tag:theconversation.com,2011:/id/topics/inclusivity-34836/articlesInclusivity – The Conversation2024-03-21T20:35:41Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2253332024-03-21T20:35:41Z2024-03-21T20:35:41ZEthnic diversity is still a serious issue at the top level in accounting firms<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582955/original/file-20240319-24-fiblnj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=66%2C41%2C5492%2C3659&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The accounting profession has suffered from the under-representation of women and marginalized people for many years.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In recent years, there has been a growing concern about the <a href="https://theconversation.com/diversity-in-the-workplace-isnt-enough-businesses-need-to-work-toward-inclusion-194136">lack of diversity in workplaces</a>, particularly in terms of ethnic and gender diversity. To address this, many companies have taken action by adjusting their recruiting policies and setting targets for achieving minimum diversity levels.</p>
<p>The accounting profession has suffered from the under-representation of women and marginalized people for many years. It has long been considered a <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/2f3cdfa4-f3fe-11e9-b018-3ef8794b17c6">white, male-dominant profession</a>.</p>
<p>Accounting firms, especially <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bigfour.asp">the Big Four</a> — Deloitte, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler — have taken various measures to improve the diversity of their workforce by recruiting and retaining employees of various backgrounds. </p>
<p>Each of the Big Four audit firms, for example, have created the equivalent position of chief diversity officer — a position that develops and implements diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the organization.</p>
<p>Despite these efforts, diversity at more senior ranks in accounting firms is still very much lagging, especially with regard to ethnic representation. </p>
<h2>Under-representation in accounting</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://us.aicpa.org/content/dam/aicpa/interestareas/accountingeducation/newsandpublications/downloadabledocuments/2019-trends-report.pdf">2019 survey from the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants</a> found that only nine per cent of accounting firm partners identify as non-white.</p>
<p>Another study from the <a href="https://www.accounting.com/resources/improving-diversity-in-accounting/">Association of Accountants and Financial Professionals in Business</a> found that only 8.9 per cent of accountants and auditors identified as Hispanic or Latino, 8.5 per cent identified as Black or African American and 12 per cent identified as Asian. In total, these group represent almost 30 per cent of The professional accountants, but their proportion in partner levels are much lower than that.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/06/18/big-four-accounting-firms-have-just-11-black-equity-partners/">A similar report from the United Kingdom</a> found only 11 out of almost 3,000 (or 0.4 per cent) of equity partners in the Big Four firms in the U.K. are Black, compared with their population representation of 3.3 per cent.</p>
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<img alt="A group of ethnically diverse people having a conversation around a conference table" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582956/original/file-20240319-24-e5nkf5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582956/original/file-20240319-24-e5nkf5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582956/original/file-20240319-24-e5nkf5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582956/original/file-20240319-24-e5nkf5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582956/original/file-20240319-24-e5nkf5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582956/original/file-20240319-24-e5nkf5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582956/original/file-20240319-24-e5nkf5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Despite efforts, diversity at more senior ranks in accounting firms is still lagging.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>Although we still don’t have robust enough data about accounting firms in Canada yet, there is research that suggests <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09638180.2020.1786420">women and minorities are under-represented at senior positions</a> in Canadian firms as well.</p>
<p>Recognizing the under-representation of ethnic minority accountants at the partner level, my colleagues and I aimed to gain insights into the work environment of ethnic minority accountants who made it to the top of the ladder in U.S. firms. </p>
<h2>New insights from research</h2>
<p>My co-researchers and I used the term ethnic minority in our study to refer to those who are Asian, Black non-Latino, Hispanic Latino and white non-Latino as per the U.S. Census’ taxonomy. We collected data on audit partners in the U.S. from 2016 to 2020 and conducted a comprehensive analysis of various aspects of their work. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aos.2023.101440">We found that ethnic minority auditors were less likely to become partners</a> at accounting firms. The ones that did were more likely to become partners at less notable accounting offices. They were more likely to become partners in firms other than the Big Four firms, in offices that did not have prestigious clients, in smaller offices and in offices that earned less fees.</p>
<p>This is despite the fact that, as our research found, they performed better than non-ethnic minority partners. Using various performance measures <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacceco.2014.09.002">common in accounting research</a>, we found ethnic minority partners performed better than their white counterparts. It is, therefore, unlikely that the under-representation of ethnic minorities at the partner level is due to their inability to perform well.</p>
<p>Our study also found that ethnic minority partners were more likely to be in charge of audit engagements if a client’s senior leadership also included ethnic minorities. </p>
<p>It also showed that, once an error occurred, white audit partners were more likely to be absolved of audit failures than ethnic minority audit partners. The likelihood of an audit partner being replaced after a material error was discovered in a financial statement was higher for ethnic minority partners (39 per cent) versus white partners (24 per cent). </p>
<h2>Improving ethnic representation</h2>
<p>One of the consequences of ineffective diversity, equity and inclusion practices in the accounting profession is <a href="https://www.imanet.org/research-publications/ima-reports/diversifying-us-accounting-talent-a-critical-imperative-to-achieve-transformational-outcomes">talent drain</a>. Up to 55 per cent of accountants from under-represented groups leave their employers, and up to 18 per cent leave the profession altogether. This raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of the profession’s talent pipeline. </p>
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<img alt="A young Black woman in a grey blazer anda pair of glasses using a calculator while sitting at a desk" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582949/original/file-20240319-9963-3izp81.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582949/original/file-20240319-9963-3izp81.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582949/original/file-20240319-9963-3izp81.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582949/original/file-20240319-9963-3izp81.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582949/original/file-20240319-9963-3izp81.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582949/original/file-20240319-9963-3izp81.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/582949/original/file-20240319-9963-3izp81.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Research has found that ethnic minority auditors performed better at their jobs than non-ethnic minority partners.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>Our study points to some major gaps in terms of promotion and treatment of ethnic audit partners in the accounting profession. Diversity at higher levels in the corporate hierarchy appears to be lacking. </p>
<p>Our study also suggests two major benefits of closing these gaps. First, because ethnic audit partners appear to outperform their white counterparts, more ethnic representation at senior positions will translate to higher-quality audits. Second, improving the ethnic diversity in senior accounting positions will help combat talent drainage.</p>
<p>There must be greater efforts to recruit, nurture and promote talented accountants from under-represented backgrounds, including fast-tracking promising audit managers to partnership. Individuals from under-represented groups should receive opportunities equal to those of their white peers when it comes to career advancement and the choice of work environment.</p>
<p>We believe more ethnically diverse accounting leadership will strengthen the profession by attracting and retaining talented ethnic accounting professionals and will position it to deal better with the <a href="https://theconversation.com/everyone-should-have-a-say-on-the-future-of-green-accounting-178764">challenges of the future</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225333/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Ethnic minority auditors are less likely to become partners at accounting firms despite being better at their jobs than their white counterparts.Zvi Singer, Associate Professor of Accounting, HEC MontréalGopal Krishnan, Professor of Accounting, Bentley UniversityJing Zhang, Assistant Professor of Accounting, University of Colorado DenverLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2236692024-03-07T13:03:50Z2024-03-07T13:03:50ZWhite men dominate the environment sector – here’s how to encourage more diverse voices<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579142/original/file-20240301-16-bo8mjl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Bringing a diversity of people to the table and giving plenty of opportunities for everyone to have their say is key to ensuring real inclusivity. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/diverse-business-people-on-meeting-298996202">Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In early 2021, I observed a meeting of 25 people working on climate change policy in Bristol as part of my research into creating a <a href="https://bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/gsc/view/journals/gscj/2/2/article-p86.xml">just and fair climate transition</a>. I was struck by how the conversation was dominated by one group: white men. From that moment, inequality in decision-making became a major part of my climate justice research. </p>
<p>I drew a table in my notebook with four headings: white men, white women, minoritised men and minoritised women. Every time someone spoke, I put a tick in the relevant column. By the end of that meeting, white men had three times as many ticks as the rest combined. I took a picture of the table and sent it to my research partner, <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/people/person/Alice-Venn-3bb91446-28d7-46b3-81cb-aa84c262282f/">Alice Venn</a>. </p>
<p>“Should I keep recording this data?” I asked. Venn approved of this approach, so data on gender and race became central to <a href="https://bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/gsc/view/journals/gscj/2/2/article-p86.xml%E2%80%8B">our study</a>.</p>
<p>We observed various meetings including steering groups, member consultations and board meetings for nine hours over the course of six months. During that time, white men spoke for 64% of the time and represented 40% of participants. A slightly higher percentage (41%) of white women were present in the meetings we observed, but they spoke for just 33% of the time.</p>
<p>By comparison, minoritised women made up 14% of participants in meetings and spoke 2% of the time. Minoritised men made up 5% of participants in meetings and spoke only 1% of the time. </p>
<p>This is no great surprise. The environment sector is notoriously <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/11/too-white-green-sector-launches-work-scheme-to-be-more-diverse">one of the least diverse</a>, with only 3.5% of people working in environmental jobs identifying as being from an ethnic minority. In the <a href="https://www.race-report.uk/news/2023-press-release-environmental-charity-sector-boosts-participation-for-racial-diversity-initiative">environmental charity sector</a>, that figure is 6%. This compares quite starkly with an average across the UK workforce of 15% of employees from racial or ethnic minorities. </p>
<p>Diverse voices and critical discussions are key to making robust, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/eriklarson/2017/09/21/new-research-diversity-inclusion-better-decision-making-at-work/?sh=7924784e4cbf">inclusive and future-proof decisions</a>. If a group of people who come from similar backgrounds (whether because of race, class or gender) assess a decision they are making for flaws, they are unlikely to find them because they are likely to agree with one another.</p>
<p>There may then be unexpected pushback against policies such as 15-minute neighbourhoods (where residents can reach all the facilities they need within a 15-minute walk, bike ride or journey on public transport), because groups who do not benefit from those schemes have not been consulted and their dissent has not been anticipated. </p>
<p>In Bristol, our observations of meetings found that participants showed very little critical engagement with existing policies, such as cycling route safety planning that centred around men commuting, or expansion plans for Bristol airport. Often, there was no space or time in meetings to be critical of existing ideas and narratives, or to challenge existing policy processes and systemic problems. </p>
<p>Climate justice was only mentioned in one of the nine meetings we observed. Climate vulnerability was not mentioned at all. Meetings felt very busy, filled with packed agendas, with little opportunity to make radical suggestions for change.</p>
<h2>Changing the dynamic</h2>
<p>Even with a mix of women and men or representative examples of minoritised people in the room, these people <a href="https://hbr.org/2014/06/women-find-your-voice">won’t necessarily speak up</a>. Women are less likely to have <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01492063231173421">influence in board meetings</a> and struggle to be heard in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/us/zoom-meetings-gender.html">online meetings</a>.</p>
<p>A good chair will be aware of these dynamics and take steps to ensure inclusivity, perhaps by setting up small group tasks to build confidence or monitoring who is speaking and calling on quieter people directly. </p>
<p>Another technique, known as the “2-2 method”, involves asking “what are two reasons someone would agree, and two someone would disagree?” before opening the floor for critique. An open workplace culture where people feel they can trust leadership even if they are critical is also important, and will make more open and inclusive meetings easier to conduct.</p>
<p>From observations in our study, women tend to take longer to answer a question, which gives space for men to jump in or interrupt. One of the female participants told us: “I notice men tend to talk over me and interrupt me, a lot.”</p>
<p>Minoritised individuals may be more reticent to speak if they feel they won’t be listened to. <a href="https://hbr.org/2022/09/is-your-board-inclusive-or-just-diverse">Previous research shows that</a> some board members worry they will be tokenised by being asked to represent huge groups – this <a href="https://media.frc.org.uk/documents/FRC_Board_Diversity_and_Effectiveness_in_FTSE_350_Companies.pdf">puts undue pressure</a> on them to be the spokesperson for their race or ethnicity, and does not treat them as an individual with worthy opinions. Being aware of these dynamics and getting it right as an employer or community leader is key to making change and ensuring everyone feels able to speak up.</p>
