DIVERSITY PERSPECTIVES

Diversity
The condition of having or being composed of differing elements especially the inclusion of
different types of people (such as people of different races or cultures) in a group or
organization.
Diversity refers to both an obvious fact of human life: 1.That there are many different kinds of
people and 2. The idea that this diversity drives cultural, economic, and social vitality and
innovation. Indeed, decades of research suggest that intolerance hurts our well-being and that
individuals thrive when they are able to tolerate and embrace the diversity of the world.
In North America, the word “diversity” is strongly associated with racial diversity. However, that
is just one dimension of the human reality. We also differ in gender, language, manners and
culture, social roles, sexual orientation, education, skills, income, and countless other domains.
In recent years, some advocates have even argued for recognition of “neurodiversity,” which
refers to the range of differences in brain function.
Research shows that differences do make it harder for people to connect and empathize with
each other. Navigating differences can be tough, whether in the classroom, the workplace, or our
personal relationships—and yet people all over the world do it every day. It’s a prosocial skill,
like empathy or forgiveness that can be developed over a lifetime with intentionality, knowledge,
and practice. In diverse societies, cultivating our ability to forge relationships across differences
can actually increase our well-being.
-Greater Good Science Center
Diversity can be defined as people coming together from different races, nationalities, religions
and sexes to form a group, organization or community. A diverse organization is one that values
the difference in people. It is one that recognizes that people with different backgrounds, skills,
attitudes and experiences bring fresh ideas and perceptions. Diverse organizations encourage and
harness these differences to make their services relevant and approachable. Diverse organizations
draw upon the widest possible range of views and experiences so it can listen to and meet the
changing needs of its users. The encouragement of diversity benefits society.
In society today, most people view diversity as a good thing because it gives people the chance
to experience different things outside of what they are normally accustomed to. Diversity in
America is openly viewed as a beneficial bacterium, so many backgrounds and not knowing
which ones are good and which ones are bad.
Diversity in the Workplace

Types of diversity in the workplace

 Cultural diversity
 Racial diversity
 Religious diversity
 Age diversity
 Sex / Gender diversity
 Sexual orientation
 Disability

 Cultural diversity

This type of diversity is related to each person’s ethnicity and it’s usually the set of norms
we get from the society we were raised in or our family’s values. Having different
cultures in the workplace is more common in multinational companies.

 Race Diversity
Race has to do with a person’s grouping based on physical traits (despite the dominant
scientific view that race is a social construct and not biologically defined). Examples of
races are Caucasian, African, Latino and Asian.
 Religious diversity

This type of diversity refers to the presence of multiple religions and spiritual beliefs
(including lack thereof) in the workplace.
 Age diversity
Age diversity means working with people of different ages and, most importantly,
generations.

 Sex / Gender diversity/ Sexual Orientation

Sex and gender can be used in the traditional sense of male and female employees. For
example, you may sometimes hear the term “gender balance” used by companies trying
to achieve a 50-50 balance between employees who identify as male and employees who
identify as female. But, as gender is increasingly redefined, the term “gender diversity”
 may be more appropriate, since there are multiple variations in gender and sexual
orientation.

 Disability
There are various types of disabilities or chronic conditions included here, ranging from
mental to physical. Companies often make reasonable accommodations to help people
with disabilities integrate into the workplace, such as installing ramps for wheelchairs or
providing mental health support. Some companies also adjust their hiring process
to make sure it’s inclusive.

Protected by law
The characteristics corresponding to these forms of diversity are protected by law in many
countries: these “protected characteristics” are attributes that companies shouldn’t take into
account when making employment decisions (especially adverse decisions, like terminating
employees or rejecting job candidates). For example, you mustn’t decide to reject an applicant
for a job simply because they’re Asian, female or a person with disabilities.