Diversity training: Philosophical question
An elected county official in a Twin Cities suburbs is in hot water over a remark that some considered racist. The exact remark itself (see it at http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1114765.html) was arguably insensitive. One of his detractors said he "needs to take a diversity class." Here's my question: Do you think "diversity classes, "diversity training," "diversity workshops" and the like really do anything to change a person's attitudes and beliefs, or do they just teach a person how to keep his head down and his mouth a little more shut? Or, perhaps, do they actually make a person more firm, even angry, in his attitudes and beliefs? Have YOU ever been required to take "diversity training"? How did YOU feel about it? Are you a different person because of it? I've never been forced into such a situation, but I know how I would react.[:(]
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The Corp. guys take the workshop to cover their butts, from the latest PC assault. It's all just lip-service though. About as useful as Sexual Harassment training, Sexual harassment still happens all the time in the workplace, even if some of it is minor. Not everyone at work wants to hear dirty quotes from the latest will ferral movie all day long. or listening to folks crone the SNL "BallparkFrank in a box". 0 -
I attended diversity training during the summer of '79 at RTC Orlando, FLA. Only it was called "Boot Camp" at the time.
The experience made me a better man. I recommend it to everyone.0 -
I've had to take them every couple of years for the last 20 years. To me it's P.C. brainwashing. I'm not biggoted towards anybody but I doubt it has much effect on people that are. I think it's just a way to teach us to keep are big traps shut. I think it's a waste of time. 0 -
I don't mind having a diversity class crammed down my throat so long as the overly sensitive types who get insulted and "hurt" at the drop of a hat get some maturity classes.
People need to grow up and get over themselves. Not everything is racist, sexist, or bigoted.0 -
We watched CRASH at ours. 0 -
Political Correctness (PC):
"Political Correctness is a doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical, liberal minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."0 -
General Motors has quite a "diversity" training program for the managers and sales personnel at the dealerships. It's as absurd as you may imagine it to be. 0 -
I distinctly recall a guest speaker on the topic of diversity in one of my social work classes. He titled his lecture "Gay 101"
Two men who consider themselves particulary gung-ho for God walked out before it was over. (actually one of the rolled out in his wheelchair, but you get the idea)
I later asked the one who is a minister why he felt it was appropriate to walk out of a lecture. His reply: "I won't ever work with that population."
I think that diversity instruction can be very beneficial to those who think God speaks only American English but I believe it mostly falls on deaf ears.0 -
You refers to the universal "you", i.e. non-specific here.
I believe that the answer is simple. If you see another individual as your equal and if you believe that he or she, like you, is intelligent and has unlimited potential - regardless of race, gender, age or nationality - then, yes, diversity training is a real eye-opener.
But, if you feel yourself to be superior in any way to anyone who is different from you, i.e. different race, gender, age or nationality, then you will most assuredly think it's a complete waste of time.
I found out that you get out of things pretty much what you put into them.0 -
In the Navy we called it Archy Bunker U.
My buddies and I were thrown out twice before our CO ordered us to putup, shutup and get it over with.
None of said a word to the only racist in the class.
Yep the black instructor.
PC is just another way for the minority to control the majority.
AC0 -
Diversity training is a bunch of pc bs. A person who is a professional diversity trainer would be ashamed to cash their paycheck, if they had a sense of shame. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Slow_Hand
You refers to the universal "you", i.e. non-specific here.
I believe that the answer is simple. If you see another individual as your equal and if you believe that he or she, like you, is intelligent and has unlimited potential - regardless of race, gender, age or nationality - then, yes, diversity training is a real eye-opener.
But, if you feel yourself to be superior in any way to anyone who is different from you, i.e. different race, gender, age or nationality, then you will most assuredly think it's a complete waste of time.
I found out that you get out of things pretty much what you put into them.
Equal in what way? We are most assuredly NOT equal in almost any way you can measure.
To pretend we are all equally intelligent, equally qualified, equal tempered, equally compassionate, or equal what-ever is as absurd as proposing we are all equal height. You can say we are; you can make me, through intimidation, say we are, but we are not and it is plainly evident that the notion we are is a lie.
Even as groups, this applies. Are not young black males in general better basketball players than whites? Who cannot see that? Are not Asians (as a group) a little better at math and science than blacks? Why is it that women seem better suited to the nursing field than men?
The diversity brainwashers will trot out the novelty woman astronaut or white male nurse to proclaim "Look what can be done when we embrace diversity!" when it is nothing but a crock of bullfooey. Women, in general, do not want to be astronauts. Men, in general, do not want to be nurses. That is why the numbers are what they are, not that there are diversity-haters in places which could influence the outcome. On the contrary, the diversity police will artificially influence the outcome by forcing (thru ill-thought out governement regs) quotas for targeted, prominent jobs. They won't be happy until women are 51% of the astronaut core, even if that means chasing off qualified males and replacing them with low-standards females (who might drive 900 miles in a diaper---that was a real good choice). But make no mistake, they have no concern whatsoever that men dominate the garbage collection or roto-rooter business even worse. For some reason, they dont' give a damn about diversity in those fields.0 -
Welcome to GB, cpurvis.
