Diversity for the 21st Century - Term Paper Example

Diversity for the 21st Century Diversity has become the watchword in the 21st Century. The world is fast growing into a more diverse place. The reason why this is the case is not because diversity did not exist before. It was bottled up. Globalization seems to have let the genie out the bottle. We now have to contend with issues of diversity. The world is becoming a village. New means of transport and communication have ensured that people are moving closer together. Competition also ensures that people from different backgrounds are competing for the same resources and opportunities. This has highlighted the differences that exist between people even more. There seem to be differences with regards to gender, physical ability, race and so on. There is a need to manage this diversity therefore for the best results to be achieved in the workplace, classrooms and other arena. This is what this paper shall labor to do. I shall seek to make the case for more diversity. Diversity is not merely affirmative action. It brings actual tangible results for the organizations that practice it. This paper shall also explore the different types of diversity that exist in the 21st Century (Lee & Bean, 2010). The best beginning point for this paper shall be on the issue of racial diversity. I chose to explore this subject first because of the feisty nature of the race argument. It is after all early in this century when racism was very much alive. There was even slave trade that resulted in the racial mixes that we see in many places today took place. The United States is a case in point. Slaves from Africa were transported there to work in large farms in the south (Lee & Bean, 2010). This case indeed proves that to large extent, the black people we see in the United States did not get there from their own consent. Therefore they should at the very least be afforded the opportunities that they yearn for. It has however to be accepted that racial diversity has made huge steps forward. Today, the president of the United States is a black man. This could not have happened if the voting population had not embraced racial diversity. In the end they decided to give the job to the most qualified candidate, regardless of their background. Therefore, racial diversity is a concept that has to be embraced. There are several gains to be derived from this. The first gain is that racial diversity reinforces equality in the society. When we embrace the idea of equality, then everyone is happy with their place and is keen to use the opportunities handed to them to further themselves in their own lives. It is well known for instance that racial inequality leads to an increase in crime that is perpetuated by those whose rights are trampled upon. The other arena where diversity is contested is with regards to gender. There have been concerted efforts by women groups to further the cause of the women. Until fairly recently for instance, women were not allowed to vote even in the most advanced democracies. This is a startling observation considering that today we have women occupying some of the most senior positions in both politics and corporate governance. It is even mooted that the next president of the United States could be a female! However, before the United States gets there, some much smaller countries are already leading the way. Malawi has a female president (McLymont, 2010). Embracing diversity in the case of women is an idea whose time has come. Women make up half of the world population. They are even in the majority in most of the countries. It is surprising however that their numbers are not equally replicated in terms of employment. In some countries, up to 95% of the lawmakers are male! Diversity with regards to decision making is therefore a right which the women have been prevented from exercising and enjoying. Studies have shown that organizations which embrace diversity with regards to gender perform better (McLymont, 2010). In companies for instance it is well known that women are risk averse. If they were to run our corporations therefore we would not witness some of the recent corporate failures that were the result of abnormal risk. Women also give birth. The idea of sending people to war is therefore more frightening to them as compared to men. Therefore we would have fewer wars around and there instead would be more focus on peace building. Diversity with regards to women presents ideas worth noting. There are values that are inherently female that would make the world a better place as has been highlighted in the paragraph above. Consequently, involving women more in decision making and governance can only result in better managed organizations and by extension a better world (McLymont, 2010)). Work is also an important part of life. This is what earns everyone a living. Many people spend most of their waking hours at work. It is important therefore that such places are reflective of the composition of the larger society. This is important since it creates a balance. When we have people representative of only one group in the workplace, there are attitudes that are reinforced about the unrepresented groups (Engberg, 2004). A case in point is banking. This is regarded largely as a male dominated profession. There are few top women in banking. This should not be the case. There are however standards that large corporations claim to adhere to when considering the diversity issue in the workplace. They appear under different names from one organization to another but generally they are inclusiveness, development and engagement (Selden, 2010). Inclusiveness has to do with recruiting the best people regardless of sex, race, and physical ability among others. Different people have different perspectives and this bodes well with companies that are keen to maintain their innovative edge. Development entails allowing these people to grow within the organization. They should not be inhibited. Finally, engagement means that people should be free to achieve the objectives that have been set by the organization. Diversity in the workplace should not be a one-off process in the workplace. It has to be continuous. Diversity also does not stop at the point of human resources. It has to extend to training. People have to undergo different training so as to be flexible t0o different demands. Finally, diversity must be enforced at every level of the organization. Diversity has to be reflected in the composition of both high-level and middle-level managers. Otherwise it shall be a mirage. Diversity must also be reflected in the classrooms. Education has become even more important in the developing world. As a result, more people from developing nations are moving to the developed world to enjoy the equally advanced learning facilities. This has resulted in diversified classrooms. There are people from different cultures, religions, geographical areas and even people of different political belief sharing the same classrooms (Engberg, 2004). This diversity has to be managed well to be advantageous to all the people and institutions involved. The first realization has to be that every one of us is subject to some prejudices. We should therefore seek to understand each other as individuals and not through cultural and other stereotypes. There has to be an effort on the part of the instructor to make the classroom pluralist by allowing each learner to express their opinions. Culture and other sensitive issues must be taken into consideration to ensure that no one is left out or aggrieved (Davis, 2009). The other aspect of diversity that is coming under greater scrutiny has to do with the disabled. The saying ‘disability is not inability’ seems to exist in paper only. There have been efforts to make the lives of the disabled a bit more bearable but they still fall far short of the required standard. ‘Disability diversity’ should be encouraged in the workplace. However, small issues still stand in the way of the disabled. They include poor access to the buildings where some workplaces are located. This might not be a pressing concern in the first world but it is a major impediment in the third world (McLymont, 2010). Diversity with respect to disability is also important in parliamentary representation. There are special seats that are created for the disabled in several countries. The rationale is to put the issues of the disabled on top of the legislative agenda. It is also appreciated that the disabled can best be represented by one of their own (McLymont, 2010). Diversity with respect to disability must also be encouraged so as to promote the basic human rights of those affected. There have been disturbing cases for instance of albinos being murdered in Tanzania because of the belief that their body parts, when uses by witches, can bring instant riches. This is a gross violation of human rights which directly derives from ignorance bred by poor cultivation of diversity (McLymont, 2010). By and large, diversity is a very sensitive issue. This is because people are judged on the basis of their identity. The fact that we do not choose our identity makes it a helpless and therefore very explosive situation. Diversity must therefore be promoted and extended in all places and to all people. This is because diversity does four main things. First, it gives a voice to the voiceless. Secondly, it promotes the basic human rights of those involved. Thirdly, it promotes equality. Finally, diversity enforces dignity. All these are very near and dear to all people. Diversity should therefore be addressed as a human rights issue and not merely as window dressing. References McLymount, R. (2010).Diversity in the 21st Century. The Network Journals Retrieved from http://tnj.com/front-page/21st-century-imperative Selden, S & Selden, F. (2010).Rethinking Diversity in Public Organizations for the 21st Century. The Sage Journals retrieved from http://aas.sagepub.com/content/33/3/303.abstract Davis, B. (2009).Tools for Teaching, John Wiley & Sons: London Engnerg, M. (2004). Educating the workforce for the 21st Century: the impact of diversity of undergraduate students’ pluralistic orientation, University of Michigan Lee, J & Bean, F. (2010). The Diversity Paradox: Immigration and the Color Line in 21st Century America, Russell Sage Foundation Read More