- One particular contribution that I see to Wong adding to the larger conversation are her words under the “Privilege, Marginalization & Differences in Experience subtitle. This can be found on page 28. She writes, “It is important to raise awareness among those with the privilege of not having to think twice about how they function so they can be more responsive to others’ needs and simultaneously alleviate burdens for those who must be extra conscious and aware to simply get by.” I think this quote is significant because it is important to be an ally and a voice for those who struggle with carrying a burden that their skin color places on them. Inclusion is necessary in the workplace, and supporting your co-workers only happens when respect is present.
- Wong really connects her ideas through subheadings because I found this article way easier to read. Under “Starting With Better Questions,” Wong immediately uses the transition word “Approaching.” This sets up the reader in a way where they can clearly follow and ease into the section. Wong’s point in her sentence here that diversity and inclusion efforts can shift the understandings of specific issues leads into the rest of the paragraph smoothly.
Week of 6/29 Discussion
- In Wong’s article, the section “Starting from the Margins” brings a really good point to the discussion. She writes ” Again, different forms of support are not to be confused with special or unfair treatment simply because they are not intended for or used by everyone.” (Wong, pg. 3)
This is important because it deals with differences in peoples needs to get the equity they deserve. I’ve often heard the argument before that it’s not fair for people to get “special treatment” and Wong in a very matter of factly way shoots this argument down by simply pointing out that because not everybody is the same, people need different things in order to be on the same level playing field as others. This is a point that I think a lot of people forget and would be well suited to remember and acknowledge.
2. The last paragraph in the section ” Equity vs. Equality” has many examples of using language to connect the text. She starts out by using the pointing word “This” to go back to the metaphor she wrote about in the previous paragraph with the foot size and running shoes. Her use of “not only” to connect avoiding acknowledging our identities to unhealthy behaviors that make it out to our identity characteristics being undesirable was very powerful as well, I thought. These examples are on page 3 also.
Discussion Week 6/29
1. I think one of the most significant contributions Wong made to our ongoing conversation of diversity is found in her section about “Equity vs Equality” (page 27 to 28). The paragraph was very eyeopening for myself when considering the conversation currently focusing on inclusion. A key point Wong made, that I never really considered, is that treating everyone the same would result in more inequality as everyone has different needs. It is to recognize those different needs employees have to ensure everyone is supported, helping to increase feelings of inclusivity because no everyone is the same. Her metaphor of running shoes and runners in a race was a great way to represent visually what she is saying: not everyone is the same shoe size, but all the runners should have a tailored shoe to help them run the best. This can be used when treating employees too, as every employee would have different needs butt if they are all met with the same urgency and respect then all the employees would be able to perform their best. I think highlighting this need for different levels of treatment is crucial, because no one is a carbon copy of the other. Some employees may need more support than others, but making that need for support a priority is what will change the work environment, providing more resources and care. Connecting this further with our ongoing conversation of inclusion while also promoting diversity, this comes to show that giving those what they specifically need will only improve a company.
2. Wong utilizes the use of “connecting the parts” throughout the entire article, as she seamlessly flows from one topic of conversation to another through her subtitles and subheadings. One instance of this is is her transition into the subheading of “Starting with Better Questions” as Wong transitions from providing the context of the situation, this being shifting the workplace environment, to starting the conversation about how to challenge the initiative to shift the workplace. Using the word “approaching” to begin the paragraph is a transition word as she elaborates more on how to shift these misunderstood issues with inclusion. Following in her next sentence, Wong uses the pointer word “it” claiming that understanding the backdrop of these inequities in the workplace can shift the questions used to “guide and inform” those who have trouble understanding means of inclusion. Repeated use of the word inequities highlights that it is the main issue at hand, that there are discrepancies when it comes to how different demographics of employees are treated. She continues to use the idea of repeating the phrase yourself but with a difference, as she further contends to changing the wording and meaning behind questions that challenge the issues of inequity in the workplace.
