Is a Diversity Inclusion Specialist a “Cop Out” for diversity inclusion?

Brianna R. Monroe

East Carolina University

Theory of Professional Communication | ENGL7780
Matt Cox
November 18, 2020
Abstract

For the past few months there has been a steady incline in diversity inclusion positions

in the workplace, and diversity task forces being implemented at colleges and universities. I find

this to be a “cop out” to protect themselves from cancel culture. Since May 2020, there has

been a major movement in the awareness of racial equality and social justice. There have been

a multitude of marches, and looting and rioting of major corporations. These actions have been

done in effort to demand change and equality.

In response to this corporations have tried to show their support and awareness for this

movement. To do this companies have released statements of support and have created

diversity inclusion specialists as a job title to encourage diversity in their spaces and employees.

In conjunction with this, colleges and universities have created tasks forces to encourage

awareness of diversity inclusion and equality. In this work I will analyze this document I will

analyze the potential effectiveness of this effort, improvements that should be made, and new

methods that need to be considered.

Literary Review

In Angela Hass’s “Race, Rhetoric, and Technology: A Case Study of Decolonial Technical

Communication Theory, Methodology, and Pedagogy” she discusses the importance of

representation in the technical communication fields. Hass specifically says, “I posit that
decolonial, critical race theories, methodologies, and pedagogies have the potential to help us

imagine that we are capable and that doing so will generate responsible and productive ways of

imagining a diversity of users of and participants in our discipline and other technical

communication workplaces.” I feel this can be applied to all workspaces and not just technical

communication. Not having representation of different cultures and minorities in workspaces

makes it difficult for people represented in these groups to see themselves in these spaces.

Furthermore, when minorities and culturally diverse people are in a space where they are

underrepresented, it makes them feel uncomfortable or out of place.

Throughout Hass’s article she discusses the importance of using rhetoric to create social

justice and culturally diverse documentation to represent groups that have been historically

underrepresented. Hass believes that this would encourage a culturally diverse space in this

career field. Hass also places a large emphasis on the Critical Race Theory. Critical race theory is

the idea that society itself is inherently racist. Hass believes that in order to combat critical race

theory there needs to be active implementation of racially and culturally diverse

representation.

In the article “Inclusive Workspaces: A review and Model” Shore, Cleveland and Sanchez

discuss some of the practices that are being utilized in the workplace. This article also goes into

depth on a model of inclusion that utilizes existing works to provide a stronger idea of what

diversity inclusion looks like in the workplace. This article also provides suggestions for future

discussion and ideas.

 For example, Shore, Cleveland and Sanchez highlight the component of “Recognizing,

honoring, and advancing of diversity.” What they mean by this is that organizations should be

promoting and encouraging social justice for minorities and culturally diverse people

throughout society. Organizations should not remain silent and they should not remain neutral.

By advocating for these historically underrepresented groups, minorities and culturally diverse

people feel welcomed, heard and valued within the organization’s space.

Shore, Clevland and Sanchez, also suggest “Promotion Orientation.” Promotion

orientation is the idea of placing and promoting historically underrepresented groups into

management positions. Shore, Clevland and Sanchez, describe the workforce as a

“organizational hierarchy as a triangle with the fewest individuals holding top management

positions.” It is understood by adding diversity into these top management positions it will

“contribute to a climate of inclusion, employee perceptions of inclusion, and to the retention

and expansion of talent within the organization.”

Shore, Cleveland and Sanchez also highlight the importance of inclusion instead of

diversity. They explain that diversity provides a space for people in historically

underrepresented groups. Inclusion assures the equal treatment of minorities and culturally

diverse people and their white coworkers. I think this is something that needs to be considered

as I create improvements and suggestions to create a racially and culturally diverse space for all

people.

Analysis
 To analyze the diversity inclusion specialist position, I looked at the position

requirements on LinkedIn and Indeed. All the companies mainly require the same

qualifications. The main overlap in qualifications is a bachelor's degree, creative thinking skills,

outreach experience and proof of experience with diversity inclusion. I noticed that although

these are great requirements, there is not a requirement or preference for the person to be a

minority or culturally diverse. Granted this can be considered discrimination, however for the

purpose that this position holds, this may be necessary.

Improvements

To improve the diversity inclusion positions available at different companies I believe

that there needs to be a requirement, or a strong preference emphasized of a racially or

culturally diverse applicants. If the organization feels uncomfortable doing this, they should

consider a team of diversity inclusion specialists. This team would need to be comprised of

people from different racial and cultural groups. I believe that this would help implement a

diversity and inclusion throughout organizations because it will have input from the voices of

people that the organization wants to attract, promote and appease.

Furthermore, I believe that in conjunction with the diversity inclusion specialist there

needs to be an outreach to students and people in general, in spaces where there are

minorities and historically underrepresented groups are present. Spaces like this would include

Historically Black Colleges and Universities, minority dominant high schools, career fairs in

culturally diverse neighborhoods. Reaching out to these historically underrepresented groups

provides organizations the ability to attract them by going straight to the source. This shows

how much organizations value them.

Also, within the organization there needs to be an active promotion of racially and

culturally diverse people into top management positions, this action will in turn matriculate

throughout the organization. By completing this action there will be an influence in dynamic

and organization culture for historically underrepresented groups in the organization. This also

makes historically underrepresented groups feel needed and important to the needs of the

organization.

Conclusion

I find the diversity inclusion specialist position is not necessarily a cop out, it is just not

planned presented correctly. I feel that the way this position is advertised, it seems available for

the white majority to apply and work for. I find this to be completely inappropriate. This

contributes to a white savior complex that has historically been an issue. Having a person from

the majority trying to reach out to historically underrepresented people is difficult because

there are certain things that culturally, they cannot relate to or understand. It should also be

considered that the methods that someone from the majority uses to reach out to someone

from the minority may prove to be unsuccessful because on a certain level they cannot relate

to each other. In this instance race and culture is a driving factor to making this implementation

successful.

Furthermore, to create a culturally and racially diverse and inclusive space, there are

several steps that need to be taken within an organization. Cultural and Racial diversity cannot
be completed in just one step, this is initially what the social justice movement is attempting to

portray and explain. Work must be done on all levels to make the organization truly diverse and

inclusive. Although a diversity inclusion specialist is a good step in the right direction, there is

still a marathon that needs to be finished.

References

Haas, A. M. (2012). Race, Rhetoric, and Technology. Journal of Business and Technical

Communication, 26(3), 277–310. https://doi.org/10.1177/1050651912439539

Shore, L. M., Cleveland, J. N., & Sanchez, D. (2018). Inclusive workplaces: A review and

model. Human Resource Management Review, 28(2), 176–189.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2017.07.003