Month: July 2021

Discussion Questions Week of 7/19

Response to #1

In “Changing Organizational Culture,” Cori Wong discusses a number of ways organizations can promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. For the most part, she revisits familiar themes and strategies. She reminds us that diversity contributes to organizational performance. She tells us that organizational culture helps diverse employees develop loyalty and a sense of connection. She also reminds us to remember that marginalized groups experience bias at the “macro level of culture” (Wong 26). All of these aspects of DEI are worth hearing again. But Wong breaks new ground, at least for me, when she discusses the energy marginalized individuals expend overcoming barriers and obstacles and the toll this takes on them. She uses a metaphor of running shoes and blisters to symbolize the pain some feel as they struggle in what seems like an equitable situation. Wong follows this by urging organizations to identify the actual barriers and pain points and to make a commitment to removing them. She raises these points rather late in her article, on pages 29 and 30, but they seem to be the overall message she is building up to. She is saying that lasting culture change requires more than a level playing field, it requires bold action. She is telling those in charge to tear the barriers down. To me, that sounds like a message more people need to hear.

Response to #2

Wong uses connecting words and phrases in almost every paragraph of her article. There is one paragraph on page 28 that really impressed me because it demonstrates how she takes a simple statement and deepens our understanding of it by stretching the ideas in it to subsequent sentences, which include several rephrasings. The paragraph begins with the sentence: “Our differences are inherent to our experience as human beings.” In the following sentence: “In ideal circumstances, they are nurtured…,” the word they refers to differences in the previous sentence, linking the two sentences together. The next sentence begins with the phrase “Echoes of this can be found in…,” which is both a way to say “for example” and also a nice way for her to tell us that she is reiterating her point. The fourth sentence begins with “Put another way,” which allows her to repeat herself with a difference. And the last sentence is: “Such is the beauty of inclusion and equitable practices.” This short statement is like a bookend that matches the paragraph’s opening statement and that connects all the ideas in the paragraph together.

Highlight of my week

This week I reconnected with a high school friend I haven’t seen in more than a year. He’s been on a Mormon mission and is traveling on the East Coast. I can’t believe a whole year has passed by. Reconnecting with him made me realize that the past year is a lost year for so many people my age. I really look forward to hanging out in person with friends again when things get back to normal.

Discussion Questions Week of 7/19

Response to #1

In the section Equity vs. Equality (page 2) of the article “Changing Organizational Culture: From Embedded Bias to Equity and Inclusion”, Wong presents a fascinating metaphor. This metaphor illustrates the point that one size does not fit all. It gives a hypothetical scenario where each runner is given the same size shoe. If the shoe is too big or too small, that runner will be disadvantaged and unable to compete at their peak performance level. The most important part about the metaphor, in my opinion, is where Wong introduces the idea that the judges of the race may not experience the discomfort that some runners endure because they are wearing a shoe size that fits them.

This metaphor, therefore, is significant in a variety of ways. Often people view equality as a positive thing, where change is occurring. However, by treating everyone the same, we are not acknowledging everyone’s differences. By not embracing people’s differences, many people will not feel included in the organization, which would harm the organizational culture. The article further goes on to point out the fact that having neutral policies assumes people have the same needs.

The other significant idea that this metaphor brings up is that judges may have a shoe size that fits them well. They have not had to experience the discomfort that others have had to go through, which brings up the idea that people like bosses or superiors are privileged. The idea is brought up later in the article where Wong speaks about understanding differences between people creates different experiences and gives us an idea of how to interact with other individuals.

This metaphor, to me, was important as it illustrated the idea that equality and equity are not the same things. We need to promote equity and embrace different viewpoints. By encouraging this, we can have a workforce that is a safe, inclusive, and inviting environment.

Response to #2

Wong does a great job at connecting her sentences. It seems as though she first presents an idea or a thought that she has and then backs it up with evidence. As an illustration, in the starting from the margins section, Wong points out that people need different forms of support that weaken their disadvantages. In the following sentence, she uses the transition phrase for example, and then presents some of the ways in which people can be accommodated for their needs. After explaining why the example is meaningful, Wong uses a conclusion transition not included in the TSIS book. I thought it was a great way to conclude the point she was making. She used “Put another way,” which is a way to say in summary, or in conclusion. I liked how she put her own spin on it to where it did not sound as mechanical like: in conclusion, or in summary.

