Tag: Week of 8/9

Project Proposal

For my unit 3 final Project I plan on constructing an infographic that depicts the historical and current problems members of LGBTQIA+ community in corporate America. I also intend on including some resources that help to stress the importance of equal opportunities for Queer individuals. The most important sources that I hope to find are first hand testimonies and scholarly articles/ journals. Articles and journals are rich in statistics and other information that can be easily represented visually while conveying the magnitude of inequality on part of Queer people in the workplace. Hyperlinks will also be added to the reference of the infographic, however, I also plan on using quotes from blog posts that exemplify what it is like to work in an inclusive environment vis-à-vis one that lacks capital for members of the LGBTQIA+.

I want to keep my writing engaging and easy to read because I want to reach a wide audience. There will be some information for Queer individuals who want to learn about how inequity takes shapes throughout various professions, however my target audience are people who identify as allies to the LGBGTQIA+ community. The purpose of my writing will be to bring awareness to a topic that is well known amongst the people who it directly effects but is no taken into consideration by those it does not. I want to provide reliable information for those who might not be aware of the inequalities and want to take steps in correcting them.

Project Proposal

For my project I am going to focus on defining the difference between diversity and inclusion. The audience I plan on reaching are college students since I feel like this would be a good way to begin preparing students to go off into the workforce, and a lot of students are most likely not aware of the difference. To do this, I plan on creating a Kahoot which can be presented in a class like SEM 100 which all freshmen are required to take. I want to use Kahoot because not only does it test the knowledge of the audience, but it also serves as a learning opportunity because even if the users get a question incorrect, they will be able to see the correct answer and, the presenter (or professor) can explain it further. The sources I will be utilizing are first-hand accounts of people who have experienced the difference between a community with just diversity, and a community with inclusion through ted-talks. I will also be using scholarly articles from the SU database. As for my analysis I plan to form a connection between things the students may have seen or experienced in order to help them be able to better identify situations where a place is diverse but not inclusive and vice versa.

Project Proposal-Ed

My research project encompasses a topic that benefits me both personally as well as in this class. The first unit we studied involved topics on hiring individuals with disabilities as well as their contributions to organizations which intrigued me. Some disabilities are obvious, while others are well hidden and only discoverable if the individual discloses them. I envision my research to take the form of memo to advise professionals as well as individuals about the advantages and disadvantages involved in disclosing invisible disabilities. I have worked with or known people that worked with agencies such as ACCES-VR (ACCES-VR assists individuals with disabilities to achieve and maintain employment and to support independent living through training, education, rehabilitation, and career development) and ARISE (Advocacy and accessibility focuses on changing policies and removing barriers people with disabilities face in their everyday lives. It’s about working with companies, organizations, and government to support initiatives and legislation that would benefit people with disabilities.). I envision drafting a memo to help these professionals advise their clients on how to handle situations. The situations involve: (1) what are advantages and disadvantages of disclosing invisible disabilities in the work environment? Pre and post-employment; (2) are there factors of influence resulting in a positive outcome of disclosure? I have interviewed individuals in these organizations and will include information on how they currently advise their clientele. I plan to include examples whenever possible since they provide concrete information that is relatable to specific situations. I think the readers would be likely to engage in text that presented data backed up with research. The expectation is that I would have sources cited to give an authoritative and persuasive tone to my memo. My goal is to provide easy to read yet research backed information that will help individuals determine the best course of action for their particular situation. My research project encompasses a topic that benefits me both personally as well as in this class. The first unit we studied involved topics on hiring individuals with disabilities as well as their contributions to  organizations which intrigued me. Some disabilities are obvious, while others are well hidden and only discoverable if the individual discloses them. I envision my research to take the form of memo to advise professionals as well as individuals about the advantages and disadvantages involved in disclosing invisible disabilities. I have worked with or known people that worked with agencies such as ACCES-VR (ACCES-VR assists individuals with disabilities to achieve and maintain employment and to support independent living through training, education, rehabilitation, and career development) and ARISE (Advocacy and accessibility focuses on changing policies and removing barriers people with disabilities face in their everyday lives. It’s about working with companies, organizations, and government to support initiatives and legislation that would benefit people with disabilities.). I envision drafting a memo to help these professionals advise their clients on how to handle situations. The situations involve: (1) what are advantages and disadvantages of disclosing invisible disabilities in the work environment? Pre and post-employment; (2) are there factors of influence resulting in a positive outcome of disclosure? I have interviewed individuals in these organizations and will include information on how they currently advise their clientele. I plan to include examples whenever possible since they provide concrete information that is relatable to specific situations. I think the readers would be likely to engage in text that presented data backed up with research. The expectation is that I would have sources cited to give an authoritative and persuasive tone to my memo. My goal is to provide easy to read yet research backed information that will help individuals determine the best course of action for their particular situation.

Discussion Questions 8/9

#1 Mollie West’s “How To Create a Culture Manifesto for Your Organization (And Why It’s a Good Idea)” article provides exemplars of organizations that effectively implemented culture manifestos. The article points out that organizational mission statements tend to concentrate on external goals as opposed to internal ways of working. It’s recommended that organizations consider forming a culture manifesto to assist with the internal business environment as well as attracting appropriate talent. Based on the persuasive tone of the article, I would say the target audience is employees, and upper management of an organization. The writer is confident and sincere while using emphasis appropriately. Examples of companies that have utilized successfully culture manifesto such as Method Products, Etsy, and Warby Parker are provided to demonstrate different approaches to the process. By providing different companies, it gives the readers an opportunity to possibly see their own organization within one of the examples thus increasing the chance of attempting culture manifestos. Furthermore, Ms. West provides a step-by-step methodology for businesses that might want to utilize this. This makes the process actionable for an organization since it is clearly described. I believe the combination of persuasion and inspirational (examples of successful organizations) are effective for the target audience.

#2 When we first were assigned the research project, I wanted to a topic that would benefit me both personally as well as in this class. The first unit that encompassed topics on hiring individuals with disabilities piqued my interest. While some disabilities are obvious, others are well hidden and only discoverable if the individual discloses them. This topic has been one of challenge to find research. I was particularly intrigued about individuals with visible disabilities being able to hide them due to working from home this past year. While not necessarily the focus of my project, it was an interesting twist.

I envision my research to take the form of memo to advise professionals as well as individuals about the advantages and disadvantages involved in disclosing invisible disabilities. The issues questions are: (1) what are advantages and disadvantages of disclosing invisible disabilities in the work environment? Pre and post-employment; (2) are there factors of influence resulting in a positive outcome of disclosure?

I think the readers would be likely to engage in text that presented data backed up with research. The expectation is that I would have sources cited to give an authoritative and persuasive tone to my memo. Anecdotal stories would be beneficial as well in this memo.