Tag: week of 6/29

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Week of 6/29 Discussion Post

 

  1. 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. 
  2. 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.
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6/29 Discussion- Isaac

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
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Research is a creative endeavor

As you’re continuing with your research, I encourage you to remember this: research is a creative process.

Here’s why that matters:

  • whatever your topic, whatever your motivation, when you research you are making something new–a new set of ideas, new questions, a new collection of perspectives
  • because research is a creative endeavor, there isn’t a single *right* way to do it–you’re not assembling an Ikea bookshelf; you’re creating something brand new that hasn’t been before and that is unlike anyone else’s project (and it’s totally fine to have leftover parts 😉 )
  • when you’re entering new, uncharted territory, it’s helpful to have models and maps–tutorials for different search tools (such as the SU Libraries how-to pages) offer a lot of value, in addition to the notetaking and analytical reading work we’ve been doing in class
  • you can have fun with this work–you’re charting your own course to a large extent, and you can be inventive with your choice of sources (inputs) and products (outputs)

The note-taking work that you’ve been doing this past week is part of this generative process. As you read, think critically, and respond to your sources’ ideas in your notes, you are beginning to shape your own perspective on the subject at hand, and ultimately your own contribution to the larger body of thought on this subject. That’s why I’m asking you to spend some real time on taking notes. Note-taking is where your creative thought-work begins.

A few suggestions to keep in mind:

  • use tools for what they’re good for: the SU Libraries website is good for finding specialized material by scholars and other experts. It will also give you full-text access to newspapers from all over the world. When you’re looking for that stuff, go there. Primary sources sometimes pop up there, but are more likely to be found on the open web, where anyone can publish. When you’re looking for that stuff, it makes sense to start with Google.
  • keep in mind that sources come in many forms–not just articles and books, but radio features, podcasts, images, documentaries and other videos, interviews/Q&As, etc.  You’re not limited to traditional kinds of texts.
  • jump straight to Advanced Search–filter your results more on the front end, and you’ll have fewer to sift through. Consider adding multiple search terms and placing limits on date, type of publication, language, etc. Note that when adding search terms in Advanced Search, you have a dropdown menu that defaults to “All Fields” (term appears anywhere in the text). You can also select “abstract” (term is significant enough to appear in the summary of the text). See the image below:screenshot showing Advanced Search selections
  • use sources to leapfrog–check out authors’ bibliographies for ideas, pay attention to the Subject headings or Keywords in the citation entry of a database search. Check out the image below–in your list of search results, hover over the Preview+ option to pull up the full citation, and then check out the Subjects listed–these are the terms this database uses to catalog related material. You can incorporate these as search terms, and it’s kind of like browsing the physical shelf in the library for other similar materials.

screenshot of full bibliographic citation showing how to do subject searching

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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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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].

 

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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 posts for Week of 6/29