<h2>A diversity redesign</h2>
<p>As a follow-up from our study, we are training members of the environment sector in Bristol. We have been working with the UK-wide, equalities-led social enterprise <a href="https://www.diversitytrust.org.uk/">The Diversity Trust</a> and video production company <a href="https://beestonmedia.com/">Beeston Media</a> to provide a series of workshops and videos about making more inclusive decisions, creating an open workplace culture, and recruiting and retaining diverse staff. </p>
<p>So far we’ve held three workshops, each attended by more than 25 people from a wide range of sectors and organisations. Three more workshops are planned for spring and summer 2024.</p>
<p>As a result, the <a href="https://thebaccc.org/about/#:%7E:text=The%20Bristol%20Advisory%20Committee%20on,the%20Bristol%20One%20City%20Boards.">Bristol Advisory Committee on Climate Change</a> has already changed its recruitment policies. The committee has widened its definition of an expert, moving away from a research-based definition and explicitly noting that lived experience and community knowledge can be accepted as expertise. </p>
<p>Meeting space policies have also been redesigned at several organisations – for example, by implementing the 2-2 method and ensuring that chairs avoid tokenism and use micro-affirmations to build confidence. </p>
<p>We are monitoring the impact of these changes with one-to-one support calls, surveys and peer-to-peer support groups. One testimony stated that “the training you have been running has been so valuable in helping environmental organisations to develop better equality, diversity and inclusion practice”.</p>
<p>Improvements to embrace a more diverse and inclusive environmental sector are critical to ensuring a greener, fairer and more sustainable future for all. But this transition needs to be designed with people, rather than imposed on them. The shift can begin in a boardroom, steering group, or committee meeting. Any institution that pays attention to how it makes decisions, and who is consulted, will help to ensure the green transition is as inclusive as possible. </p>
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<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alix Dietzel receives funding from PolicyBristol for this study.</span></em></p>The environment sector is notoriously dominated by white men. But diverse voices and critical discussions about climate policies are key to making good, inclusive decisions about the future.Alix Dietzel, Senior Lecturer in Climate Justice, University of BristolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2159422023-12-07T13:26:48Z2023-12-07T13:26:48ZWhen research study materials don’t speak their participants’ language, data can get lost in translation<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563460/original/file-20231204-23-ka52z2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2032%2C1462&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some approaches to translation are more true to the aims of the text than others.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/international-communication-translation-royalty-free-illustration/1150757275">arthobbit/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Imagine your mother has cancer. You just heard about a promising new experimental treatment and want to enroll her in the study. However, your mother immigrated to the U.S. as an adult and speaks limited English. When you reach out to the research team, they tell you she is ineligible because they are recruiting only English speakers. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, this is an all too likely outcome of a scenario like this, because non-English speakers are frequently <a href="https://doi.org/10.5455/aim.2017.25.112-115">excluded from clinical trials</a> and research studies in the U.S.</p>
<p>Despite efforts to increase research participation, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e318208289a">racial and ethnic minorities remain underrepresented</a> in results. A review of 5,008 papers in three pediatric journals from 2012 to 2021 revealed that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.3828">only 9% of these studies included non-English speaking</a> volunteers. </p>
<p>Language is a <a href="https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2013.301706">key barrier to participation</a>, as even those with some English proficiency are less likely to participate in studies when recruitment materials <a href="https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2013.301706">aren’t in their native language</a>. Language barriers also hinder a person’s ability to provide <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/eahr.500028">informed consent</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.4103/0253-7176.70517">to participate</a>.</p>
<p>This problem is not likely to fade away. The number of people with limited English proficiency in the U.S. grew by 80% between 1990 and 2013, going from nearly <a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/limited-english-proficient-population-united-states-2013">14 million to 25.1 million people</a>. As of 2022, this number rose to <a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/data-hub/us-immigration-trends#lep">26.5 million people</a>. Excluding people with limited English proficiency is not only unethical, as these groups deserve the same access to experimental and evolving therapies as the English-speaking population, but also limits <a href="https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2013.301706">how applicable research findings are</a> to the general population.</p>
<p>One way to eliminate language barriers is by translating research documents. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=NG1Yem8AAAAJ&hl=en">As a translation scholar</a>, I strive to discover ways to improve translation quality to benefit the research community and broader society. Translation in research, however, is not straightforward. Not only must the translated materials be accurate, they also have to serve their intended purpose.</p>
<p>The most commonly used method to evaluate translation quality in health research <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0163278716648191">is backtranslation</a> – translating the translated text into the original language and assessing how well it matches the original text. And yet, this method <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/135910457000100301">relies on outdated scholarship</a> from the 1970s, perpetuating serious misconceptions about how translation works.</p>
<h2>Understanding translation</h2>
<p>Translation involves much more than just transferring written words from one language to another. For many health researchers, the goal of translation is to <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/411434">transfer meaning</a> so it remains intact in a new language. Along these lines, the translator is meant to be a conduit of perfect linguistic equivalence. Yet, current work in the field of translation studies indicates this perfect match or meaning transfer is <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Translation-Studies/Bassnett/p/book/9780415506731">only an illusion</a>.</p>
<p>A translator is not a conduit of meaning, but both a reader of the original text and a writer of the translation. As such, translators <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315678627-90/positioning-theo-hermans">have their own positioning</a> in the world that comes with a set of conscious or unconscious values and knowledge that bias how they read and write. Translation is a <a href="https://translation.utdallas.edu/what-is-translation-studies/translation-and-reading/">process of interpretation</a> regardless of how objective a translator aims to be.</p>
<p>Furthermore, languages do not match structurally or culturally. For instance, the English sentence “I arrived late” structurally corresponds to the Spanish “Yo llegué tarde” because the grammar lines up. But because Spanish expresses subject information through verb endings (“lleg-ué”), the “Yo” is normally interpreted as contrastive, meaning that “I” was the one who arrived late as opposed to someone else.</p>
<p>A perfect match in backtranslation often reflects a translation that is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0163278716648191">too similar to the original</a>, such that it often contradicts the norms of the translated language. For instance, a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0163278705275342">health status questionnaire</a> translated “My thinking is clear” into Portuguese as “O meu pensamento é claro.” Despite good backtranslation results, patients in Brazil stated it was unclear. Changing it to “Consigo pensar claramente” (“I am able to think clearly”) communicated more effectively and naturally with the target population.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563462/original/file-20231204-17-l9egxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Health care professional holding clipboard while talking to a patient" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563462/original/file-20231204-17-l9egxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563462/original/file-20231204-17-l9egxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563462/original/file-20231204-17-l9egxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563462/original/file-20231204-17-l9egxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563462/original/file-20231204-17-l9egxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563462/original/file-20231204-17-l9egxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563462/original/file-20231204-17-l9egxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Patients with limited English proficiency are less likely to participate in research studies if the materials aren’t in their primary language.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/female-mental-health-professional-talks-with-royalty-free-image/917744736">SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Translation scholars suggest that a more realistic, descriptive and explanatory approach to translation is one governed by <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315760506">what the commissioner wants to achieve</a> with the translation. Under this view, the translator makes decisions according to the type of text being translated and to the purpose of the translation.</p>
<p>How translators approach texts and what strategies they use to translate them varies with each document. Some texts require closer adherence to the words of the original than others. For instance, legal or regulatory considerations require translating the chemical ingredients list of a medication more closely to the structure of the source than a recruitment flyer that aims to convince readers to participate in a study. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0163278716648191">Translators of research documents</a> need to determine the needs of the specific text in collaboration with both the researchers and representatives of the population they’re studying.</p>
<h2>Translation affects research results</h2>
<p>Recent studies show that translation can affect data validity and reliability. An inadequate approach may result in translated materials that don’t work as intended. For instance, a survey may produce <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/eahr.500115">incomplete or incorrect data</a> if participants misunderstand or are unclear about the questions.</p>
<p>My team and I investigated how different translation approaches affected how readers responded to translated materials. We had bilingual participants review two versions of a survey measuring perceptions of stress. Each version was translated into Spanish in a different way. </p>
<p>One of the two translations was produced with a literal approach that aimed to be as equivalent as possible to the original, while the other followed a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0163278716648191">functionalist approach</a> that focused on achieving the purpose specified for the translation. In this case, the goal was to obtain data on how a Spanish-speaking population perceives daily stress.</p>
<p>We asked participants to review the two translated versions of the survey, then indicate any unclear sections and which version they preferred. We found that participants <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/eahr.500115">preferred the functionalist translation</a> and identified a higher number of problems in the translation focused on equivalence. Participants commented that the “equivalent” translation was more difficult to understand, too direct and seemed obviously translated.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563463/original/file-20231204-25-uls439.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Close-up of the first page of the 'A' section of an English-Spanish dictionary" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563463/original/file-20231204-25-uls439.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563463/original/file-20231204-25-uls439.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563463/original/file-20231204-25-uls439.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563463/original/file-20231204-25-uls439.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563463/original/file-20231204-25-uls439.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563463/original/file-20231204-25-uls439.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563463/original/file-20231204-25-uls439.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A literal translation may not best serve the aims of its commissioner.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/english-spanish-dictionary-royalty-free-image/483136313">parema/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Other studies have shown that <a href="https://aclanthology.org/R15-1014">translated materials</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.6035/MonTI.2018.10.2">are less accessible overall</a> compared with the original documents. Researchers have also found that some translation approaches increase reading complexity. One study found that a survey used to measure the health progress of patients translated with a functionalist approach <a href="https://doi.org/10.1044/2017_AJA-17-0018">had better readability</a> than published counterparts that used a more literal approach.</p>
<p>The translation process is complicated. Lack of awareness of its complexities can affect not only equitable participation in research but also the validity and reliability of its methodology and findings. But with the right approach, translation can increase a study’s reach, diversify its data and lead to new findings and ideas. Reaching out to a translation scholar before starting a project can help scholars prevent their data and research from getting lost in translation.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215942/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sonia Colina works for the National Center for Interpretation at the University of Arizona. She has received funding from the National Institutes of Health</span></em></p>Translation involves more than just transferring words from one language to another. Better translations of study materials can improve both the diversity of study participants and research results.Sonia Colina, Professor of Spanish and Portuguese, University of ArizonaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2143552023-11-12T14:02:50Z2023-11-12T14:02:50ZHow workplaces can create more inclusive environments for employees with deafness and hearing loss<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558486/original/file-20231108-27-9y4qc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=99%2C71%2C9390%2C6245&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Despite the increasing representation of persons with hearing loss in the workplace, discrimination, a lack of accessibility and isolation still prevent equity and inclusion.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-workplaces-can-create-more-inclusive-environments-for-employees-with-deafness-and-hearing-loss" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Hearing loss is a critical diversity, equity and inclusion issue for managers and employers. Persons with hearing loss are a growing population around the world. According to the World Health Organization, over <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss">five per cent of the world’s population</a> — or 430 million people — have disabling hearing loss. This number is expected to rise to over 700 million by 2050. </p>