Week of 6/29 Discussion Post
- In the beginning of her article, Wong says that in order to create a diverse workplace, we must start with inclusion. This is important because it is true for both the workplace, and many other areas. I could certainly relate this to education because inclusive schooling is such a hot topic right now. In order to create a diverse classroom, students from all backgrounds and abilities should be in one class together. Adopting a more inclusive ideology will allow for a more diverse environment. Wong believes that it is also important to acknowledge the fact that there are some groups of people who have experienced hardship because of their race, gender, ability, etc. Even though it seems like everyone receiving the same treatment means that everyone is treated fairly, this is not always true. For example, someone who has a disability may need accommodations in order to be successful whereas someone who does not have a disability does not need this. Overall, Wong’s article does a great job of showing the reader that in order to create inclusive environments, we must keep an open mind, and understand that we may be wrong about some things.
- In my opinion, Wong does a great job of connecting her ideas and sentences using transitions throughout the entire article. One section in particular where she does this is the passage labeled “Supporting Others to Make Change”. In the first paragraph of this section, Wong says that it may seem difficult to help create more inclusive spaces. In the last sentence of this paragraph, Wong says, “Additional steps can be taken regarding who is asked to be involved in decision-making and which efforts are pursued in the name of culture change” (p. 30). In the second paragraph, she goes back to talking about the fact that people who are different often experience hardships. However, this ends up connecting to how people can help create inclusive environments because she says that the people who are experiencing hardships are the best people to ask about how you should change. So, she is using this area to connect to the first paragraph of this section by talking about who should be involved in the decision making process.
6/29 Discussion- Isaac
- Cori Wong makes a really important stance in the ongoing organizational culture reform; Equality is not going to fix all our issues. For thousands of years, the oppressed minority groups of our population have received inequality and profiling nonexclusive to organizational culture. To combat this, on a moral viewpoint, equality will not make everyone satisfied, or make everything fair. There are several good quotes from Wong’s article that precisely tell the reader why this is true, and what really needs to be done. In pages 2 and 3 of the article, equity is contrasted with equality, and it helps solidify the argument that the answer isn’t a flat, fair playing field, but rather one that adapts to people’s needs. Especially when there is prejudice and hate involved. Racial and gender bias is a huge epidemic in our lives and social culture, for organizations to say “to make things look better we will finally give you what you deserve” is not helping the minority groups, it is pushing the problem under the rug. In order to have an effective change in the treatment of these subgroups, we must listen to their needs and address and understand them as if they were our own. These groups have a completely different perspective on life and issues because the majority population continually told them they are different, wrong, and unwanted. It is the organization’s job to reverse those preconceptions that we place on them, and that doesn’t mean to just stop putting them in the disadvantaged position. Rather, we need to help them get into the advantaged seat.
- Throughout Wong’s article, there are dozens of examples of smooth connections using transition words and phrases. Organizational culture is a complex topic, and addressing its issues creates many subtopics within itself. Wongs ability to move from one topic to another in a coherent and smooth manner helps the reader comprehend it better. “Our differences are inherent to our experience as human beings,”(Wong, page 3) this sentence may be considered a filler sentence, but it actually does more than that. It is the first sentence in the concluding paragraph of a section, but it refers back to the previous section involving the metaphor using a group of runners as an example of how equality is not the answer to inequality. Wong starts the conclusion of one section with a connection to the previous section, thus connecting the sections as a whole and how their main ideas are based on the same mindset.