Wong seems to like the ‘for example’ transition, as opposed to other example transitions mentioned in ch8 of TSIS. She uses it four times throughout the article, whereas other example transitions are not utilized at the beginning of any sentence. Instead of introducing the idea with a transition that is overused and easily visible in the article, such as on the other hand, regardless, or by contrast, Wong comes up with her own transition phrases, which I admire.  To introduce the idea about how we should embrace differences and cater to each individual’s needs, she uses rather than. I thought that this transition to a new idea or subject was strong, as it pointed out what society and different organizations are currently doing and then later points out how we can change that. Her for example transition was significant as it pointed out in plain English how accommodations to people have already benefitted those groups. The two examples of groups who have already benefitted from changes catered to their specific needs are disabled people, and nursing parents. By giving each group space or special accommodations to their needs, they have accepted in the workplace.

The TSIS ch8 states that transitions should be invisible. I do not believe that you always have to use the words or structured transitions that they give in the book, rather you can come up with your own ways to transition ideas. Wong does this in this section but still manages to use a TSIS example transition phrase. This section flows seamlessly, and I think it is great at illustrating the idea that writing is like a conversation and transitions should be effortless. This is what Wong manages to do in her writing.

This week I went up to the mountains. I went on a few hikes with my brother and we saw a mountain goat. No one else was on the path the whole hike, which was awesome. Hopefully I’ll be able to go one more time before I head back to Syracuse.

Discussion Questions week 7/19

1.

Wong adds to the conversation through what I found to be a very relevant metaphor. When I think about the accommodations that I fought to get in high school for my ADD, I saw them as “helpers” that I needed to be able to function the way everyone else does. I had never really thought about equity and diversity being capable of needing the same thing. Her metaphor about the shoes used for a race is found on page 27 in the second paragraph of the section “Equity vs. Equality”. I think that this metaphor can be used in any situation where people are just a little bit “different” from the majority of the people that they are working with and putting it into a scenario where most people can really see the importance of these accommodations.

In my experience in the case of a disability, people who do not need the accommodations that I need do not understand the point of them. Some even found it unfair that I would get extra time on an exam or could type my essays instead of write them. The metaphor that Wong uses allows people who do not need the accommodations to see why people who need them do. By phrasing it the way she does and then explaining how it relates to equality and equity, and the difference between the two, shows what needs to be done to accomplish inclusion. It is not just about having a more diverse group of people working, which is also something that Wong points out, it is about giving everyone the tools they need, whatever those may be, to be successful.

2.

Something that I noticed Wong did a often in her article is that after introducing a new point, she would elaborate on it. Since most, if not all, of her points are related in some way, transitioning from one point to another seemed extremely natural in the way that Wong posed her argument. A lot of the transitions she used to connect her points occurred naturally because the next point was able to validate or back up the previous one.

In the first section after the introduction, “Context: Social Inequities & Organizational Culture”, Wong makes a point, gives an example or explains what people are doing to cause the point she is making, and then concludes her poing by giving more information that will affect the reader. She did this well when she concluded her idea about safety professionals and their awareness with “When women die on the job, they are murdered at much higher rates than men, and a large percentage of women are killed at work by intimate partners”. This sentence is powerful and was a good way to transition into the conclusion of the section that reiterated the importance of safety professionals and their knowledge and awareness.

This week my mom and I went into the city and got bracelets that I saw online where they zap them on so that the only way to take them off is to cut it. If you need to cut it off you can always go back and they can put it back on. We got matching ones together!!

Discussion Questions Week of 7/19

Response to #1

Although included in the “Context” portion of the introduction of the article, Wong made a point that stood out to me in his writing, mainly because it goes hand in hand with my upcoming research. Wong basically says that social inequities and organizational culture consist of interconnected systems. These systems are faulty, of course. Marginalized groups often stem from a larger “culture,” meaning a way of life/ thinking that oppresses many people that go against the “preferred bias.” In simpler terms, intersectionality comes to play more than one would think when it comes to injustices for diverse people.

Wong demonstrates the example of gender bias, stating that the unequal pay between men and women supports this way of thinking. However, Wong then says that even lower pay for women of color not only supports gender bias but sexist and racist bias. This is a perfect example, I believe, for introducing how interconnected systems affect culture and introducing the larger picture for understanding marginalization. To successfully tackle equity efforts, people need first to address the experiences of the most marginalized. However, this does not mean that the less marginalized people are exempt. This means that addressing the most marginalized consists of multiple oppressions, tackling multiple issues at once. This is an exciting way of thinking that I will note for my research, which asks how we can conquer multiple pre-conceived biases that result in intersectional oppression?

