I saw something on twitter discussing how some people will agree that we need diversity of thought, and use it to emphasize that they don't actually need racial diversity (or other types of diversity), and I wanted to jot down some thoughts.
Most of what I've written here has been coming at this somewhat sideways, in that I feel discussing it in certain ways triggers political biases and preconceptions, and people's minds shut off.
I hope I've done a fairly good job of making the case for diversity in thought (and avoiding groupthink and the like), so here goes.
Diversity of thought and the other types of diversity are related, though somewhat distinct. I'll explain in another sideways fashion:
My uncle had multiple sclerosis, and I only ever knew his health deteriorated enough that he needed a wheelchair. My aunt got onto the topic of universal design after they came to visit relatives in Indiana (driving from Colorado).
She started explaining just how difficult it was for them to travel... How hotels would say a room was handicapped accessible, but my uncle couldn't fit his wheelchair under the sink and thus couldn't reach the faucet. How they wouldn't have the bathtub/shower configured right, making it a challenge for him to use. How she kept track of which specific rooms along the route had the setup they needed, and would call the hotel to reserve that room in particular, only to arrive and discover they'd given it to someone else.
And these are all things that I was unaware of, because I've never had a problem using the sink in a hotel, or shower, or whatever (and really, after hearing my aunt talk.... if I was designing a brand new home I think I'd try making it handicapped accessible from the get go. Especially if I plan on retiring there. Having the electrical outlets a little higher, the light switches a little lower, the doors a little wider, their latches easier to turn when your hands are less dexterous... you never know if you'll need such a thing and you might as well just plan for it from the start.)
Yes, you can write up a list of requirements for accommodating such disabilities... but it's just not at the forefront of our minds the way it is for someone who deals with this sort of thing on a daily basis.
So someone with that sort of background can provide much needed diversity of thought for teams that need to consider accommodating people in wheelchairs. They could head off all sorts of problems if they helped design hotel rooms, for example. Or buses. Or theaters.
The things we currently associate with diversity - race, sexuality, gender, disabilities, etc - often lead to diversity of thought, so encouraging diversity in general does help. At least, in a general fashion. But you may need to look for and cultivate specific types of diversity, depending on what you're trying to do.
If you're creating a video game, or a movie, or something that you hope will appeal to the largest audience possible, then you don't want to alienate some of your potential customers out of ignorance. (I started following a rabbi on twitter, and she mentioned things that are problematic to Jews that I was completely unaware of. Like referring to Philistines, which... well, I just looked up the Bible passage I was thinking of, and it actually doesn't specify philistines. I thought Jesus had been condemning them as hypocrites, for publicly signaling their faith - and really, it's part of what bothers me about the Christian conservatives, who make such a big show of their faith while generally supporting policies and actions that have nothing to do with what I was taught a Christian would. So now I know, and if I want to discuss that I can do it without using the term 'Philistine.')
But consider a different scenario. You've got a team trying to end poverty, and you're trying to figure out who to hire. Racial diversity is still be important, given demographics and the racial factors involved, but a minority candidate who comes from an Ivy League background may not provide much more insight than any other team member from an Ivy League school. Otoh, having someone with direct experience with poverty would probably be essential if you want to succeed. If you only have one opening, and if you haven't got a diverse enough team already, I'd probably prioritize the candidate with first-hand experience being poor over someone who's a minority from a more upper-class upbringing (but ideally, your team would already have both racial and socioeconomic diversity and you shouldn't have to choose one or the other. I'd also probably throw in some economists from different schools of thought, and a few people with experience running a business, plus people who've been involved with philanthropy, and so on and so forth in order to get the most relevant perspectives on the issue.)
Consider the classic parable of the blind men asked to describe an elephant, each of whom has touched a different part. If you want the full picture of what an elephant is, you have to know how to take their descriptions and piece them together.
Diversity of thought is extremely important, imho, and that diversity of thought often is easier to get when you include the 'usual' types of diversity - race, sexuality, religion, disabilities, gender - as well as socioeconomic status, regional differences, jocks vs. geeks, and more.
Which particular backgrounds are necessary to get the full picture for your task... well, it depends on the task. We don't really know what those different perspectives have to offer until we give them a place at the table, but our picture of an elephant wouldn't be completely if we excluded the experience of the one person who touched it's tusk.