<p>Despite the increasing number of persons with hearing loss in the workplace, <a href="https://www.chha.ca/new-govt-of-canada-grant-funded-post-secondary-program-for-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-canadians/">only 20.6 per cent of Canadians</a> with hearing loss are employed full-time. Discrimination, a lack of accessibility and isolation still prevent equity and inclusion at work. Persons with hearing loss also <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26235284">experience higher levels of stress</a> and fatigue and earn lower incomes.</p>
<p>Persons with hearing loss have diverse preferences and skills that can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enz018">affect their career outcomes</a>. Knowledge of disability, reasonable workplace accommodations, effective communication skills and support from mentors and peer networks all contribute to positive career outcomes. </p>
<p>However, experiences can vary greatly by hearing loss type and job demands. For example, sign language users may have more access to Deaf communities and resources, but less access to mainstream opportunities. Spoken language users may have more access to mainstream opportunities, but less access to Deaf communities and resources. </p>
<h2>How do persons with hearing loss cope with isolation at work?</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063221143714">Our new study</a> examines how employees with hearing loss cope with feeling isolated at work. We found that how employees cope depends on both the severity of hearing loss and the quality of their relationship with their supervisors.</p>
<p>Specifically, our results suggest the severity of an employee’s hearing loss influences the degree to which they rely on professional connections for their sense of self. This, in turn, has consequences for their career outcomes, especially for those with less supportive supervisors. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman with hearing aids working at a computer" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558484/original/file-20231108-19-ybwsgg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">About 430 million people have hearing loss — a number expected to rise to over 700 million by 2050.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Surprisingly, we found that employees with more severe hearing loss tend to fare better in terms of the impact of isolation on career outcomes. This is because employees with more severe hearing loss were more likely to experience awkward, anxious and frustrating interactions with co-workers and have a harder time building and maintaining professional connections. </p>
<p>As a result, employees with more severe hearing loss usually placed less importance on professional connections and more importance on connections with other persons with hearing loss, making them less sensitive to isolation from professional connections.</p>
<h2>What can persons with hearing loss do to support themselves?</h2>
<p>Our research found that persons with hearing loss use a number of strategies to help themselves thrive in their careers. One thing persons with hearing loss do is accepting and embracing hearing loss as part of their identity. This positively changes how they view themselves and their relationship to work.</p>
<p>Many persons with hearing loss also redefine their personal definitions of career success. They shift from material achievements to social contributions, personal growth and well-being. Some end up moving to new roles or occupations that better match their changing skills, interests and values.</p>
<p>Some even turn their hearing loss into an asset. For instance, attorneys, doctors or therapists with hearing loss can focus on serving clients and patients who share their condition. </p>
<p>Persons with hearing loss often expanded their professional networks to include others in the community. This may involve affiliations with organizations like the <a href="https://alda.org/">Association of Late-Deafened Adults</a>, <a href="https://www.chha.ca/">Canadian Hard of Hearing Association</a>, <a href="https://cad-asc.ca/">Canadian Association of the Deaf</a>, <a href="https://www.hearingloss.org/">Hearing Loss Association of America</a> and the <a href="https://www.nad.org/">National Association of the Deaf</a>.</p>
<p>Our research underscores the resilience and adaptability of persons with hearing loss in the workplace. By redefining success, shifting their perspectives and expanding their networks to include supportive communities, persons with hearing loss are able to lead rich and fulfilling professional lives.</p>
<h2>What can co-workers and supervisors do to help make workplaces more inclusive?</h2>
<p>There are a number of practices supervisors can adopt to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726716687388">support employees with hearing loss effectively</a>. These practices include: avoid assuming an employee with a disability is less able, ask persons with hearing loss about their preferred communication methods and <a href="https://askjan.org/about-us/index.cfm">provide reasonable accommodations</a> for them, such as interpreters, captioning, assistive devices and flexible work arrangements.</p>
<p>These can help persons with hearing loss to communicate effectively, participate in meetings and training sessions, access information and resources and perform their jobs effectively. Supervisors should create a sense of openness and flexibility so employees feel comfortable requesting accommodations as needed. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A group of three people having a conversation using sign language" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558483/original/file-20231108-27-bpk798.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558483/original/file-20231108-27-bpk798.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558483/original/file-20231108-27-bpk798.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558483/original/file-20231108-27-bpk798.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558483/original/file-20231108-27-bpk798.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558483/original/file-20231108-27-bpk798.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558483/original/file-20231108-27-bpk798.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Supervisors and co-workers should learn more inclusive communication skills, like basic sign language, to help persons with hearing loss to communicate effectively at work.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>In addition, supervisors and co-workers should learn more inclusive communication skills. For example, they can learn basic sign language, use clear and articulate language, speak more slowly and clearly, and avoid covering their mouths when speaking as this can hinder lip-reading. Many persons with hearing loss also find it easier to communicate one-on-one in well-lit, quiet locations.</p>
<p>Regular check-ins with employees to see how things are going, what challenges they are facing and if they need any support are also essential. Supervisors and co-workers should raise awareness, educate others, challenge stereotypes and promote accessibility at work. They should advocate for a more inclusive and respectful work environment for all employees, especially those with hearing loss.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214355/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Liu-Qin Yang receives funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brent John Lyons, Camellia Bryan, and David C Baldridge do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Discrimination, a lack of accessibility and isolation still prevent persons with hearing loss from experiencing equity and inclusion at work.David C Baldridge, Professor of Management/Organizational Behavior, Oregon State UniversityBrent John Lyons, York Research Chair in Stigmatization & Social Identity, Associate Professor of Organization Studies, York University, CanadaCamellia Bryan, Postdoctoral Fellow, Rotman School of Management, University of TorontoLiu-Qin Yang, Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Portland State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2165112023-10-31T20:28:46Z2023-10-31T20:28:46ZHow to improve your communication with someone with a speech impairment<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/556922/original/file-20231031-15-tb5wy6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C38%2C6459%2C4254&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A young girl learning how to use a speech-generating device.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-to-improve-your-communication-with-someone-with-a-speech-impairment" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>October marked <a href="https://isaac-online.org/english/what-is-aac/">alternative and augmentative communication (AAC)</a> awareness month. AAC includes all means of communication that a person may use <a href="https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/aac/">besides talking</a>. Low-tech methods include means of interaction like hand gestures, facial movements, or pointing, while more high-tech tools might include a speech generating device accessed through pointing or a joystick, eye-tracking, or even a brain-computer interface.</p>
<p>British physicist <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-technology-that-gave-stephen-hawking-a-voice-should-be-accessible-to-all-who-need-it-93418">Stephen Hawking</a> was long the most famous person associated with AAC, using an advanced computer system to generate sentences and speech. American actor <a href="https://news.northeastern.edu/2022/06/07/a-i-clones-val-kilmers-voice-in-top-gun/">Val Kilmer</a> is another well-known person who has used AAC. Kilmer suffered irreparable damage to his voice due to throat cancer. However, in the latest installment of the <em>Top Gun</em> film franchise, artificial intelligence was used to “clone” the actor’s voice.</p>
<p>In 2006, 1.9 per cent of the Canadian population <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-628-x/89-628-x2007002-eng.pdf">self-identified as having a speech disability</a>. Unfortunately, this was the last time Statistics Canada identified speech disability within the Canadian census. That makes it difficult to gather more recent data of the number of people in Canada with impaired speech. </p>
<h2>Need for more acceptance</h2>
<p>Speech impairments can occur at a young age with disabilities such as cerebral palsy or autism spectrum disorder, but can also manifest later in life as a result of progressive disorders such as motor neuron disease, throat cancer, muscular dystrophy or strokes. </p>
<p>Increased acceptance of the use of AAC technologies in general society <a href="https://www.queensu.ca/aac-caa/summary-outcomes">can enhance the quality of life for people with speech impairment</a> by increasing autonomy, leading to more positive social interactions, better engagement in education and confidence in employment.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/accessible-canada.html">Accessible Canada Act</a> recognizes communication as a priority area, while the <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-persons-disabilities">United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities</a> promotes the rights of autonomy, safety and social participation, and recognizes communication as a human right. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tpAGll5PDlY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Alternative and augmentative communication includes all means of communication that a person may use besides talking.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Tackling stigma</h2>
<p>However, even if people have access to AAC technology, they can still face stigma and exclusion. Here are some things we can all do to be more inclusive of people with impaired speech: </p>
<p><strong>Start with basic respect.</strong> Understand that cognition and lack of verbal speech are not correlated. Many people with speech impairments have no cognitive deficits at all and are just as intelligent as anyone else. They want others to be more patient and understanding of speech disabilities. In social situations, they might often be underestimated and treated as children even though they are capable and competent. Show them respect, even though they may sound different when they talk. </p>
<p>Pre-programmed sentences on a tablet or speech generating device do not suggest that the person is incapable of developing those ideas. They may have spent 20 minutes typing out those messages in an attempt to meet the fast-paced environment in which we all live.</p>
<p><strong>Take time to listen.</strong> Individuals with speech impairment may need to type out phrases one letter at a time. Some may use a smartphone or iPad with a texting app, while others use an eye-tracking device or brain-computer interface to select letters using an on-screen keyboard. Be patient and wait for the person to speak.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.queensu.ca/aac-caa/sites/ascwww/files/uploaded_files/Final%20Report%20for%20project%20017325523-478738%20Recommendations%20and%20Guidelines%20for%20AAC.pdf">As one occupational therapist noted</a>, “[A problem] I often find some of my clients run into is not being given enough time to get their message written down. They’re composing it and the communication partner might not realize they need to give them a little extra time.” A conversation may require you to pause, ask a question and wait for an answer. Stop, think, be patient and understanding.</p>
<p>In addition, it’s important to realize that the use of some AAC technologies can be tiring. To use systems that rely on eye movements, for example, an individual must focus and is unable to use other means of communication such as emotional expression at the same time. Recognize that shorter conversations may be better. Perhaps try communicating by email or text. Let the person respond in their own time.</p>
<p><strong>Be an advocate.</strong> People with speech impairments must always advocate for themselves. If you are planning a conference or hiring for a position, ask what accommodations might be beneficial rather than relying on the individual to request them. Provide advance notice of conversation topics or questions. Engage people with speech impairments in social events. If you see someone passing judgment, speak up.</p>
<p>Technology is improving, and maybe one day people with impaired speech will be able to communicate with the same ease as those without. But until then, being a friend to people with speech impairments means being patient and listening.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216511/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Claire Davies is a member of the Canadian Accessibility Network and collaborates with the International Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication. She receives funding from the Government of Canada’s Accessibility Standards Canada, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.