The concept of "diversity training" deals with much more than gender and/or gender bias. It's not always referring to garbage men or firemen or cops and women who fill those positions as opposed to men.
If you've ever had the opportunity to sit in a room of mixed professional peers and who are all strangers to you and to one another, you would be surprised to learn, in time, how talented some of the individuals are and also how incompetent some of them are.
The point of "diversity training" is that potential is not proportional to race, creed, color, gender, nationality, etc. If you engage a person who is different from you in conversation, you may find him or her to be articulate, intelligent, sensitive, etc., despite the color of his or her skin, country of origin, accent, etc.
Of course, it's wholly up to the individual to accept or reject diversity.
I have been very gratified to have worked alongside many people of very varied backgrounds over the years. They have taught me a lot about my own perceptions and, yes, enlightened me about my own vest pocket biased opinions.
Hope you stay and post often! Enjoy the boards!0 -
I would not sit through "diversity training"... 0 -
Why is it in all the videos and pictures I have seen in those classes the clueless idiot that says and does everything wrong is ALWAYS a white male?
Diversity my hind end. It is PC indoctrination and conditioning.
Repeat the same old BS enough and it will become truth.
White men are sexist,racist baffons that have to be trained to think and act PROPERLY.
Every sitcom on TV uses that as their main premise.
rant over sorry
AC0 -
No need to be sorry...everything you said is true. I myself have noticed that in training films and tv that, without fail, the white male buffoon always has to be rescued from his errant ways by a minority and/or woman. Practically the only time you will see a white male play a judge on tv is if the judge is corrupt.
Thanks for the welcome, Slow Hand. I agree that appreciating everyone for what they are and where they come from is a good thing. What I hate is all this forced training that assumes I am too ignorant to realize any of these things myself. That, and the fact that the white male is always depicted as the dimmest bulb of the lot.0 -
I won't excuse the film director's stupidity and boorishness in the making of the films you mention. That's the modern day white man's way of overcompensating to a fault for the all the ills of his long dead ancestors. Rather, I'm referring to the actual life experience itself that comes with working alongside all peoples in real world, real time. Cliched as it may sound, teamwork from all is essential. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Slow_Hand
I won't excuse the film director's stupidity and boorishness in the making of the films you mention. That's the modern day white man's way of overcompensating to a fault for the all the ills of his long dead ancestors. Rather, I'm referring to the actual life experience itself that comes with working alongside all peoples in real world, real time. Cliched as it may sound, teamwork from all is essential.
I wonder about the ills of long dead anestors. Were they really ills? Given the luxuary of hindsight and modern instrumentality, it is rather easy to say they could have done it another way. So why didn't they?
Perhaps at the time, it was the most economical, logical, and expedient way to accomplish whatever task they had.
It's very hard to put yourself into another long dead man's shoes and say his society was wrong. Obviously for that society, it worked. I make no excuses, nor do I apoligise for what the people in the past have done.
The PC world was fostered by white men. Even here on this forum. Consider this; The decendents of Chinese coolies that were badly treated during the building of the Transcontinental Railway get no special treatment. They were paid slaves yet they prospered. At what point does having a slave ancestor no longer have a bearing on an individual? Is he and all his children forever cursed and glide through civilization like some kind of Flying Dutchman for all time?
It is not PC to point out differences among men today. Yet, those differences exist. It is called diversity. Yet, acknowledging that diversity (nappy headed individuals for example) is forbidden.
The nuts are now in charge of the asylum.[xx(]
Did anyone read the article link? They are out of their rabbitassed mind. Reps are SUPPOSED to carry out the wishes of the constituents.0 -
it has been my experience in "diversity training" that the only thing being pushed on me was not to see anyone as equals but to specifically see their differences and to reward or praise them because of it.
regardless of what anyone may take from such training, if you see a red book on the shelf and pick it to read, despite the contents (story line, character developement, the craftmanship of the writing, even the title) you will forever refer to it as the red book. and the idea of bringing people together by targeting their differences is oxymoronic at its finest. the contradiction of creating a cohesive workforce by pointing out the things that specifically make us different from one another is sheer lunacy. what it does is make us focus on and remember what makes us different. this "i like you because you're a jew" or "you're my friend because you're black" pushes more wedges between us. i much more prefer to like you for the person you are than by what makes you different from me.
we each choose who we associate with by what attracts us to them: intelligence, similar interests, race, religion etc. i chose my employees under my preset guidelines of: are they qualified, what can they offer, are they willing to adapt to any situation that may arise, are they personable, and others. race, religion, sex played no part in my decisions. and i judged each person as a person not as a member of some group (blacks, jews, gays, horses, penguins, ocelots, ferrets...). is it true that some were more predisposed to do certain tasks better that others? yes. but they all started the same and each chose their specialization by accelling in that field but all were required to be able to do all so that, if needed, they could offer assistance or advice.
in my opinion, diversity training is nothing more that psychologial segregation.0 -
Pabulum for the masses, pure political BS.
It probably causes more suppressed resentment than it solves as problems.
I had to deal with some of it every year, but got a hell of a lot more value out of having a cup of coffee with someone in the office.0
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