Most of what I've written here has been coming at this somewhat sideways, in that I feel discussing it in certain ways triggers political biases and preconceptions, and people's minds shut off.
I hope I've done a fairly good job of making the case for diversity in thought (and avoiding groupthink and the like), so here goes.
Diversity of thought and the other types of diversity are related, though somewhat distinct. I'll explain in another sideways fashion:
My uncle had multiple sclerosis, and I only ever knew his health deteriorated enough that he needed a wheelchair. My aunt got onto the topic of universal design after they came to visit relatives in Indiana (driving from Colorado).
She started explaining just how difficult it was for them to travel... How hotels would say a room was handicapped accessible, but my uncle couldn't fit his wheelchair under the sink and thus couldn't reach the faucet. How they wouldn't have the bathtub/shower configured right, making it a challenge for him to use. How she kept track of which specific rooms along the route had the setup they needed, and would call the hotel to reserve that room in particular, only to arrive and discover they'd given it to someone else.
And these are all things that I was unaware of, because I've never had a problem using the sink in a hotel, or shower, or whatever (and really, after hearing my aunt talk.... if I was designing a brand new home I think I'd try making it handicapped accessible from the get go. Especially if I plan on retiring there. Having the electrical outlets a little higher, the light switches a little lower, the doors a little wider, their latches easier to turn when your hands are less dexterous... you never know if you'll need such a thing and you might as well just plan for it from the start.)
Yes, you can write up a list of requirements for accommodating such disabilities... but it's just not at the forefront of our minds the way it is for someone who deals with this sort of thing on a daily basis.
So someone with that sort of background can provide much needed diversity of thought for teams that need to consider accommodating people in wheelchairs. They could head off all sorts of problems if they helped design hotel rooms, for example. Or buses. Or theaters.
The things we currently associate with diversity - race, sexuality, gender, disabilities, etc - often lead to diversity of thought, so encouraging diversity in general does help. At least, in a general fashion. But you may need to look for and cultivate specific types of diversity, depending on what you're trying to do.
If you're creating a video game, or a movie, or something that you hope will appeal to the largest audience possible, then you don't want to alienate some of your potential customers out of ignorance. (I started following a rabbi on twitter, and she mentioned things that are problematic to Jews that I was completely unaware of. Like referring to Philistines, which... well, I just looked up the Bible passage I was thinking of, and it actually doesn't specify philistines. I thought Jesus had been condemning them as hypocrites, for publicly signaling their faith - and really, it's part of what bothers me about the Christian conservatives, who make such a big show of their faith while generally supporting policies and actions that have nothing to do with what I was taught a Christian would. So now I know, and if I want to discuss that I can do it without using the term 'Philistine.')
But consider a different scenario. You've got a team trying to end poverty, and you're trying to figure out who to hire. Racial diversity is still be important, given demographics and the racial factors involved, but a minority candidate who comes from an Ivy League background may not provide much more insight than any other team member from an Ivy League school. Otoh, having someone with direct experience with poverty would probably be essential if you want to succeed. If you only have one opening, and if you haven't got a diverse enough team already, I'd probably prioritize the candidate with first-hand experience being poor over someone who's a minority from a more upper-class upbringing (but ideally, your team would already have both racial and socioeconomic diversity and you shouldn't have to choose one or the other. I'd also probably throw in some economists from different schools of thought, and a few people with experience running a business, plus people who've been involved with philanthropy, and so on and so forth in order to get the most relevant perspectives on the issue.)
Consider the classic parable of the blind men asked to describe an elephant, each of whom has touched a different part. If you want the full picture of what an elephant is, you have to know how to take their descriptions and piece them together.
Diversity of thought is extremely important, imho, and that diversity of thought often is easier to get when you include the 'usual' types of diversity - race, sexuality, religion, disabilities, gender - as well as socioeconomic status, regional differences, jocks vs. geeks, and more.
Which particular backgrounds are necessary to get the full picture for your task... well, it depends on the task. We don't really know what those different perspectives have to offer until we give them a place at the table, but our picture of an elephant wouldn't be completely if we excluded the experience of the one person who touched it's tusk.
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