</span></em></p>Increased acceptance of the use of alternative and augmentative communication technologies in general society can enhance the quality of life for people with speech impairment.Claire Davies, Associate Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Building and Designing Assistive Technology Lab, Queen's University, OntarioLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2149982023-10-23T14:03:22Z2023-10-23T14:03:22ZLeadership in a crisis: how President Ramaphosa’s COVID speeches drew on Mandela’s ideas of South African unity<p>In times of crisis, leaders wield more than just political power. They harness the art of rhetoric in a bid to unite their nations towards a common goal. South Africa, with a tumultuous history marked by apartheid, has seen leaders employ persuasive communication to navigate challenges. </p>
<p>For instance, in the 1990s then-president <a href="https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/read-nelson-mandelas-inauguration-speech-president-sa">Nelson Mandela</a> appealed to patriotic sentiments. He often used reconciliatory rhetoric to help smooth the transition from centuries of colonial and apartheid oppression to democracy for South Africans. </p>
<p>In 2020, at the outbreak of the <a href="https://www.nicd.ac.za/first-case-of-covid-19-coronavirus-reported-in-sa/">COVID-19 pandemic</a>, President Cyril Ramaphosa faced the challenge of steering the country through one of its biggest crises since democracy in 1994.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/nelson-mandelas-legacy-is-taking-a-battering-because-of-the-dismal-state-of-south-africa-209883">Nelson Mandela's legacy is taking a battering because of the dismal state of South Africa</a>
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<p>I’ve been a <a href="https://scholar.google.co.za/citations?user=YVmxkJ0AAAAJ&hl=en">media and rhetoric scholar</a> for a decade. My colleague and I examined Ramaphosa’s communicative approaches during the pandemic. Our <a href="https://journals.co.za/doi/abs/10.10520/ejc-aar_rhetoric_v15_n1_a6">paper</a> on his speeches looked at how leaders use their speeches to unify citizens amid turmoil and uncertainty.</p>
<p>In his regular televised addresses, commonly known as <a href="https://www.702.co.za/articles/433374/president-cyril-ramaphosa-calls-a-family-meeting-tonight-at-8pm">family meetings</a>, Ramaphosa tried to promote nation-building. The pandemic had exposed the nation’s deeply entrenched <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-south-africas-social-divide-and-economic-woes-exposed/a-53739914">economic and social divisions</a>. Fostering social cohesion and unity was <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/south-africas-bold-response-covid-19-pandemic">vital to improving the overall response</a> to the pandemic.</p>
<p>A unified and socially cohesive society was more likely to adhere to health guidelines, cooperate in efforts to control the virus, and ensure that vulnerable populations had access to necessary resources and support. </p>
<h2>Rallying cry</h2>
<p>We analysed the four speeches Ramaphosa delivered in the early stages of the pandemic – between March 24 and April 21. These speeches, when COVID-19 cases were still relatively low, but uncertainty loomed large, provide a critical window into Ramaphosa’s leadership and persuasive techniques.</p>
<p>We observed that Ramaphosa’s communication style bore distinct traits of what has been “Mandelaism” by some academics to rally South Africans behind a common cause. So-called after the iconic statesman, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02564718.2017.1403706">Mandelaism</a> refers to rhetoric that appeals to patriotism to promote national unity and reconciliation. It is </p>
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<p>based on mythologising Nelson Mandela, and imagining a South African nation characterised by ‘harmony, peace, reconciliation, and success, denying the significance of informational disturbances that contradict these narratives.</p>
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<p>Additionally, </p>
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<p><a href="https://unisapressjournals.co.za/index.php/jls/article/view/11861">Mandelaism perpetuates a narrative of forgetting that overlooks the realities of apartheid oppression</a>. </p>
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<p>This rhetorical approach tends to discourage dissent, underpinning the belief that all South Africans share the same goals.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/mandela-was-a-flawed-icon-but-without-him-south-africa-would-be-a-sadder-place-142826">Mandela was a flawed icon. But without him South Africa would be a sadder place</a>
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<p>Our analysis of Ramaphosa’s rhetoric and its parallels with Mandelaism provides a case study of leadership and communication in times of crisis. It offers lessons for current leaders and scholars, highlighting the enduring influence of historical figures like Nelson Mandela on the rhetoric and leadership styles of their successors. </p>
<h2>Ramaphosa’s rhetoric</h2>
<p>Little scholarship exists on Ramaphosa’s political-ideological convictions and philosophy or describes his approach to persuasion. The historian <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tom-lodge-1256885">Tom Lodge</a> has <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40209320">observed</a> that</p>
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<p>Cyril Ramaphosa gives many interviews, but he keeps his personal philosophy to himself. </p>
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<p>The COVID-19 crisis forced Ramaphosa to communicate continuously. It provided an opportunity for rhetorical critics and scholars to consider how he used persuasive techniques, and how these might point to his ideas about the South African nation.</p>
<p>Ramaphosa frequently began his addresses with the inclusive greeting, <a href="https://www.dirco.gov.za/message-by-president-cyril-ramaphosa-on-covid-19-pandemic-30-march-2020/">“My fellow South Africans”</a>. This sought to invoke a sense of belonging and unity. As a linguistic technique it primed citizens to connect with the ideals of togetherness, inclusivity and reconciliation. These are all critical components of Mandelaism. </p>
<p>Ramaphosa’s rhetoric also emphasised reconciliation. He urged citizens to remember past hardships they had overcome together. This appeal to historical resilience reinforced the idea that South Africans unite in moments of great crisis. It echoed Mandela’s ability to unify a nation divided by apartheid. For example, in a speech delivered on <a href="https://www.dirco.gov.za/message-by-president-cyril-ramaphosa-on-covid-19-pandemic-thursday-9-april-2020/">9 April 2020</a> Ramaphosa said:</p>
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<p>I wish to thank you for reaffirming to each other and to the world that we South Africans are a people who come together … Our ability to come together in a crisis, and our commitment to each other and our common future.</p>
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<p>He downplayed the diverse perspectives and experiences of South Africans to promote the unity narrative.</p>
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<p>And then there is each of you, the 58 million South African citizens and residents who are standing together to <a href="https://www.dirco.gov.za/message-by-president-cyril-ramaphosa-on-covid-19-pandemic-30-march-2020/">confront this national health emergency</a>.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A significant aspect of Mandelaism is its close association with corporate entities that fund Mandela-related projects. Ramaphosa also incorporated business as a force for good in his speeches. He portrayed business as <a href="https://www.thepresidency.gov.za/speeches/statement-president-cyril-ramaphosa-escalation-measures-combat-covid-19-epidemic%2C-union">integral</a> to the fabric of a reconciled South Africa.</p>
<h2>Lessons for uniting nations</h2>
<p>South Africa’s journey from apartheid to democracy and its response to the COVID-19 pandemic provide rich examples of the role of political rhetoric. These historical instances serve as invaluable lessons for leaders worldwide facing the daunting task of uniting their nations during times of uncertainty and turmoil. </p>
<p><em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sikelelwa-dlanga-380a5123/?originalSubdomain=za">Sikelelwa Dlanga</a>, an independent communications specialist, worked with the author on the research and this article</em>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214998/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sisanda Nkoala has previously been awarded an AW Mellon-UCT Graduate Scholarship in Rhetoric and received funding from the National Research Foundation. For this study, however, there are no funders to declare.
