members of the society but not for others; (SITE) also observes that heterosexual privilege, therefore, confers an unchallenged or unearned advantage or rewards to heterosexuals based on their sexual orientation. This situation means that open show of affection to one’s partner in public spaces, the assumption that everyone is heterosexual, they perceive acceptance by friends and family are sometimes not enjoyed by homosexuals due to homophobia. As currently structured, society normalizes the negative attitudes and feelings towards persons perceived or identified as gay or lesbian, including fear, mistrust, or having discomfort in their presence. Similarly, transgender persons also face discrimination; for instance, in workplaces, studies have shown that they may face bullying; however, employers should ensure to put policies in place to ensure non-discriminatory practices for such persons as required by the law.
Proposed Personal Action Plan
Based on the classroom lesson, it is clear that American society, though considered the most dynamic and dives, still face challenges concerning practicing diversity and eliminating discriminatory practices. On a personal level, I chose to play a role in promoting diversity and t shun discrimination. At school and Aat my workplace, I chose to interact with the disabled, to know them better, and to offer to help at any time. I also chose to have a measured perception towards the LGBTQs, to appreciate cultural differences, as shown in religion or languages. Most importantly, I decide to stand with those considered less privileged and to a; ways ensue through advocacy make our American society more accommodative than today.
References
Du Plessis, A. E. (2019). Barriers to the effective management of diversity in classroom contexts: The out-of-field teaching phenomenon. International Journal of Educational Research, 93, 136-152.
Ravazzani, S. (2016). Understanding approaches to managing diversity in the workplace. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: An International Journal.
Richardson, C. (2018). Communicating family diversity and celebrations. Every Child, 24(3), 4.
Wang, M., & Fang, Y. (2020). Age diversity in the workplace: Facilitating opportunities with organizational practices. Public Policy & Aging Report, 30(3), 119-123.
West, M. A., Hwang, S., Maier, R. V., Ahuja, N., Angelos, P., Bass, B. L., … & Fong, Y. (2018). Ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion in academic surgery: an American Surgical Association White Paper. Annals of Surgery, 268(3), 403-407.
Wells, A. S., Fox, L., & Cordova-Cobo, D. (2016). How racially diverse schools and classrooms can benefit all students: The Education Digest, 82(1), 17.
Westwood, P. (2018). Inclusive and adaptive teaching: Meeting the challenge of diversity in the classroom. Routledge.