Response to #2

While reading Cori Wong’s article, I noticed not only does he use very successful transition words, but he uses the word “while” a lot at the beginning of his next paragraph. However, this is not used redundantly. Wong has a pattern; he states a certain point in a paragraph, then in the next one, he recognizes this point and offers a different perspective or view of the one previously stated. For example, in the “Starting With Better Questions” paragraph, Wong explains that simply hiring diverse people gets nothing done if there is no culture or system in place that can successfully support and leverage the strengths of difference. Without knowing, a reader is viewing a setup for the next paragraph. This reminds me of Bogust’s use of connecting his points in a very seamless, almost invisible way. In the paragraph to follow, the first sentence reads, “While diversity often refers to representation of difference,
inclusion refers to how differences are meaningfully incorporated and integrated into daily practices.” This sentence foreshadows what’s to come: a paragraph explaining how to infiltrate an inclusive environment by asking the right questions effectively. Wong is great at framing sentences that “have hands,” which reach out to the previous sentence as well as the ones to follow. They all go “hand in hand,” ironically enough. All of these tactics are essential moves noted in chapter 8 of TSIS. Wong’s use of the word “while,” framing almost a counterargument or different perspective to come, as well as connecting his sentences, creates a very constructive piece of writing.

My highlight:

This weekend on Block Island I was able to see a friend who took the ferry over from Montauk. We went to the beach, shopped downtown, and had a great dinner together. Even though it was just for the day, It made me really happy seeing a friend from school, and got me very excited for this upcoming semester!

Overview for Week of 7/19

As we approach the 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; and firming up your research plan. Read on for an overview of this week’s work.

Reading

  • “Changing organizational culture: from embedded bias to equity and inclusion” by Cori Wong (on Blackboard)
  • 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, 7/21)–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, 7/25). Categorize this as “Research Portfolio,” and tag it with “plan,” “weekof7/19,” and [your name].
  • Discussion work on blog (here are the prompts)

Discussion prompts for Week of 7/19

We’re going to take it a little easier this week on discussion–please respond to both of the questions below by Wednesday, 7/21; 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,” “weekof7/19,” and [your name]. And kindly throw us a little personal update–what have you been up to this past week? (highlight, lowlight, lesson–whatever you’ve got to share).

Here’s a little highlight for me:

My youngest son is a total gearhead–loves cars more than anything–so we took him to the Syracuse Nationals Car Show this weekend. It was just nice to be back at the NYS Fairgrounds after a couple of years away. (Plus, there were gyros!) I’m not a car nut, but I am a history buff, so this one really caught my attention. In 1917, a guy from New Hampshire patented an add-on kit to transform the Ford Model T into a snowmobile. I’ve never seen or heard of this, so it was fascinating to see it in real life!

Making use of this week’s readings

This week’s discussion prompts focus on your research work and ask you to share how your research process has been taking shape. This week’s assigned readings are kind of a backdrop–not front-and-center as they have been in our blog discussion–so I want to take a few minutes to suggest how we might synthesize and make use of that material as we forge ahead.

“Can company culture survive Zoom?” is a brief piece that I included because I think the impact of these last 17 months is inevitably on our mind as we look ahead to what work and school environments will be in the days ahead. As many of you have noted in your recent posts, your experience of the Covid-19 pandemic has influenced the way you’re thinking about your research topic (and in many cases even the topic itself–you’re interested in things that might not have been on your radar previously). Given that the pandemic continues to be part of the context in which we research and write, I think it’s useful to hear from others grappling with similar questions.

In particular, I find this passage from Sabri Ben-Achour’s article provocative:

“Why do they choose to work for one organization versus another is often based on their perception of how they fit,” Bell said. “I also think company culture is really important for signaling what companies value.”

Are we an innovation company? Are we a traditional company? What is the point of this company? How is disagreement handled here? Is seniority more important than innovation? Are rules to be bent, broken, or followed with precision? How are ideas challenged? None of this is handled or transmitted through the employee handbook, Bell pointed out. It’s transmitted through relationships.”

In placing the focus on relationships rather than handbooks or mission statements, I think Ben-Achour and his interview subjects add something valuable to the discussion.

The other texts I asked you to read this week also offer some valuable perspectives. I urge you to think about the guidance in the TSIS chapters at hand (5 and 6), which nudge us to engage a range of perspectives in our research (including those we don’t necessarily agree with) AND to be sure to explain ourselves to our readers (to get really direct about explaining why they ought to care about what we have to say). That last point is really important. Be thinking about that as you proceed.

(I can’t help but read the title of chapter 6 in Joy Behar’s voice–I’m not sure if it’s intentional on the part of the writers, but that’s how it echoes in my head. Not sure what I mean? Here’s Behar discussing it, and there’s a mountain of gifs of Fred Armisen’s impression of Behar, which she seems to find pretty entertaining.)

Gifs aside, the point echoes–we can’t presume that people will appreciate why we think something is important if we don’t tell them. So, tell them!

Finally, Chapter 2 of Rewriting (“Forwarding”) gives us another analogy that we’ll be making use of throughout the coming weeks. Anytime we work with source material, we are moving it from one context (that of the original author) to another context (our own), and it’s useful to have some terminology that explains what we’re doing and why. “Forwarding” gives us that–ways to talk about the different uses to which we can put source materials.