</span></em></p>President Cyril Ramaphosa tried to foster social cohesion in his speeches during a pandemic that had exposed the nation’s divisions.Sisanda Nkoala, Senior Lecturer, University of South AfricaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2107692023-10-09T15:26:10Z2023-10-09T15:26:10ZHow employers can tackle misconceptions about disabled people in the workplace<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550464/original/file-20230926-17-slcdal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C59%2C7898%2C5225&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Many countries adopt legislation to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities. Yet, many still face challenges finding work.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-employers-can-tackle-misconceptions-about-disabled-people-in-the-workplace" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Disability is a common part of the human experience: <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health">the United Nations estimates that 16 per cent of the world’s population is disabled</a>, and a 2019 study from the United States found that over <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7130a3.htm">half of American adults aged 18 to 34</a> have at least one chronic illness.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/disability">being disabled can often mean being poor</a>. One recent report from the U.S. found the <a href="https://disabilitycompendium.org/sites/default/files/user-uploads/Accessible-Annual%20Report%20---%202023%20---%20Accessible.pdf">poverty rate for people with disabilities was just over 25 per cent</a>, whereas the poverty rate for non-disabled people was under 12 per cent. These percentages are very similar <a href="https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/esdc-edsc/documents/programs/disability-inclusion-action-plan-2/action-plan-2022/ESDC_PDF_DIAP_EN_20221005.pdf">in Canada</a>, although the recently passed Canada Disability Benefit <a href="https://theconversation.com/bill-c-22-will-provide-income-security-to-canadians-with-disabilities-but-it-needs-to-be-done-right-213344">may help alleviate this situation</a>. </p>
<p>One reason for this is that people with disabilities can often <a href="https://www.oecd.org/employment/disability-work-and-inclusion-1eaa5e9c-en.htm">lack access to good, well-paying work</a>. Many countries have tried to solve this problem by <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/disability-laws-and-acts-by-country-area.html">adopting legislation</a> that protects disabled people from employment discrimination and guarantees them reasonable accommodations at work. Despite these laws, people with disabilities around the world still have <a href="https://ilostat.ilo.org/international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities-how-disability-affects-labour-market-outcomes/">much lower rates of employment</a> than non-disabled people.</p>
<p>Researchers are trying to understand why these laws have not closed <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2022/10/31/why-is-the-employment-gap-for-people-with-disabilities-so-consistently-wide/?sh=69d1c27d276b">the disability employment gap</a>, and what <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4938-8">governments, organizations and individuals can do to fix it</a>. </p>
<h2>The PROUD Project</h2>
<p>We are part of a research team called <a href="https://www.theproudproject.ca/">The PROUD Project</a> based at the University of Toronto. The project is focused on understanding how disabled people can beat the odds and find work.</p>
<p>To do this, we interviewed disabled employees, disabled entrepreneurs and managers of disabled workers. For this project, we only included workers with evident physical or sensory disabilities, because they <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/10/style/invisible-disabilities.html">face different challenges</a> than people with <a href="https://hdsunflower.com/uk/insights/category/invisible-disabilities">invisible disabilities</a>.</p>
<p>We interviewed people in five developed countries: Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, France and Belgium. We wanted to see if different laws, cultures and physical environments had an impact on disability and employment. The more than 80 semi-structured interviews we conducted revealed several factors that allowed disabled people to find work.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551029/original/file-20230928-27-rwhvd4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man and a woman using sign language to communicate" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551029/original/file-20230928-27-rwhvd4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551029/original/file-20230928-27-rwhvd4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551029/original/file-20230928-27-rwhvd4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551029/original/file-20230928-27-rwhvd4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551029/original/file-20230928-27-rwhvd4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551029/original/file-20230928-27-rwhvd4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551029/original/file-20230928-27-rwhvd4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The UN estimates that around 16 per cent of the world’s population is disabled.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>What we found</h2>
<p>Legislation is an important mechanism for supporting disabled workers. In the U.S., many people used <a href="https://rsa.ed.gov/about">the Vocational Rehabilitation program</a> (created by a 1973 law) to establish careers. Meanwhile, France enforces <a href="https://entreprendre.service-public.fr/vosdroits/F23149">a quota</a> which requires businesses with more than 20 employees to have six per cent of their workers identified as disabled or pay an annual fine. </p>
<p>However, many companies do not meet the quota. In 2021, <a href="https://www.vie-publique.fr/en-bref/287047-travailleurs-handicapes-le-taux-demploi-minimal-nest-pas-atteint">only 29 per cent of companies</a> met their obligations. Several of our interviewees observed that some companies even explicitly decide to pay the fine instead of hiring disabled people. Yet, having the quota law forces companies to think about disabled workers. While the majority of employers pay the fine for not meeting the quota, many admitted the annual audit makes them think about the issue.</p>
<p>Endurance and persistence were common themes in the interviews — many participants described themselves as “fighters.” Some of them went to dozens of job interviews before finally landing a position. </p>
<p>In addition, having formal and informal support networks were important for interviewees. In the U.S., the Vocational Rehab program can facilitate this through their counsellors. Often, persistence was encouraged by parents, teachers and other mentors. Several participants said their parents had always treated them as “normal,” and expected them to have a “normal” life path, including a career. </p>
<p>Accessible transportation is also <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/12/03/for-persons-with-disabilities-accessible-transport-provides-pathways-to-opportunity">essential for a successful career</a>. Many of the participants we spoke to lived within walking or rolling distance from their workplace. Some took accessible public transit, while others had adapted transportation to work. </p>
<p>Designing and implementing accessible public transit systems is an important step that governments must take to ensure people with disabilities can get where they need to go. Without the ability to move around, disabled individuals simply cannot get to work. For example, the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work">Access to Work program</a> in the U.K. pays for disabled workers to take taxis to work. This means that people can financially provide for themselves and their families.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-canada-can-make-better-progress-on-disability-inclusion-211988">How Canada can make better progress on disability inclusion</a>
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</em>
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<h2>Reforming government programs</h2>
<p>In some countries, disability pensions <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2022/10/31/why-is-the-employment-gap-for-people-with-disabilities-so-consistently-wide/?sh=54db1d65276b">prevent disabled people from working</a>. Many participants talked about the stress they felt when deciding to take the risk of working and potentially losing their benefits. </p>
<p>Others still received some benefits, but had to be very careful about how much they worked. On the other hand, some participants had independent financial resources that were not subject to restrictive state policies. Governments need to move away from viewing disabled people as burdens and only providing them with subsistence support and move toward facilitating their contribution and participation in communities.</p>
<p>Disabled people also need access to high quality education. In general, <a href="https://ilostat.ilo.org/new-ilo-database-highlights-labour-market-challenges-of-persons-with-disabilities/">disabled people tend to have lower levels of education than the general population</a>. However, the participants we interviewed had higher levels of education than the average in all five countries. </p>
<p>In fact, many disabled workers were overqualified for their current positions. This suggests that disabled people need to have higher levels of education than non-disabled people to get the same job.</p>
<p>They also have to contend with other barriers and preconceptions about their abilities. Fears, misconceptions and <a href="https://aoda.ca/attitudinal-barriers-at-work/">prejudices about disabled persons create barriers to professional inclusion</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549166/original/file-20230919-29-vhk6al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman in a wheechair speaks with a man seated on a sofa. Both are using laptops." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549166/original/file-20230919-29-vhk6al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549166/original/file-20230919-29-vhk6al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549166/original/file-20230919-29-vhk6al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549166/original/file-20230919-29-vhk6al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549166/original/file-20230919-29-vhk6al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549166/original/file-20230919-29-vhk6al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549166/original/file-20230919-29-vhk6al.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Fears, misconceptions and prejudices about disabled persons create barriers to professional inclusion.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>Supportive workplaces vital</h2>
<p>Our project found that it was much easier for disabled people to find work in sectors, industries and companies where employers were aware, supportive and proactive about disability inclusion. For example, employees with disabilities in all five countries tended to work in non-profit or government sectors, where attitudes toward disability may be more positive than in the private sector.</p>
<p>Once again, France was an outlier; private industry employers we spoke to expressed enthusiasm for hiring individuals with disabilities. They recognized the contributions made by disabled employees and expressed a desire to hire more disabled workers. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-it-makes-good-business-sense-to-hire-people-with-disabilities-164476">Why it makes good business sense to hire people with disabilities</a>
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<p>Several French managers wanted to educate non-disabled workers and supervisors about the benefits of including their disabled colleagues. Others argued that social stigma means that some employees who qualify do not want to receive an official designation of disability.</p>
<p>However, it is important to acknowledge that, even for disabled people who had managed to find work, there were still significant problems. Some experienced little or no career development, staying in the same roles for which they had been originally hired. Others could only find work in disability-related positions, even if their education, training and skills were tailored to other industries.</p>
<p>Disabled people are <a href="https://theconversation.com/employers-miss-out-on-talent-by-overlooking-workers-living-with-disabilities-119626">capable, flexible, adaptive and creative</a>. Governments and private companies must do more to include disabled people in the workforce. By not doing so, communities will lose out on the contributions talented people could make.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210769/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chloe G K Atkins receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and TechNation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Isabelle Avakumovic-Pointon receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and TechNation.</span></em></p>Communities and employers miss out when they don’t embrace disabled employees. Companies must be supportive and proactive about including and accommodating people with disabilities.Chloe G K Atkins, Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of TorontoIsabelle Avakumovic-Pointon, PhD Student in History, University of British ColumbiaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2043302023-09-20T23:22:12Z2023-09-20T23:22:12ZHow Canada can make its startup ecosystem more inclusive<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547896/original/file-20230912-17-kmo8yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=57%2C45%2C6300%2C4265&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Increasing inclusivity in entrepreneurship will foster more equitable economic participation across the board.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-canada-can-make-its-startup-ecosystem-more-inclusive" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>The global pandemic caused devastating economic impacts, including <a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-how-the-coronavirus-is-affecting-canadas-labour-market-137749">high levels of unemployment</a>. As with the 2008 recession, self-employment has been encouraged as a pathway towards economic participation and <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-001-x/2010103/article/11138-eng.htm">boosting the labour market</a>.</p>
