What Diversity Really Is
Everybody talks about diversity now. If you were a kid riding the streetcars in Pittsburgh in 1945, you knew about diversity. You heard three or four languages being spoken. You smelled the garlic. You saw the foreign newspapers. There were the great musical traditions of the Czechs and Germans and Poles of Pittsburgh.
David McCullough
The great historian David McCullough was right. Diversity is nothing new. But listen to the talk about it today—political rhetoric—and the discussions are usually limited to differences in race or national origin or the color of an individual’s skin. It’s as if differences never existed—that everyone that looked the same was the same.
If you ever listened to the song Everyday People, Sly and the Family Stone sung about people of all different colors, shapes and sizes. He sang about people of different beliefs, different groups, different occupations, different social classes, different generations, and different races.
So, let’s break it down and talk about the dimensions of diversity. There are primary dimensions of diversity, things that can be obvious to others, but things we can’t control. For example, color, shape, size, age, race, our ethnic backgrounds and our genes are all immutable characteristics or physical attributes that are unchangeable. Other examples are sexual orientation and gender identity—characteristics that naturally occur and cannot be changed. One exception might be physical/mental ability which can be altered over time as the result of illness or injury.
Then, there are things that we can control and that we can change. These are the secondary dimensions of diversity. Consider our individual beliefs and belief system. They may have been influenced by our ethnic background and upbringing, but we can still make choices to accept or reject early influences. We may be born into a certain social class, but we generally have options to move among a variety of social and economic classes throughout our lives. We choose how to make a living—our occupation—which can influence our social and economic class. Other secondary dimensions include education marital/family status, geography (where we live), and religious beliefs and practices.
Another important aspect of diversity are the cultural differences and variables that differentiate and distinguish us as individuals and groups of individuals.
Culture is the acquired knowledge people use to interpret experiences and generate behavior. Different cultures have varying approaches to (or styles of) authority, communication, problem solving, work, conflict resolution, change and time. Different cultures have different traditions—e. g. musical traditions as McCullough noted—languages—spoken and written—customs, food and celebrations, just to name a few.
Looking at all these dimensions and variables, there’s a great deal packed into our own individual diversity. How does this impact organizations?
There are misguided beliefs that characterize diversity and DEI efforts as potentially discriminatory, such as diversity training encourages biases against white employees. Conducted appropriately, diversity education encourages respect for differences. It encourages inclusion, and inclusion doesn’t discriminate. It means everybody and every aspect of their diversity is represented. You can’t get rid of DEI any more than you can get rid of everyone’s uniqueness.
To create an inclusive and engaged culture, savvy organizations recognize that each employee’s opinion, point of view and contribution is shaped by their individual diversity. They encourage all staff members to appreciate and respect each other’s uniqueness even if they don’t fully understand it. That’s genuine diversity training and education.