Reply to this discussion post:

Diversity refers to the inclusion of people of different races, genders, cultural backgrounds, ethnicity etc., in a group or organization. Diversity in a workplace is not only important due to the fairness and the moral values of the company, but it is also incredibly beneficial for the leaders and the workers. When there is diversity in a workplace, there are different points of views, perspectives, ideas, and solutions for problems, which result in better performance from the workers, and growth for the company. However, many workplaces use diversity as a trend to portray authenticity, and try to force training to their workers to better understand and respect it, like mentioned in the TedTalk from this week's module (TEDx Talks, 2016). As we have learned throughout this course, bias, and prejudice are major problems that we face everyday. I currently work in a school setting as a Behavior Technician. My workplace is very diverse in every aspect, the school's staff includes people of different cultures, races, genders, people with disabilities. I believe that diversity is what makes the workplace a better place to work at. I have had suffered prejudice and bias in the past, due to my cultural background, but I can say 100% it was not at the place I currently work at. Everyone in the school I work at treats each other with a lot of respect, and I have never felt judged or discriminated in regards to my cultural background, race, ethnicity, etc. With all being said, I agree with Arwa Mahdawi (TEDx Talks, 2016) when she mentions the fact that the world is rapidly changing, and that even though diversity is a serious issue, it doesn't need to be taken so seriously. People need to learn and better understand how to reduce their own unconscious bias, because after all diversity is something that everyone should do something about, and it has positive effects for everyone.

References:

TEDx Talks. (2016, July 18).The Surprising Solution to Workplace Diversity | Arwa Mahdawi | TEDxHamburg[Video]. YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtUlRYXJ0vI