<p>Yet marginalized groups, including women and Indigenous people, continue to <a href="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/may-2023/immigrant-entrepreneurs-need-targeted-support/">face barriers to starting and growing a business</a>. In <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-621-m/11-621-m2022005-eng.htm">2022</a>, only 18 per cent of small and midsize businesses in Canada were majority women-owned, only 16 per cent were owned by visible minorities and only two per cent were Indigenous-owned.</p>
<p>According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, <a href="https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/71b7a9bb-en/index.html?itemId=/content/publication/71b7a9bb-en">helping marginalized groups start their own businesses</a> will result in significant economic and social benefits. </p>
<p>Women-led small and micro businesses, for example, <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/investing-women-small-micro-business-owners-smbs-economy-recovery-great-reset-gender-gap/">contribute to communities around the globe</a>. They use their resources to reinvest in the health, education and well-being of their families and neighbours. </p>
<p>For this reason, an emerging body of research is recognizing the importance of <a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2021.15368symposium">startups that are born out of necessity, not profit</a>. Despite this, most entrepreneurial resources and support still primarily focus on high-growth entrepreneurship. </p>
<h2>Barriers to inclusivity</h2>
<p>The Kauffman Foundation, a private organization that supports and studies entrepreneurship, follows a “<a href="https://www.kauffman.org/entrepreneurship/reports/access-to-capital-for-entrepreneurs-removing-barriers/">zero barriers” mantra</a>. It asserts that when some groups face obstacles to entrepreneurship, the entire system is held back. This isn’t just an empty slogan — it’s one <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114540">supported by research</a>.</p>
<p>There are <a href="https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/employment/the-missing-entrepreneurs-2021_71b7a9bb-en">three primary barriers to inclusivity in entrepreneurship</a>. The first is that many have a narrow view of entrepreneurship that focuses on tech, venture capital, profit and individual achievement. This approach often leads to support systems that exclude marginalized communities.</p>
<p>The second barrier is that there is unequal access to information about existing supports and resources for entrepreneurs. Lastly, there is insufficient support for marginalized communities, and a lack of trust and confidence in those providing assistance.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two women, one wearing a hijab, speak to a man at a table" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547897/original/file-20230912-23-nolzo7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547897/original/file-20230912-23-nolzo7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547897/original/file-20230912-23-nolzo7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547897/original/file-20230912-23-nolzo7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547897/original/file-20230912-23-nolzo7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547897/original/file-20230912-23-nolzo7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547897/original/file-20230912-23-nolzo7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When some groups face obstacles to entrepreneurship, the entire system is held back.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Effectively addressing obstacles</h2>
<p>Despite a widespread understanding of the broader barriers to inclusive entrepreneurship, there is a lack of understanding about the specific ones, which is needed to effectively address these obstacles.</p>
<p>For instance, how can information about entrepreneurial support be more accessible? How should these support systems be customized to meet the needs of marginalized people? How can we establish trust and credibility in the support being offered? What is a more inclusive way of supporting entrepreneurship?</p>
<p>These questions can only be effectively addressed at the systemic level. Studies show that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-018-0526-3">entrepreneurship increases when there are strong systems</a> — like incubators, accelerators, funding opportunities, networks, policy frameworks and market access — in place.</p>
<p>In other words, increasing entrepreneurship among marginalized people calls for the development of more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems.</p>
<h2>Transforming the system</h2>
<p>Creating a more inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem involves transforming the existing one. Such a transformation calls for the involvement and collaboration of individuals and groups that support inclusive entrepreneurship. </p>
<p>Working on a larger scale will assist Canadian policymakers and organizations in helping people from diverse communities make the most of their economic and social potential through entrepreneurship.</p>
<p>Several key characteristics <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66603-3_6">define an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem</a>. First, it involves seeking input from entrepreneurs belonging to marginalized communities. These insights should shape policy decisions and public initiatives.</p>
<p>Another essential aspect is educating government officials and the media about a more inclusive definition of entrepreneurship that goes beyond typical high-growth ventures. By broadening their understanding, policymakers can develop more inclusive policies and allocate funding more equitably.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A diverse group of people having a conversation around a table in an office" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547891/original/file-20230912-23-ngjxwa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547891/original/file-20230912-23-ngjxwa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547891/original/file-20230912-23-ngjxwa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547891/original/file-20230912-23-ngjxwa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547891/original/file-20230912-23-ngjxwa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547891/original/file-20230912-23-ngjxwa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547891/original/file-20230912-23-ngjxwa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Inclusive entrepreneurship involves seeking input from entrepreneurs belonging to marginalized communities to understand their specific needs and preferences.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Additionally, fostering grassroots initiatives that support entrepreneurs from marginalized communities is vital. These initiatives should be led by entrepreneurs from those communities, which will likely mean diverting resources from existing power players.</p>
<p>Ensuring everyone has access to affordable, culturally specific education that nurtures entrepreneurial skills is also fundamental. Understanding how trauma impacts startup aspiration and success, and taking a trauma-informed approach to supporting inclusive entrepreneurship, is equally important.</p>
<h2>Ecosystem builders</h2>
<p>Supporting <a href="https://www.kauffman.org/ecosystem-playbook-draft-3/scale/">entrepreneur ecosystem builders</a> is a pivotal way to create a more inclusive startup environment. Ecosystem builders are organizations that work to remove existing barriers in the startup system.</p>
<p>At <a href="https://www.macewan.ca/academics/centres-institutes/social-innovation-institute">MacEwan University’s Social Innovation Institute</a>, we are striving to be an ecosystem builder by holding roundtables with key groups. These groups include innovation authority Edmonton Unlimited, non-profits that support marginalized entrepreneurs, the government and financial institutions.</p>
<p>Participants are working to create a shared vision of inclusive entrepreneurship by identifying community strengths and barriers, and figuring out the steps needed to transform Edmonton’s startup ecosystem. A key aspect of this transformation involves joint efforts to influence and shape policy decisions.</p>
<p>Edmonton’s efforts to create an inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem will not only benefit the local community, but also hopefully guide other cities in transforming their entrepreneurial ecosystems as well. By making these changes, we will foster more equitable economic participation across the board.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204330/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Leanne Hedberg does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Increasing entrepreneurship among women and racialized people calls for the development of more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems.Leanne Hedberg, Director of Social Innovation Institute, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, MacEwan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2113972023-08-21T22:12:14Z2023-08-21T22:12:14ZReimagining time will help employers better support workers with disabilities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543102/original/file-20230816-27-e4h4e9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=19%2C39%2C6507%2C4305&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Individuals with disabilities are under-represented in the Canadian labour market compared to their able-bodied counterparts.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/reimagining-time-will-help-employers-better-support-workers-with-disabilities" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Despite the fact that people with disabilities are entitled to equality under the <a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-12.html">Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms</a> and the provincial <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h19">Human Rights Codes</a>, they continue to face systemic barriers in accessing employment, education, transportation and housing. </p>
<p>Individuals with disabilities are <a href="https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/esdc-edsc/documents/programs/disability-inclusion-action-plan-2/action-plan-2022/ESDC_PDF_DIAP_EN_20221005.pdf">under-represented</a> in the Canadian labour market. <a href="https://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/about/economics/economics-publications/post.other-publications.insights-views.disabilities-and-labour-markets--november-30--2022-.html">Only 60 per cent of people with disabilities are employed</a> in Canada, compared to 80 per cent of those without disabilities. </p>
<p>Studies also indicate that Canadians with more severe disabilities are more likely to work part-time than their able-bodied peers. Men with disabilities, for example, are three times more likely to work <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2018002-eng.htm#n6-refa">part-time</a> than their able-bodied counterparts.</p>
<p>Working-age individuals with disabilities are also twice as likely to live in poverty compared to those without disabilities. </p>
<p>Recent initiatives like the <a href="https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/bill/C-22/royal-assent">Canada Disability Benefit Act</a> and legislation like the <a href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/a-0.6/">Accessible Canada Act</a> are important steps towards equality for people with disabilities, but more needs to be done to ensure they can flourish in the workplace.</p>
<h2>‘Crip time’</h2>
<p>One way to dramatically improve the lives of people with disabilities is by understanding time in a way that considers how people with disabilities experience barriers — something known as “<a href="https://www.firstpost.com/living/the-value-of-crip-time-discarding-notions-of-productivity-and-guilt-to-listen-to-the-rhythms-of-our-bodies-8440551.html">crip time</a>.”</p>
<p>It acknowledges the lived reality of people with disabilities and how they experience time in domains as diverse as transportation, employment and even recreation.</p>
<p>The concept of crip time, originally developed by scholars of disability studies such as <a href="https://iupress.org/9780253009340/feminist-queer-crip/">Alison Kafer</a> and <a href="https://dsq-sds.org/index.php/dsq/article/view/5824/4684">Ellen Samuels</a>, has the potential to help Canadians reimagine how we think about disability.</p>
<p>Consider Joanna, a fictional example. She is a quadriplegic who uses specialized door-to-door paratransit buses to get around and pre-booked attendant services to assist her with daily activities. </p>
<p>Someone like Joanna is likely to face frequent delays when commuting to work because <a href="https://capitalcurrent.ca/dissatisfied-para-transpo-riders-demand-changes-to-the-system">paratransit often involves long wait times</a>. In many cases, <a href="https://thelocal.to/wheel-trans-accessibility-cuts-ttc">no paratransit bookings are available</a>, forcing people with disabilities to use inaccessible transit systems. </p>
<p>Alternatives to paratransit, such as wheelchair-accessible taxis, are often unavailable or unaffordable for people with disabilities. The <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-accessible-taxi-dispatch-1.6878168">severe shortage of wheelchair-accessible taxis</a> has only worsened over the past several years. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A person in a wheelchair waiting to board a city bus" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543093/original/file-20230816-28-9n8ron.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543093/original/file-20230816-28-9n8ron.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543093/original/file-20230816-28-9n8ron.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543093/original/file-20230816-28-9n8ron.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543093/original/file-20230816-28-9n8ron.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543093/original/file-20230816-28-9n8ron.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543093/original/file-20230816-28-9n8ron.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When paratransit bookings are unavailable, people with disabilities must resort to commuting with inaccessible transit systems, which can be difficult for them to use.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Joanna is also likely to face barriers when attendants are tardy or fail to show up at all. Even recreation programs that are accessible to wheelchair users may have waiting lists or require significant time to access.</p>
