Tag: unit 2

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Discussion 6/29/20 ( Dan)

1.

Cori Wong entered a very important and popular topic in her article “Changing organizational culture: from embedded bias to equity and inclusion”.  As we are learning in our studies of the book “They say I say”, it is important for an author to enter a conversation and to add something new to it as opposed to simply restating facts and ideas authors have come up with. She did just that in a very enlightening way when she used a metaphor for describing the difference between equality and equity. Her metaphor was that if a group of people are running a long race, a decision based on equality would be to give them all the same exact shoe (size and all). This technically treats everyone the same as equality strives for. However, people have different sized feet (i.e. different needs). Therefore, some people may have an inherent advantage in running the race due to their perfect fitting shoes while others are at a disadvantage who’s feet don’t fit. Equity on the other hand would be assessing individual’s needs and getting them a shoe that fits well to give them equal opportunity to succeed in the race. I believe this metaphor was an excellent contribution to the conversation of diversity and inclusion. This was significant to me because it really helped me visualize and understand the difference between equity and equality. It is very important to be able to distinguish the difference because the language that we use is powerful and can dramatically impact how our society functions.

 

2.

After reading chapter 8 of “They say, I say” and reading Cori Wong’s article, I noticed multiple location where she used important moves to “connect the parts” of her sentences and paragraphs. In doing so, Cori was able to create an article that reads very easily and flows nicely. Had she omitted the various transitional words/phrases her writing would be choppy and would be much more challenging to understand. The following paragraph found on page two of the article states

“[While diversity often refers to representation of difference, inclusion refers to how differences are meaningfully incorporated and integrated into daily practices. As such, a better way to frame the commitment to be more equitable and inclusive would start by asking, “Who is not represented at the proverbial table? In what ways have we kept some people out?”]”

After her first sentence explaining the definition of diversity and inclusion, Cori begins the sentence with “As such”. This technique refers back to her previous sentence and indicates to the reader that she is going to add something related but new to her argument. She does this by staying on topic but including the addition of an example to help the reader digest the new ideas she is describing.

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Discussion post (6-15-20)

3. I can tell that the article “The problem with diversity in computing” has a good flow to it. The reason for this is the excellent transitions that Ian uses from paragraph to paragraph. His ability and the transition sentences he forms prevents his article from sounding choppy. For example, He speaks about Charles Isbell who is the director of the constellations program at Georgia tech. Isbell claims that we should be more interested in integration of individuals as opposed to just diversity. Ian places the following quote at the end of the paragraph.

“Diversity is just membership,” Isbell said. “Integration is influence, power, and partnership.”

This allows Ian to start his next paragraph by responding to Isbell’s assertations by stating that integration is much harder than diversity. He adds in another quote from Isbell stating that in order to reach integration in industry new folks need to be capable and confident and older folks need to be willing. This sets him up for the following paragraph where he speaks about the willingness of tech industry giants such as Google.

 

  1. I was intrigued by Bryans work about language diversity. One of the facts that I found most interesting is that when most people think of diversity they often think of race, religion, and gender. Nonnative accents are generally not the first thing that comes to mind. However, nonnative accent discrimination is a serious problem and should be discussed so that we can strive to find a solution. I really liked the TED talk that Bryan included by Lera Boroditsky in which she discusses how language affects our thinking. Some of the parts that I found most interesting was how some cultures such as a specific tribe in Australia base their entire language off of the directions north, south, east, and west. This helps them to stay very oriented which is opposite to our culture. Another thing I found interesting is how a language such as English places blame on someone who makes an accident ( such as breaking a vase). We say “John broke the vase”. In other cultures such as Spanish speaking cultures it is much more common to say “The vase broke” when speaking of an accident.

This topic that Bryan chose has really opened my eyes to new issues of organizational culture. It has formed the basis of my unit 2 research and my unit 3 research paper.

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5 Rhetorical moves (Dan)

Upon reading “The problem with diversity in computing” I was able to identify a handful of techniques the other used to communicate his ideas.