Discussion Week 6/22
- I think one of the most helpful search tools I used was the category feature on most search engines and in the Syracuse Library database system. It was much easier to search for “inclusion organizational culture” and then narrow down the search further by specifying that I waned articles about inclusion from a business perspective, since our area of focus is diversity in the workplace. There were a few roadblocks I hit, one of the first being how broad the term “inclusive” is. It is used to refer to any situation that can include and encompass a wider variety, whether it be in terms of people in a group or items in a bag. I think finding ways around this roadblock were of use, but even so, the term inclusive is used so often to describe so many situations in our world today that remain “exclusive”. Another roadblock I ran into was when choosing the articles, finding ones that were substantial and related to our research on inclusion and in organizational culture. There were plenty of articles that just spit out statistics of companies being successful with a more diverse workforce, which is great and statistics are a way to analyze the success and failure of some approaches leading towards more inclusion. What was troublesome was articles having both the statistical research and the connections back to those being discriminated or excluded. It is one thing to hear the numbers and see the results and data, it is another to humanize these numbers and put more emphasis on the toll this takes on being a human ostracized for something they feel is the most representative of their identity.
- I hope to find texts coming from those who have felt “excluded”, especially in the work place. As stated before, numbers can only show and help us to learn how to be more inclusive, but it is from the retelling and words of those who have been discriminated that will help those who feel as though this is an unnecessary action to sympathize and possibly change their own opinion. I would love to find a written account of someone perspective on inclusion within the workplace from a before, during, and after perspective. I want to use voices of those who are part of the discriminated sum of employers, the people that face their fears every day to do something so normal and just so organic. To work, to socialize, to do anything within society should be reconsidered just because of the way someone identifies. I think that it was most definitely be easier to find the primary source article, I think that scholarly articles are a bit heavy on the data and research side of the issue which is the side I hope to not highlight as much.
Discussion posts for Week of 6/29
We’re going to take it a little easier this week on discussion–please respond to both of the questions below by Wednesday, 7/1; you do not need to reply to your classmates’ posts, though I certainly encourage you to read through what others have to say.
In “Changing organizational culture,” we see a rather different type of writing, one that’s pretty approachable and readable, but still presenting intensive research in a way that’s geared toward a very specific audience. What we’re looking at here is a trade/professional journal. Like scholarly journals, they often include peer-reviewed articles, but they’re designed for practitioners (in this case, in the workplace safety industry) rather than for other academics. The end result is detailed research that’s usable for people working in this field.
In part we’re looking at this article as a sample of a genre that might be useful for you to consider for your own inquiry. SUMMON (the SU Libraries’ search tool) allows you to select “trade publication” as a Content Type option in an Advanced Search. It can be really helpful to see what folks within a given field are talking about, how they’re making use of current research, developing best practices, implementing ideas, etc. The material there tends to be very current material from experts–good stuff to use when you’re trying to understand the implications of a particular issue.
And we can also learn some lessons from this text about how to develop an argument that will reach our readers. Wong does a solid job of making explicit connections between theory and practice as she translates this material for a non-academic audience. Let’s home in on how she makes this work.
Please respond to both of the questions below for this week’s discussion.
- Wong is entering a conversation around diversity (including the business case and the ethical case folks have made for diversity) and inclusion that was going on long before she showed up. What does she have to add to this discussion? Focus in on 1 particular contribution you see her making to this larger conversation. Name it, explain it, tell us where to find it, and talk about what you think is significant about it.
- Review chapter 8 of TSIS, which is about connecting the parts. Locate a place in Wong’s article where you see her doing this important work, and identify the TSIS moves that you see her using in this segment. Again, point us to a specific passage, and talk us through what she’s doing there and why it matters.
Categorize your posts as “Discussions/Homework,” and tag with “unit 2,” “week of 6/29,” and [your name].
Overview of Week of 6/29
As we approach the July 4th midpoint of the course, it’s a good time to take stock of where you’re at–any missing assignments you need to catch up on, any discussion posts or replies you didn’t complete, how your research work is coming along. If you have any questions, please reach out to me by email–we can chat that way or set up a time to talk by phone/Zoom to make sure you’re clear on where you stand.
This week, you’ll be continuing your work toward the research portfolio, locating, reading, and taking notes on sources. Read on for an overview of this week’s work.
