May 1, 2018, Some Thoughts About Diversity and Inclusion
Why are there different races in humanity? Why do people have such different personalities? Why do we learn in so many different ways? Why do we express our creativity so differently?
Are some people superior to others? Is our culture biased? Is our governmental system prejudiced? Is our education system broken and discriminating against certain types of children?
All these questions are connected to the same concept. It’s a reality of humanity and it’s related to the reason for diversity in humanity. Whether you believe God created us this way or we evolved this way without interference from a creator, the truth is the same: our diversity is essential to human success on this planet.
It’s nonsense to say one group of people is superior or inferior. Our genetically programed differences are gifts that make us better suited for certain things. These differences make human society stronger when we work together, weaker when any group is excluded.
We humans sometimes make choices that derail the benefits of diversity. We create problems for ourselves when we disrupt the design of diversity. Problems arise from:
Racial discrimination
Children left behind or damaged by educational systems that discriminate unfairly among different types of learners
Personalities that don’t thrive in a culture because it favors other types of personalities.
Oppressed characteristics that were more useful in primitive times than in our technologically advanced society.
Extreme minorities in the diversity spectrum that feel marginalized, which can dramatically impact their psychological health.
What do we do about our differences and the troubles they cause? The answer is difficult and can be highly controversial.
What if some inherited traits seem inferior or immoral to most people? Is there a sociological benefit to having a few members who feel marginalized because they don’t fit the norm? Do efforts to accept everyone equally and make everyone feel valued really benefit society? How far do we need to go in coercive changes to reduce the pitfalls of diversity?
Diversity benefits humanity, but social norms also serve a beneficial purpose for society. Tragically, social norms can be oppressive to minorities. I think we cause more harm than good when we strive to suppress all social norms in the name of tolerating diversity. It’s better to accept social norms but accommodate people who don’t fit the norms.
People who feel marginalized in culture can have problems, struggling with depression, rebelling against expectations, occasionally turning hostile and violent. Others become extremely altruistic, even sacrificial. They are often the heroes, willing to take extreme risks for the benefit of others. By eliminating marginalization, we may reduce crime and depression, but we may also be stifling development of our future heroes.
Sociology is such a complex thing that it’s difficult to know what norms give the greatest benefit. We should work for change to make our society better, but with caution and without condemnation of the old ways. If you feel strongly that one approach to diversity is so far superior that you get angry with people who see things differently, you’re probably overconfident with your correctness.
We can reform education systems to better reach students marginalized by the current system, but we want to be careful not to deprive those who thrive in the current system. We should try to protect people with minority gender and sexuality traits from harassment without marginalizing people for their moral beliefs or abandoning all gender-based societal norms. We can fight marginalization of racial minorities without demonizing racial majorities. Inclusion should benefit everyone, not just the marginalized.