Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
You've probably heard a lot of conversation about diversity, inclusion, and equity lately. These conversations happen at school, in the media, in politics, and maybe even at home. But, have you every thought about what those words really mean or why we are talking about them at all?
Let's start with diversity, inclusion, and equity. These are the terms that are often used to describe the whole concept. These terms are put together to make an acronym that describes the concepts: DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). It sounds complicated, but it really isn't.
It's like a math equation... Diversity + Inclusion = Equity
An Umbrella Term:
"Diversity, inclusion, and equity are often grouped together because they are interconnected and it is only in combination that their true impact emerges." - McKinsey & Company
Diversity
Backgrounds, personalities, experiences, values and beliefs. This forms our identity and makes us who we are.
WHAT
Inclusion
To be respected and appreciated; having a sense of belonging; where everyone feels they can be themselves.
HOW
Equity
The goal is to be fair to create a level playing field. This happens when we respond to biases or favouritism.
GOAL
WHAT we focus on and HOW we achieve the GOAL.
Under the Umbrella
Great! So that's the basics of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Now, let's take a look at some more terms that can help us think deeper about DEI. These terms will help us better understand why it is important for us to think and talk about DEI.
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Identity & Perspective
Identity
who are you; characteristics or personality
Perspective
the way you see the world; point of view
What does that mean?
Your perspective is shaped by your identity, life experiences, values, state of mind, assumptions, and more...
Internal
- Age
- Race
- Gender
- Sexual Orientation
- Physical Ability
- Ethnicity
- Neurodiversity
- Mental Health
External
- Geographic Location
- Income
- Personal Habits
- Recreational Habits
- Religion
- Education
- Appearance
- Family Status
Organizational
- School Type
- Grade Level, Subject
- Work Industry
- Division, Department
- Seniority
- Building Location
- Team or Club Affiliation
- Hierarchal Structure
Example: Eating at a buffet.
Identity:
- Person 1: Severe allergies and previous experience with anaphylactic reactions that led to hospitalization.
- Person 2: No allergies and no health concerns related to diet.
Perspective:
- Person 1: Concerns over safety and cross contamination leading to anxiety and fear of becoming ill.
- Person 2: Limited to no concerns about safety risk.
Thinking About Identity & Perspective
Ask yourself the following questions to consider how your identity influences your perspective.
- Who am I? Reflect on your personal characteristics, interests, values, and beliefs that shape your identity.
- Where do I come from? Consider your cultural background, family traditions, and how they influence your identity and perspective.
- What groups do I belong to? Think about the communities you are part of, such as your family, friends, school, or cultural/religious groups, and how they contribute to your identity.
- How do others see me? Reflect on how others perceive you based on your appearance, behaviour, and the groups you belong to. Consider whether these perceptions align with your self-image.
- What experiences have shaped me? Reflect on significant events or experiences in your life that have influenced your identity and perspective.
- Whose perspectives do I value? Think about whose viewpoints and experiences you prioritize or seek out in discussions and decision-making processes.
Bias & Unconscious Bias
Bias
opinion based on beliefs and experience
Unconscious Bias
associations we have without awareness or control
What does that mean?
Our brain tries to simplify our thinking. Sometimes our bias happens without us knowing (unconscious bias) to make processing the world easier.
The Science Behind Bias
Our mind has two systems, reflective and reflexive. The reflexive system is where the automatic processes occurs with little effort, very quickly, and often without us even knowing.
- Unconscious biases affect our behaviour in the world.
- Unconscious bias can be minimized.
- Unconscious bias can influence how we think about or engage with others.
Everyone holds unconscious bias.
What creates/influences unconscious bias?
- Evolutionary Survival Mechanism: Our brains have evolved to make quick decisions to keep us safe. This means categorizing things and people based on limited information. While this helped our ancestors survive in dangerous environments, it can lead to biases in modern, complex societies.
- Socialization and Cultural Influence: From a young age, we're exposed to societal norms, stereotypes, and cultural messages about different groups of people. These influences shape our perceptions and beliefs, leading to unconscious biases.