First, right off the bat Ian discusses problems that Amy Webb, a professor at NYU, and other females deal with at TSA precheck lines due to the technological systems. Issues such as the X rays not being able to distinguish their underwire bras and large curly hair that results in more extensive checks and pat-downs. By doing this Ian is able to illustrate a problem that is very relatable and understandable. This sets Ian up for further examples to strengthen his argument.

Second, he uses an experience from his own workplace at Georgia tech. There is a certain center at the university that focus on funding and supporting computer-science classes in public schools in Atlanta that are predominantly black. Including this shows that the issue is serious and that there are institutions (like his) that are attempting to fix the issue.

Thirdly, Ian now states “Those efforts have merit, but their impact might be a drop in the bucket given the size of the tech industry.” By saying this he alludes to the fact that there is still a lot of work to be done and that everyone needs to do their part. This is a call to action after expressing the importance of the issue.

Fourth, Ian introduces a new perspective through Charles Isbell, the executive director at Georgia techs “constellations” program. The prospective is that though diversity is important to strive for, the real goal is integration as it would change the entire industry as a result of their presence in the community. This is contrary to Amy’s perspective that we may not need push kids to go into STEM.

The last strategy he uses is by paraphrasing something Amy said. “We’re all discriminated against by computing,” and “Anyone who falls outside of that core group of interests are not being represented”. Ian states that if this is true, then maybe the problem isn’t that its not including the needs of the diverse public but that the problem with computing is intrinsic. I believe by stating this he takes something that someone else has written and flips it in his favor by highlighting what the statement lacks and making it seem not well thought out.

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Research Portfolio (Dan )

The topic that I chose to study is unconsious accent bias. I was intrigued by the a similar topic that I saw one of our classmates conducted in unit 1. Upon starting my research, I was surprised to see that there is a relatively small amount of research done into this topic compared to other types of discrimination. However, through the use of some of these tools provided in this class I as able to find some quality sources. My main method of finding these sources was through the Syracuse university library. However, I had never heard of SAGE before and was pleasantly surprised with how much it helped me. This topic is one that is meaningful to me as some of my very close friends are not natives of the United States. It was very eye opening read the stories of the discrimination and feeling of loneliness that some people experience all because of their nonnative accent. I would like to continue searching for more articles that explore some of the ways that we can mitigate this problem. I am looking forward to tying all of my research together in unit 3.

Annotation 1 ( Mirela ted talk)

Annotation 2 (PBS)

Annotation 3 (short note on accent-bias)

Annotation 4 (Accent bias_forbes)

Annotation 5 ( political skill)

Annotation 6 ( speaking with nonnative accent)

WRT 205 focusing flowchart

Rounding out the conversation

Complicating your research ( final )

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Discussion Posts Week of 7/13

  1. My linked article under “hold decision makers accountable” is all about how employer practices has a big effect on workplace inequality. It focuses on sensitivity and the article argues that women can evoke more sensitive behavior from others. So much so that men as well as women contribute to an increase in sensitivity in mixed gender interactions. One of the biggest problems facing organizations today according to the article is that there’s currently a lack of interpersonal sensitivity. This can be defined as the act of caring and respectful treatment towards others. Organizations don’t often help themselves when it comes to inequality. When determining pay, employers are the ones at the forefront of that and should be held accountable when there are situations where equal pay is not met. This connects to what Wynn is saying in her article titled “Individual Change Wont Create Gender Equality in Organizations.” She argues that there are many factors that go into this and many steps organizations can take to reduce the inequality that women are facing in the workplace. It is up to the higher ups and employers of these organizations to take the necessary steps to create a safe working environment for women, and less inequality all around.
  2. In the article, the authors are talking about the environment in the workplace initiated by the employers. I feel that first and foremost, the employers of these companies would benefit the most from reading this article seeing how some of them are the reasons for this inequality. In addition, I think that this article appeals to everyone who works and more specifically works with people of the opposite gender in groups. The article talks about sensitivity levels differentiating when in a group with people of the opposite gender. The researchers found that “the willingness to act with interpersonal sensitivity increased in interactions with women.” This is just an interesting fact that I feel people who work in groups would want to know about and read the rest of the article. This quote was in the first paragraph of the article.
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Week of 7/13 Discussion

