On Thursday, July 17th Vana Prewitt wrote:
SNIP ...
> I know that when we speak of "diversity" we usually refer to the
> stereotypical racial / gender issues. For me, however, diversity means
> just that. Different people have differnt ways of thinking. They've
> had different experiences and different perspectives. This doesn't
> mean someone is right and the other is wrong. It means they are
> different. Period.
>
> Being different doesn't have to be threatening. In fact, it can be
> really exciting if seen as an opportunity to explore new things.
>
> Any ideas?
I agree completely. Consider this: Chris Argyris writes of the
disconnection from the reasoning process brought about by systemic and
cultural processes. People, myself included, are cultural beings, meaning
that we naturally follow and are expected to follow norms, roles, and
mores outlined by the group and the larger culture. When we deviate from
the culture, it is natural for us to be rejected, or at least chastised
for deviating. You could call this a stabilizing feature of the group. The
group will tend to stability even when it is illogical, harmful, painful,
or destructive.
If it becomes acceptable to accept those who are racially or culturally
different, we learn to accept different ideas, norms, roles, and mores.
This, in turn, will allow us to be more truly ourselves, which will add to
the pool of ideas flowing around us, and open the way for greater
creativity to make the changes we need to thrive. We will be allowed and
even encouraged to take off our masks.
The diversity initiative can potentially open the door for the world to
become a greater democracy for us all.
--Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>