We’ll be making use of all this a lot more in the weeks ahead, so please make sure to read these chapters, and ask any questions that you might have.

Discussion 7/12

  1. The main search tool that I have used has been the Syracuse University online database because I am not really familiar with any other online trustworthy databases or where to find them.  I like the Syracuse one because it is easy to navigate, and the search engine is quite simple in its easiest form.  Personally, I have yet to attempt the advanced search features because I accidentally clicked that while conducting research for Unit 1 and was very intimidated.  For Unit 2, however, the advanced search tool is something that I want to brave and hopefully master since it will most likely be very useful during the rest of my college career.  The Syracuse library will not be available to me forever so if anyone has any other databases that are reliable, I would love to try them out to potentially prepare for the future!
  2. For my Unit 2 project, I am researching biases in the medical field, starting out with talking about the discrimination against the women working in healthcare and then moving onto the biases doctors can have against certain minorities, such as people of color and women.  I am planning on finding a few sources on these topics, most likely just scholarly sources, and then moving on towards the primary source towards the end of my project.  I know a few people who have had firsthand experiences with doctors not believing their illnesses/pains due to their gender/race, so I think I am going to interview one of these people.  If that angle does not pan out, I am going to try and find a true story online of someone’s experience, either through a blog or in a YouTube video.  Hopefully a real life example will make the facts and statistics from the research from the scholarly sources more compelling for my argument that there needs to be a change within the healthcare system in reference to unconscious biases and discrimination.

Week of 7/12

  1. After reading the feedback on my focusing flow chart and brainstorming connections to my public health major/specific interests, I narrowed down a direction I want to go with my research. As of now, I want to focus on the racial income inequality and connect this to health quality disparities (economic stability is one of the social determinants of health). For this topic, I will need to find multiple sources to tie it all together.

To start my research off, I logged in to the Syracuse Library Summon Database. I entered “income inequality race”, “social determinants of health”, “income plays a role in health”, and “income and health quality”. I briefly skimmed through the sources that appeared and determined I would have enough to work with. I also am in touch with the head of the Department of Public Health at Syracuse. I want to reach out to her and ask her questions about this topic and for solid research resources.

So far, I have not experienced any difficulties locating articles.

2. For one of my primary sources I want to have some sort of narrative. Throughout my blog responses and posts, I have repeatedly emphasized the importance of hearing the voices of those experiencing the oppression to better understand it and create change. I think an autobiographic article or an interview would fit best.  I also would like data from experiments to back up my claims. Through numerical data, I can create graphic visuals to empathize the significance of these issues.

 For my secondary sources, I want articles that help explain these concepts and connections. For example, I want to find background information about racial income inequality and social determinants of health. I also think understanding how individual and systemic (institutional and structural) racism plays a role into these issues would be extremely useful.

Additionally, I would like to hear the different perspectives of Researchers, Professors, and Experts who have invested significant time into unpacking these issues.

As stated above, I plan on using the Syracuse Library Summon Database, Google, and my public health professor to locate sources. Over the weekend, I want to compile the majority of my sources.

Week of 7/12 Responses

Question 1 Response

Although I have some experience with researching through the Syracuse University Library, there are definitely some things that I have to consider while conducting my searches. The most useful feature of the SU library has been the advanced search feature because it has allowed me to narrow my results and show me articles with perspectives that I had not considered before. I also make use of visual media platforms such as Youtube because they often have references listed in the descriptions of useful articles/studies/ and other texts. 

One of the hardest things to overcome while researching is only choosing articles that support my argument. As I read more of “They Say, I Say” I try using articles that might not directly support my argument. I do this because I can also use them to provide counter claims and learn more about the topic as well. Moving forward, I will definitely be conducting most of my research on the SU library (for my primary and scholarly source) because I can be sure that I am choosing credible articles that meet the assignment criteria and relate to the topic I choose to write about.

Question 2 Response

 I am focusing on discriminationj of LGBTQIA+ individuals because of this, I am hoping to find quality primary sources in order to highlight some of the real world encounters that they have. I also hope to find some good secondary sources in order to set show the mindsets that some people have regarding members of LGBTQIA+ community. Both secondary and primary sources will be helpful because they offer opportunities for me to utilize some of the “They Say, I Say” comparison templates. I plan on using a 70/30 split between the amount of articles that directly support my stance and article that offer alternate point of views. I would like to find at least one article that presents facts regarding LGBTQIA+ demographics in different sectors of the work force. Another useful find would be a blog or newsletter run by someone who identifies with this community. Although I might not find these exact texts, I am confident that there is more than enough sources for me to choose from , I just have to keep on searching.