  1. The resource I followed is a program called Al4All which works to teach and provide resources for minorities interested in STEM and AI. It works to expose them to the uses of artificial intelligence in every day life and give them the skills needed to pursue careers and broaden the field. Not only do they teach the basics and give them the tools required to be young innovators but they provide them with teachers and a community of organizations that will help them along the path to success. This program is so important because it provides minority students access to the stem world and allows them to develop their passions amongst a more diverse community. It adds to Wynns article because she speaks of broadening the science community in terms of representation for minorities. This program provides the opportunity for young kids to learn the traits and have the resources required to excel in any field despite their backgrounds.
  2. In this article the author is mostly speaking towards either minorities or those with disabilities who have been discriminated from a position due to things like race or gender. When she writes this article she attempts to sympathize with those who feel they have been treated wrongly for something they can’t control and wish to see a monumental change within the industry. When she says “Organizations regularly engage in practices that can reduce or reinforce inequality—such as hiring practices, performance evaluations, promotion procedures, project allocation, compensation, and termination. For women who experience multiple forms of bias (e.g. based on race or sexuality as well as gender), these practices can amplify inequalities even further.” she specifically points out the discrimination faced in each environment and how these individuals are affected by it. In this passage she attempts a call to action by asking the audience what changes can be made and whether or not they wish to see the next generation have more rights than in previous years.
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Research Portfolio – Samantha Danylchuk

Unit 2 Research Reflection 

At the start of this assignment, I had no clue where I was going or what I wanted to do research on. But as I read more into my classmates’ posts, the generational gap in the workplace stood out to me right away. This is something I know I will be experiencing for myself in a few years after I graduate college, so I focused on looking for sources that covered generational diversity in the work environment. As far as the tools and strategies that I used to locate my sources, I spent time going through the helpful links and handouts tabs on our blackboard and searched on Google Scholars, SAGE, EBSCOhost, GALE, and ted.com. Some of my sources go into depth on the different habits of each current generation in the work force and how the conflicts need to be solved, while others focus on the similarities among the generations and what other initiatives that offices or other working environments can implement to bring a more successful atmosphere. Additionally, some include experiments and data tables focusing on a specific career industry while others explain the broader idea.  

I really enjoyed the two note taking techniques I did which included free – writing and organizing a double-entry journal. These two techniques were very different because I felt my thoughts go all over the place when I did a 5-minute free write, but the journal helped me stay organized and on topic. It was really interesting to me how I enjoyed both of them (probably the free-writing a tad more) yet they are completely different approaches at annotating. The research plan has guided my work to search for articles that I think would answer my questions. Having this plan ahead of time really helped me in the whole process of researching because I started typing in keywords that led me to what I was looking for, rather than just any article that would be lacking in information I needed. My plan has begun to evolve based on the data I’ve found, references I’ve read that my sources include, and all the knowledge I have already learned from the entirety of this assignment. Some additional sources I would like to locate are those that challenge my thoughts in some way, making me question and counter the ideas that they demonstrate. I have yet to disagree with anything I’ve found, so this is a gap that I see in my research which I am prioritizing in searching for with my project proposal. 

The idea that one day in the next 5 or 10 years, I could be in a work environment filled with people from all different generations is the most intriguing concept about this topic to me. I’ve already had professors of all different ages in just one year at SU, so to think that my topic is even happening around me is so exciting! For a club I belong to at school called The Women’s Network, we visited the headquarters of Bloomberg in New York City early last year, and I spoke to a recent graduate of SU who is working in finance there now and she explained to me how most of her colleagues are older men so she was extremely intimidated when she began her job at first. To actually know of experiences and see my topic be exemplified in the real working world is super intriguing and I can’t wait to go further with my research on this! 

