11 February 2009

Dynamics of Diversity

A friend recently pointed me to this pamphlet on the "Dynamics of Diversity".  It's about "insiders" versus "outsiders", and although it's aimed at corporations or other organizations, I think it provides a useful way to look at our actions and relations to others when thinking about how to improve race relations.  For example, whites can be though of as the insiders and blacks as outsiders, to use the common stereotypical view (we're off to a good start already here, aren't we?), but it can also apply to women vs. men, or other divisions or groupings.  Within each group people can be of a different type on a ladder of types.  Insiders can be "unintentional offenders", "intentional offenders", "avoiders", or "change agents".  Outsiders can be "assimilators", "separatists", "fighters",  or "change agents".  The goal is to move along the ladder toward being a change agent...

Where are you?

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