- Limited Exposure: Our experiences and interactions are often limited to certain groups or environments. This can create biases based on familiarity or lack of. For example, if someone grows up in a predominantly homogenous community, they may develop biases against people from different backgrounds.
- Cognitive Limitations: Our brains have limited capacity to process information, so they often rely on shortcuts or heuristics to make quick judgments. These mental shortcuts can lead to biases because they're based on simplified or incomplete information.
- Implicit Association: Unconscious biases can also stem from the association between certain groups and specific traits or characteristics, which can be formed through repeated exposure to media, social interactions, or cultural narratives.
- In-group Favouritism: We tend to feel more comfortable with people who are similar to us and may unconsciously favour those who belong to the same groups we identify with.
- Confirmation Bias: We have a tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs or stereotypes, reinforcing our biases over time.
Example: Pizza Toppings
Bias: Thinking that pineapple does not belong on pizza.
Unconscious Bias: Thinking that people who put pineapple on pizza are weird.
Thinking About Identity & Perspective
Ask yourself the following questions to consider how your identity influences your perspective.
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What are my biases? Consider your unconscious biases or assumptions about different groups of people and how they may impact your interactions and worldview.
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How do I handle differences? Reflect on how you react to people who have different backgrounds, beliefs, or perspectives from your own. Consider whether you approach these differences with curiosity, empathy, or judgment.
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What challenges do I face in understanding others? Consider barriers or challenges you encounter in understanding and empathizing with people from different backgrounds or perspectives.
Prejudice & Discrimination
Prejudice
(thinking) judging a person based their characteristics
Discrimination
(action) treatment based on characteristics
What does that mean?
Sometimes biases can be harmful. This happens when a bias is held about a persons protected grounds. When someone acts on that thinking, they are discriminating.
Protected Grounds
The Ontario Human Rights Code is a set of rules that helps make sure everyone in Ontario is treated fairly and equally. It talks about how people should be treated in different situations, like at work, in housing, or when using services like stores or schools.
The Code says that everyone should be treated the same, no matter what their race, gender, age, religion, disability, or other differences might be. It's like having a set of rules to make sure everyone gets a fair chance and is respected.
For example, it says that employers can't treat someone differently because of their race or disability when hiring or promoting people. It also says that landlords can't refuse to rent a place to someone because of their religion or family status.
If someone feels they've been treated unfairly because of who they are, they can make a complaint under the Ontario Human Rights Code. Then, there are ways to try to fix the problem and make things fair again.
Read more about Human Rights in Canada: HERE
- Age
- Ancestry
- Citizenship
- Colour
- Creed
- Disability
- Ethnic origin
- Family status
- Gender expression
- Gender identity
- Marital status
- Place of origin
- Race
- Receipt of public assistance (in housing)
- Record of offences (in employment)
- Sex/pregnancy
- Sexual orientation
How does it exist around you?
Before expanding each section, try and think about what types of bias could exist. Then try and think about how those biases could turn into discrimination.
Group Projects
Sports Teams
Student Leadership
Social Events
Teacher Treatment
Admissions
Clubs and Extracurriculars
Example: Having a pizza party.
Prejudice (thinking): A Hindu friend is vegetarian. But not all Hindu's are vegetarian, so the host doesn't think the person has to be vegetarian because of their religion.
Discrimination: The host only orders meat lover style pizzas for the group. The friend who is vegetarian is left with nothing to eat.
Protected Ground: Creed (Religion)
Recap: DEI & Under the Umbrella
Now that you've learned about the terms, let's look at how they all fit together.
What's next?
After thinking about your own identity and how it influences your perspective, you can do the same for others. We all have our own unique perspective based on our identity, making us all see the world differently. Being aware of this different perspective is important because our perspective might make us think that we are correct/right, while the other person thinks that their perspective is correct/right.
1) Be aware that people can think differently than you do.
2) Ask yourself: How can I broaden my perspective? Explore ways to expose yourself to diverse viewpoints, cultures, and experiences to broaden your understanding of the world and enhance your empathy towards others.