Annotations

Complicating Your Research Exercise

Focusing Flowchart

Rounding Out The Conversation

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Research Portfolio, Bryan

At the end of unit one I had come across an article speaking about the interactions between both native and nonspeakers when they communicate in the workplace. Amidst the research I was doing on office discrimination, I found myself very intrigued by this related topic. Here was where I first heard the term linguistic (or language) diversity being used. With a few quick google searches I began to wrap my head around larger issues that surrounded the subject. As I continued to read more sources and find articles that covered a wide range of perspectives, I slowly began to realize how significant these discussions became for understanding the development of how organizational cultures come to be. Moreover, I wanted to learn why this form of diversity isn’t as commonly discussed when compared to other types of diversity and inclusion efforts such as racial, ethnic, or gender motives.

The development of my research was founded on this groundwork which continued to evolve as we proceeded into unit two. While some sources reiterated similar findings to my first study, one notable article helped me understand these topics applied at a more global scale. This text, along with the others I annotated below, widened my position on the topic by looking at language diversity further in individual, community, and international levels (along with relating past articles we’ve read in the class). Additionally, in order to round out and complicate my work I decided to look at studies in specific environmental settings different from the workplace. This led me to uncover interesting and insightful perspectives from a classroom and governmental context. These sources were accessed off of Google Scholar, TED.com, and a number of Syracuse Library Databases that focused on Linguistic/ Applied Language collections.

To my discovery, I found most authors and professionals consensus that there was not much research on the impact of language diversity out there. Only in recent decades has the public increasingly been made aware of the potential issues and societal benefits language (particularly multilingualism) can have. Given our trends in globalization and increased mobility in transnational countries, however, it makes sense that some areas of research (such as figuring out why linguistic diversity isn’t as openly discussed) can be because of the limited discourse on a relatively new subject.

Despite the gaps within the overall body of research, I still managed to collect a substantial amount of knowledge to develop my portfolio. The oppositional research I did for example changed my one-way view of how I saw language. Instead of all the pubic acclaim language diversity typically receives, the article offered an alternative point of view looking at language diversity not only as a resource but also as a problem. It informed me of areas commonly overlooked thus making it critical for assessing this type of diversity. Overall I found many of our mini writing exercises reinforce my initial writing interests by staying on top of and coming back to main, central ideas. Eventually I’d like to find more potential sources on the oppositional claims I’ve found since it’s an area that is especially underrepresented.

Annotations

Focusing Flowchart

Complicating Research

Conversation Worksheet

Research Plan, Bryan

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Discussion Post – Week of 7/13

Appearing in the April 29, 2016 issue of The Harvard Business Review, Shelly Correll and Caroline Simard’s article, “Research: Vague Feedback Is Holding Women Back” shares with readers some of the results of their research into the effects of performance evaluations on the advancement of women into executive roles. Correll and Simard, both of Stamford University, found that women are less likely than men to receive specific feedback, regardless as to whether that feedback be positive or negative. The authors discuss the possible causes behind this trend and conclude that this “vague feedback” has a direct negative impact on women’s chances for advancement. The lack of specificity makes it difficult to measure progress and provides less clarity of what steps are necessary to make it to the next level. The results of Correll and Simard’s research are a powerful tool in supporting Wynn’s third recommendation for organizational change; Performance Evaluations. Her suggestion that organizations establish clear and precise criteria is backed up by the research performed by Correll and Simard.

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The best audience for Wynn’s article is leaders in the tech industry who are engaged in working to enhance gender equality in tech. It is best suited for those in a position to effect change, as well as those with the opportunity to influence decision making. It would be particularly useful to HR presidents and vice-presidents because it provides six clear areas of focus. There are two key sentences which I believe serve as the fulcrum for Wynn’s entire argument:

“It may be easier to think of individualistic solutions—such as training ourselves to think differently and change our own behavior—or to blame larger societal forces we can’t control, rather than to change the intricate organizational procedures and practices that contribute to employment outcomes in complex ways. However, my research suggests that we must address organizational forms of inequality as well.”

The first of these sentences addresses methods with which the readers are likely to be familiar. In fact, they may have attempted many of them already. In the second, Wynn quickly but delicately deems them ineffective and prepares the reader to be receptive to her recommendations which follow.