<p>Together, these barriers have the potential to significantly curtail Joanna’s ability to do her job. By understanding how these barriers affect people with disabilities — as well as other areas of daily living — crip time can guide policymakers and advocates towards more effective solutions.</p>
<h2>Remote work</h2>
<p>In a dramatic departure from pre-pandemic norms, a <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-shift-to-working-from-home-will-be-difficult-to-reverse-208728">growing number of workplaces have embraced working from home</a> in the wake of COVID-19. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/benjaminlaker/2021/11/03/workers-believe-there-is-a-negative-stigma-is-associated-with-working-from-home/">No longer stigmatized</a>, remote work now offers a tool <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10926-020-09936-5">to level the playing field</a> for people with disabilities.</p>
<p>In an ongoing study of working adults with disabilities, we found that many participants flourished when they were given the opportunity to work at home.</p>
<p>One participant shared: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I have never been as productive and as happy, both personally and professionally, as when my work was 100 per cent remote.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another participant disclosed remote work as being beneficial to their personal health: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I had more time to focus on my own self, my appointments and [my] mental health. So I feel remote work has been amazing for me.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It’s clear that remote work has the potential to help people with disabilities excel professionally. In light of this, companies should be proactive in offering such workplace accommodations to employees.</p>
<h2>More inclusive workplaces</h2>
<p>We need to reconsider how workplaces view productivity. Creating flexible workplaces that allow people to work part-time and/or from home is a more inclusive approach. </p>
<p>By creating more inclusive workplaces, companies can harness the talent of individuals who might otherwise be excluded from the workplace. Companies <a href="https://theconversation.com/employers-miss-out-on-talent-by-overlooking-workers-living-with-disabilities-119626">miss out on talent opportunities</a> when they don’t hire people with disabilities.</p>
<p>Flexible workplaces could also benefit people without disabilities, such as single parents and students who are only able to work part-time. With appropriate support from governments and employers to ensure part-time workers receive adequate benefits, the potential of crip time as a policy tool is profound.</p>
<p>Although our study is still ongoing, we’re hopeful our preliminary findings will change how we think about the role time plays in the lives of people with disabilities. </p>
<p>By understanding and addressing the ways people with disabilities experience time differently than able-bodied people in their everyday lives, we can build more inclusive — and productive — workplaces for all of us.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211397/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ravi Malhotra receives funding from SSHRC.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julia Dobrowolski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>One way to dramatically improve the lives of people with disabilities is by understanding time in a way that considers how people with disabilities experience barriers — something known as “crip time.”Ravi Malhotra, Professor of Law, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaJulia Dobrowolski, Research Assistant, Telfer School of Management, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of OttawaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2053932023-05-16T02:38:39Z2023-05-16T02:38:39ZJust 1 in 5 employees in the space industry are women. This lack of diversity is holding us back<p>This week, the <a href="https://www.spaceconnectonline.com.au/australian-space-summit/">Australian Space Summit</a> is celebrating some of our nation’s strengths and achievements in the space sector. But it’s taking place under the shadow of significant cuts to space technology investment <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/may/11/australias-first-national-space-mission-up-in-the-air-after-federal-budget-cuts">announced in last week’s federal budget</a>. </p>
<p>Space technologies play a critical role in responding to many national priorities, such as climate and disaster resilience, connecting regional Australians, contributing to regional security and driving economic growth. Yet, the sector suffers from a branding issue – most people think of rockets and astronauts, rather than the satellites we depend on globally.</p>
<p>This leads to a misunderstanding in government of the importance of space technologies to the issues we are seeking to solve. It also makes it harder to recruit talented people to the field. </p>
<p>So, how do we find enough people with the skills necessary to grow this critical technology sector?</p>
<h2>Why diversity and inclusivity matter</h2>
<p>The answer is placing a new priority on talent recruitment and expanding diversity and inclusivity in the space sector. </p>
<p>The space sector needs workers from all different backgrounds and disciplines, but is struggling to attract a diverse talent pool. This is due to a misconception that space only offers STEM-related jobs, as well as the overwhelmingly white and male make-up of the <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-15-8924-9_12">space industry, government and academia</a>. </p>
<p>This not only impacts the workforce pipeline, but also potentially the sector’s funding, due to a limited view of what kinds of solutions the space sector can provide to society’s biggest challenges.</p>
<p>This is an urgent public relations issue for the space sector. It needs to rethink how it markets itself to the public to better recruit for a myriad of positions in fields like space law, policy, technology governance, social anthropology and archaeology, business, arts, communications and more. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-outer-space-matters-in-a-post-pandemic-world-141977">Why outer space matters in a post-pandemic world</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The sector also needs to make diversity a priority. Currently, just <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/10/1102082">one in five employees in the space industry are women</a>. First Nations Australians also continue to be sidelined, despite the fact the majority of our ground-based infrastructure for space systems is on Indigenous lands. </p>
<p>We need greater inclusivity of perspectives from people of diverse genders, sexual orientations and ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, as well as people with disability. Research shows diverse and inclusive groups lead to greater <a href="https://www.oecd.org/gov/pem/public-sector-leadership-implementation/pem-inclusion/">trust, democracy and innovation</a>, less “group think”, more positive work environments and greater employee retention.</p>
<p>Additionally, greater diversity can make it easier to tell the story of why space technologies matter to society. This would help in terms of government funding and the industry’s ability to punch above its weight globally.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1572269059588358148"}"></div></p>
<h2>A national conference on diversity in space</h2>
<p>Last month, we brought together over 200 experts from the space industry, government, academia and the community to discuss these issues at the first-ever <a href="https://giwl.anu.edu.au/events/conference-diversity-frontier-gender-equality-space">national conference on gender equality and diversity in space</a>. </p>
<p>The participants agreed that diversity is an overlooked opportunity for the space sector. Many of the challenges facing the sector could be addressed by recruiting from a more diverse talent pool and ensuring diverse perspectives are being <a href="https://www.e-ir.info/2022/07/28/opinion-getting-diversity-right-in-australias-nascent-space-industry-matters/">incorporated into technology design and solutions</a>.</p>
<p>These are some of our key recommendations:</p>
<p><strong>1) Enhance workplace conditions and enact informal networks</strong> </p>
<p>Policy changes can help with diversity recruitment, such as tackling poor organisational cultures, offering equitable leave policies and improving current promotion and hiring policies.</p>
<p>But informal networks are important, too. There are networks for women in space in various countries, such as <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/stem/womenstem.html">the US</a> and <a href="https://www.womeninspace.co.nz/">New Zealand</a>, which have proven to be vital in developing a more diverse workforce. A new Women in Space Network is <a href="https://forms.gle/1ttaBzCKN73dUKF18">soon to be launched in Australia</a>. </p>
<p><strong>2) Don’t just pay lip service to diversity</strong> </p>
<p>Diversity must be placed at the centre of programs and policies in both the space sector and in governments at the federal and state/territory level. The space sector must also do a better job of explaining the importance of its work to government agencies. </p>
<p><strong>3) Establish diversity procurement policies</strong> </p>
<p>This includes minimum targets to support women-owned and First Nations-owned enterprises in the space sector and giving preference to space businesses that demonstrate improvements to diversity in their workforce. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/lost-in-space-australia-dwindled-from-space-leader-to-also-ran-in-50-years-83310">Lost in space: Australia dwindled from space leader to also-ran in 50 years</a>
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<h2>Australia risks falling behind</h2>
<p>In 2025, Australia will host the <a href="https://www.spaceindustry.com.au/iac2025/">International Astronautical Conference</a>, the largest annual conference for the space industry in the world. This is a great opportunity to showcase our leadership in promoting a values-based, diverse, equitable and sustainable space sector.</p>
<p>Yet, without tangible action now, Australia’s space sector risks falling further behind our international counterparts. </p>
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<p>The Australian Space Agency is currently working with a number of organisations, including the <a href="https://giwl.anu.edu.au/">Global Institute for Women’s Leadership</a>, the <a href="https://inspace.anu.edu.au/">ANU Institute for Space</a> and the <a href="https://inspace.anu.edu.au/activity/missions/australian-centre-space-governance">Australian Centre for Space Governance</a>, to develop our own policy for diversity in the space sector. </p>
<p>This is a step in the right direction, particularly in the wake of the latest budget. But the industry also needs to step up with data transparency on diversity, as well as tangible commitments and actions.</p>
<p>To this end, we are conducting research on improving diversity in the space sector. We are inviting anyone in government, industry and academic roles to <a href="https://anu.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d6IR87EO9OFYSUK">take part in a survey</a> to describe their experiences of inclusion, diversity, equality and access in their jobs. This input will contribute to Australia’s statement on diversity and inclusivity in the space sector.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1656480907929456641"}"></div></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205393/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elise Stephenson receives funding from the Australian Space Agency and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She is affiliated with the Australian Centre for Space Governance. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cassandra Steer receives funding from the Australian Space Agency, the Department of Defence, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Geoscience Australia. She is Chair of the Australian Centre for Space Governance and affiliated with the International Institute of Space Law. </span></em></p>Why is the space sector struggling to attract a more diverse talent pool? We have a few solutions that could help.Elise Stephenson, Deputy Director, Global Institute for Women's Leadership, Australian National UniversityCassandra Steer, Deputy Director, Institute for Space (InSpace), Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1659362021-08-25T10:57:14Z2021-08-25T10:57:14ZTokyo 2020: does the Paralympics empower disabled people?<p>The Tokyo 2020 Paralympics are being used as a catalyst for a new <a href="https://www.wethe15.org/">global campaign</a> aimed at removing discrimination faced by disabled people. Entitled We the 15, this new effort has been launched by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the International Disability Alliance along with a host of other sports, human rights and business organisations. The goal is to create more opportunities – and <a href="https://theconversation.com/paralympics-havent-decreased-barriers-to-physical-activity-for-most-people-with-disabilities-165145">greater accessibility</a> – for people with impairments. </p>
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<p>Disability sport scholars like myself, however, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2012.695576">question the extent</a> to which the Paralympics can empower disabled people and create meaningful social change. Paralympians themselves are more likely to be empowered, in their view, than the wider public.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.paralympic.org/sites/default/files/document/190704145051100_2019_07+IPC+Strategic+Plan_web.pdf">The stated vision</a> of the IPC is to create a more inclusive society through the Paralympic Games. But can an elite sporting event that lasts two weeks, every four years, really achieve meaningful social change?</p>
<h2>Representation matters</h2>
<p>Elite sport is by definition an exclusive domain, and the Paralympics are <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-paralympics-strive-for-inclusion-but-some-rules-unfairly-exclude-athletes-with-severe-disabilities-166347">no exception</a>. The <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/paralympic-sport/2021/08/22/tokyo-2020-paralympics-how-does-classification-system-work/">classification system</a> used to determine athletes’ eligibility to compete is based on their impairment and how it influences their sporting performance. But only a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2016.1225885">narrow range</a> of impairments are considered, and the wider process has been <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9780230367463_23">criticised by scholars</a> as disempowering. </p>