Reading
- “Changing organizational culture: from embedded bias to equity and inclusion” by Cori Wong
- Chapters 8 and 9 of They Say/I Say (“As a result” and “You mean I can just say it that way?”)–note that chapter 9’s title was incorrect on the schedule of assignments. Sorry about that.
- possible sources for your research portfolio as you locate them
Writing/discussion
- Preliminary notes exercise (submit through Bb dropbox by Wednesday, 7/1)–the goal here is to catalog the sources you’re finding and begin sketching out the different perspectives they have to offer
- Research plan–review page 3 of the unit 2 assignment sheet (submit on blog by Sunday, 7/5)
- Discussion work on blog (see link below for prompts)
Discussion Week of 6/22
- When looking for articles that I feel are clearly written, provide detailed background to the authors and are easily accessible to college students I always use Syracuse Libraries. When I use the site I tend to type in the idea I’m looking for and then refine the search for a journal article. When I use Syracuse libraries I feel it really helps me search for articles that relate to college students and ones that have qualified authors. When I’m looking for an article it takes me a bit of searching because sometimes they are written too many years ago and don’t convey the same message. However I find it helpful to refine the search and look for articles written in the past 2 or 3 years so the content aligns with current events in the world.
- In the past few assignments we have been analyzing differs communities and environments and the way they are able to make each space inclusive to everyone. In order to add to our portfolios we have done research on articles that not only note the problems that occur day to day but the changes that need to be made. However, in order to truly understand why we need more inclusivity and diversity we must hear first hand from the ones who feel aliened. In order to learn more about bias and discrimination we must read a primary first hand account from someone who experienced it. For this assignment I wish to write about the action required when discrimination occurs and what the thoughts and emotions of the individual experiencing it. I wish to focus on college minorities because their experiences may not be so different from those of our own. I will use Syracuse libraries because not only is it presented by our own college but it recounts the stories and experiences of those in our own situations.
Week of 6/22 Discussion
About a year ago, the owner of two local bars made some racially insensitive comments on Twitter. As a result, I made the decision not to frequent his establishments anymore. The first of these, Ryleigh’s, was home to the Baltimore chapter of the US Tottenham supporters club, and as a self respecting Arsenal supporter, there was no way I was ever stepping foot in there. His second bar, Crossbar, is a German beerhall-style spot, serving huge liters of beer. Once the owner outed himself as a racist, downing liters at Crossbar was longer an option. That’s why it stopped me in my tracks this past weekend when a friend suggested we go there once the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. It surprised me because this friend and I share many similar values and come down on the same side of many political debates. I got to thinking about whether my stance was actually hurting the owner, or myself.
With all of this in mind, for this exercise I wanted to find some writings about “cancel culture”. With the recent controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling’s comments about transpeople on Twitter, I took to Google to look for news articles offering perspectives. I experimented with the search terms, and typed in the following: “Should I still read harry potter jk rowling twitter“.
The first three results of my search were from The Guardian, the New York Times, and a link to Rowling’s Twitter feed itself. I read the Guardian and Times articles, ultimately settling on the one from the Times for my notes-taking exercise. Because I wanted to use a recent, news-worthy topic, I knew that Google would be the best tool for this particular job. However, I expect I’ll be using tools such as JSTOR to help me find a scholarly journal or article which will help me gain a historical perspective.
Rowling is clearly not the first person to be threatened with “cancellation”, and “cancel culture” is just the latest term for what is sometimes referred to as “consumer activism”. What I’m hoping to find are well-researched articles and papers – perhaps even a book or two – that focus on the effectiveness of consumer activism. How often have boycotts worked? Can they go too far?
I’d also like to find something that looks into whether it’s truly possible to separate the artist from the art. Should we all really stop listening to Michael Jackson? Should we not read Mark Twain? Should we stop watching films produced by Harvey Weinstein? What might be easy for some will not be as easy for others. I’m finding these questions intellectually stimulating, and am looking forward to getting some help in an attempt to answer them for myself.