Understanding Diversity

• Diversity


  The uniqueness of each one, the state or quality of being different or varied
• Diversity is from the Latin word "divertere" which means to turn away, separate or oppose
• Dimensions of diversity (according to Collins dictionary)


  • Variety or assortment
  • Point of difference
  • Inclusion of people of different races, genders, religions, etc.
  • The relation that holds between two entities when and only when they are not identical
• Dimensions of diversity (according to UNESCO, 2017)


  • Race
  • Ethnicity
  • Gender
  • Sexual orientation
  • Language
  • Culture
  • Religion
  • Mental and physical ability
  • Class
  • Immigration status
• Diversity


  • An issue we have to face and conquer
  • Plays a unique role in this age of fast paced development
  • Challenges that confront a lot of people who have been identified as "different"
  • Discrimination issues around race, gender, age, and intellect still abound inspite of charters, laws, and policies that uphold diversity
  • In some workplaces, women and people of color are still discriminated against and not given positions in management or administration
  • People of a certain race are stereotyped to be of a specific character
  • In some schools, children with special needs are shunned with the reason that they are not ready for school yet or are not suited for the school
• We all live in a global village that brings about changing demographics both in the work force and education
• Confronted with the need to live in one global village, it is valuable that we discover and explore areas that could connect us and allow us to do collaborative works
• Accepting and celebrating the uniqueness of each individual will allow for respecting different experiences and qualities of individuals that will open up more avenues to solve problems and innovate
• Collaboration and communication are skills that are needed to develop and succeed
• It is important that we understand our differences and master how these could be used to harness tolerance, cooperation, and unity that will lead to productivity
• Loden's Diversity Wheel


  A framework developed in 1990 by Marilyn Loden and Judy Rosener to respond to the flourishing divergence in America's labor force, with the goal of empowering people to make their voices heard by pointing to their diversity and its impact on their person, their rights, and their freedom
• Loden and Rosener published the book "Workforce America! Managing Employee Diversity as a Vital Resource"
• Loden recognized demand for an instrument that would help people better understand how group based-differences influence people's social identities
• Dissatisfaction, distrust, and competition would ensue when the different dimensions of diversity are not given recognition
• The different components in the Diversity Wheel played significant roles in building character and possibly forming stereotypes
• Loden hoped that this could be used to further discuss diversities not only on the work force but globally
• Loden: '"I think diversity discussions are really about understanding our social identities, acknowledging what is important and learning to integrate into society so that no subgroup feels excluded."'
• Diversity Wheel


  Points to the significance of our social characters and the ways in which people develop their identity when they are able to establish a connection with a specific group of people
• Primary or core dimensions


  Stronger dimensions, characteristics we were born with or established by significant experiences, distinctly persuasive in establishing who we are, least likely to change, including age, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, physical abilities/qualities, and race
• Together, the core or primary dimensions notably affect our prior experiences, viewpoints, and principles, giving us an exclusive mind-set of the world around us, making each one of us distinct individuals
• Secondary dimensions


  Characteristics that are also part of our social identity but can change or be discarded as our life experiences impact us, including marital status, religious beliefs, income, education, work experience, thinking styles, personal values, political values, and personal appearance
• Loden states that the Diversity Wheel is useful in explaining how group-based differences contribute to individual identities, and its function is to encourage people to talk and discuss with each other and generate new points of view
• Loden's four principles for managing behavior in a global context and interacting successfully with people globally (RICR)

  • Respect - treating others the way they wish to be treated
  • Inclusion - making certain everyone on the team is truly a part of the team's decision-making process
  • Cooperation - actively helping others succeed rather than competing or attempting to one-up someone
  • Responsibility - managing personal behavior to maintain a diversity-positive environment and questioning inappropriate behavior when it occurs
• Ability


  The possession of the qualities required to do something; necessary skill or competence, or power
• Disability


  The umbrella term for impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions, referring to the negative aspects of the interaction between an individual (with a health condition) and that individual's contextual factors (environmental and personal factors)
• The American Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity, including people who have a record of such an impairment or are regarded as having a disability
• Disabilities may affect one's senses or one's mobility: they may be static or progressive, congenital or acquired, formal (affecting the shape of the body) or functional, visible or invisible
• A person's disability makes him/her a unique individual who is, at times, shunned from places and activities, and they have to be acknowledged as part of the spectrum of diversity, recognized as human beings who should not be discriminated against, but rather understood, accepted, and tolerated