<p>Some athletes have been <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000wwdd/panorama-paralympics-the-unfair-games">re-classified</a> into different categories without the reasoning behind the decision being made clear. Others have been deemed ineligible because their impairments are not listed in the IPC’s eligbility criteria. </p>
<p>British wheelchair basketballer Oscar Knight is a case in point. Though a wheelchair user, he has been told, as he puts it, that he’s “<a href="https://metro.co.uk/2020/08/21/athlete-not-disabled-enough-paralympics-considering-amputating-legs-13158639/">not disabled enough</a>”. The IPC rules do not list some chronic-pain conditions, including the one he experiences, as eligible. Like others, he has actually <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/paralympics/george-bates-team-gb-paralympics-tokyo-2020-basketball-amputation-a9645696.html">considered amputation</a> of a limb in order to comply with the classification system. </p>
<p>Beyond the athletes themselves, the <a href="https://sportengland-production-files.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/mapping-disability-the-facts.pdf?VersionId=d5H8QMfFxEMY62gVNqLJkTt5UDWkOeRK">vast majority</a> of disabled people will not see their impairment represented at the Paralympics. Paralympians are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2016.1225885">not representative</a> of the everyday disabled person. Viewing disability through the lens of the Paralympics can therefore lead to a <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.5153/sro.3118">warped understanding</a> of most disabled people’s <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09687599.2012.748648">lived experience</a>.</p>
<p>It is also possible the Paralympics may end up <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2012.695576">including disabled people</a> who do not conform to the image of Paralympians. While some athletes, like Knight, are excluded for not being disabled enough, others, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0038038511413421">research has argued</a>, are being favoured for having impairments that are less severe, or that allow for technological enhancements.</p>
<p><a href="https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ssj/30/1/article-p24.xml">Some see this</a> as an attempt to make the sporting ability of Paralympians more accessible to a non-disabled audience. Indeed, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0267323120909290">research suggests</a> the UK audience is now more likely to associate disability with technologically enhanced individuals. </p>
<p>For many disabled people, this diminishes even further the <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057%2F978-1-137-47901-3_11">representative potential</a> of the Paralympics, as the high cost and limited access to cutting-edge equipment puts it out of reach. And for athletes with more complex impairments, for which there are not the same technological enhancements available, this is also disempowering. They don’t see <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Cultural-Politics-of-the-Paralympic-Movement-Through-an-Anthropological/Howe/p/book/9780415288873">role models</a> to whom they can relate among the Paralympian ranks. </p>
<h2>The superhuman label</h2>
<p>Media coverage often portrays Paralympians as <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1470412914529109">supercrips</a>, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0193723511433865">achieving success</a> in spite of their impairment. Scholars argue this can have a negative impact on disabled people, because it reinforces <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0193723511433865">society’s low expectations</a> of what they can do. It also reinforces the idea that a <a href="https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ssj/30/1/article-p24.xml">hierarchy of impairments</a> exists, with the supercrip image valued over complex and less understood impairments. </p>
<p>Equally, the supercrip idea can be a source of inspiration. <a href="https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/journal_contribution/Paralympic_legacy_exploring_the_impact_of_the_Games_on_the_perceptions_of_young_people_with_disabilities/9621563">Children</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0891241607309892">aspiring athletes</a> can both find the exploits of Paralympians to be aspirational. The Rio 2016 gold medallist <a href="https://paralympics.org.uk/articles/impact-stories-ellie-robinson-and-paralympians-as-role-model">Ellie Robinson</a> was inspired to take up swimming after watching Paralympian swimmer Ellie Simmonds compete at London 2012. </p>
<p>Channel 4 has received mixed responses to its Paralympic marketing. The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY7Zp96jYZM">Meet the Superhumans</a> ads, which ran ahead of the London 2012 Games, was named <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/paralympics-channel-4-s-superhuman-effort-7956894.html">advertising campaign of the year</a> for successfully <a href="https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/campaign-year-channel-4/116408">shifting public attitudes</a> to disability and disabled sports. </p>
<p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0267323120909290">Research backs that up</a>, showing that the broadcaster’s coverage of the Paralympics since the London Games has helped change attitudes towards disability. And yet, as Canadian coach and former Paralympian Danielle Peers noted in 2012, that same marketing strategy <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/paralympics/paralympics-sold-freak-show-says-coach-8100743.html">was also seen</a> to perpetuate <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1470412914529109">disability stereotypes</a>. </p>
<p>Similarly, in the run-up to the Rio 2016 Paralympics, Channel 4’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IocLkk3aYlk">marketing campaign</a> was praised for focusing on a broader range of impairments and activities. But the #yesican narrative of the promotion <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/20/channel-4-paralympics-advert-disabled-people-not-all-superhuman">was criticised</a> by some disabled people for ignoring the <a href="https://crippledscholar.com/2016/07/18/can-we-talk-about-that-paralympics-ad/">social and systemic barriers</a> that often prevent disabled people from being active. As the journalist <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/20/channel-4-paralympics-advert-disabled-people-not-all-superhuman">Lucy Catchpole wrote</a> in the Guardian:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Creating a view of disabled people as magical creatures who might look impaired but actually – ta dah! – are as capable as anyone else, if not more so (#superhumans), means that the general public will find the vast majority of disabled people, with our pain, weakness and fatigue, even more frustrating and confounding than they already do.</p>
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<p>Ultimately the Paralympic Games is an elite – and fleeting – sporting mega-event. The day-to-day experience of many disabled people, however, is <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2012.739367">continued discrimination</a>. Whatever role the Paralympics might have to play in achieving a fairer and more inclusive society should not detract from the <a href="https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/our-work/news/disability-progress-%E2%80%98littered-missed-opportunities-and-failures%E2%80%99">wide-ranging social and systemic changes</a> needed to ensure equal opportunities for disabled people.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/165936/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christopher Brown does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Paralympics are the stage for a battle between the exclusivity of elite sport and the inclusivity the movement aims to nurture. Can the event effect true social change?Christopher Brown, Lecturer in Sports Development, University of HertfordshireLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1651872021-08-10T16:06:30Z2021-08-10T16:06:30ZCan luxury fashion brands ever really be inclusive?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415425/original/file-20210810-21-1iidg56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=67%2C8%2C2910%2C1913&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/bhJfx7t4QUA">Unsplash/Armen Aydinyan</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Luxury goods tend to be associated with exclusivity rather than inclusivity. But thanks to the universal scrutiny of social media and consumer activism, high-end brands are under increasing pressure to be seen as companies who care. </p>
<p>Some have spent large sums on initiatives which address environmental concerns, or used their expertise to help deal with the pandemic. </p>
<p>The Kering group (which owns Yves Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen) has, for example, <a href="https://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainability/kering-shines-light-on-sustainability-efforts-luxury">set a target</a> to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2025. </p>
<p>In response to COVID-19, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-52415983">fashion house Burberry donated</a> more than 100,000 pieces of PPE to the NHS and healthcare charities. Meanwhile, luxury firm LVMH used its perfume manufacturing facilities to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardkestenbaum/2020/03/15/lvmh-converting-its-perfume-factories-to-make-hand-sanitizer/">make free hand sanitiser</a> for the healthcare system in France. </p>
<p>Yet it remains unclear whether consumers can reconcile the exclusive nature of luxury brands – selling at prices many cannot afford – with a public image of sustainability and environmental or social awareness. A <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781351287807-8/luxury-purchasers-really-insensitive-sustainable-development-jean-no%C3%ABl-kapferer-anne-michaut-denizeau">range</a> of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.10.029">studies</a> has shown that consumers are ambivalent about such efforts. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41262-019-00165-7">Research</a> into millennials’ attitudes showed that younger consumers even see the concepts of luxury and sustainability as contradictory.</p>
<p>This is understandable, for some brands’ apparent attempts to tackle societal challenges have come after they received widespread criticism for their own apparent failings. </p>
<p>Gucci for example, has a US$1.5 million (£1 million) <a href="https://hypebeast.com/2020/6/gucci-equilibrium-initiative-environmental-profit-loss-report-2019">plan</a> to support young designers from underrepresented backgrounds. But it was launched after the brand faced <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/feb/07/gucci-withdraws-jumper-blackface-balaclava">accusations of racism</a> over a jumper design. </p>
<p>And while Prada has spoken out against racial injustice on social media, the company has also been <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/prada-was-slammed-over-merchandise-deemed-racist-now-it-will-n1131466">forced to apologise</a> for merchandise that was deemed racist. Dior, meanwhile, launched a message of support and solidarity accompanied with a black background. But again, it comes after allegations of <a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/dior-pulls-sauvage-campaign-from-instagram-after-facing-appropriation-backlash">cultural appropriation</a>. </p>
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<p>A <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/04/style/Black-representation-fashion.html?smid=tw-share">New York Times report</a> showed that among top designers and creative directors in the fashion world, only four are black. Models and photographers from diverse backgrounds are also <a href="https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/black-representation-fashion/">severely underrepresented</a> in the luxury fashion industry.</p>
<p>Designer Virgil Abloh, head of men’s fashion at Louis Vuitton, is one of the few black figures to have reached the summits of a luxury brand. He <a href="https://www.numero.com/en/mode-homme/virgil-abloh-louis-vuitton-off-white-diversite-interview">has commented</a>: “Diversity isn’t just a question of gender and ethnicity. It’s a question of experience. It brings new ideas to the table. And it would be good if the fashion industry actually listened and took them on board.” </p>
<h2>Mutually exclusive?</h2>
<p>Against this complex backdrop, we asked members of the British public for their thoughts on inclusivity campaigns from luxury brands. Overall, consumers – particularly those on lower incomes – had a negative response.</p>
<p>The majority of the people we surveyed (87%) believe luxury brands would fare better at becoming more inclusive by focusing on fair pay and workers’ rights. </p>
<p>Efforts towards climate change initiatives were also popular (79%), as were work aimed at reducing racial and gender inequality. </p>
<p>Respondents also welcomed the idea of luxury brands selecting partners and suppliers in response to social and political situations. For instance, <a href="https://www.campaignasia.com/article/nike-adidas-burberry-uniqlo-ensnared-in-xinjiang-cotton-controversy/468578">Burberry’s</a> decision to boycott cotton from the Xinjiang region of China over <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-announces-business-measures-over-xinjiang-human-rights-abuses">alleged human right abuses</a>.</p>
<p>Overall, our survey suggests that – despite some progress – much remains to be done by luxury brands. And the question remains over whether an industry which revels in exclusivity can embrace inclusivity in a way that drives real societal change? </p>
<p>As consumers increasingly demand transition towards an inclusive society, a unique window has opened for luxury brands to become better agents of social change by aligning their missions, values and strategies to social purpose. Luxury brands are in a key position to lead business action by leveraging their cultural authority. </p>
<p>They have an opportunity to use their influence and actions to advance public debate and accelerate behavioural change. If they don’t take it, any gestures towards inclusivity risk being seen as nothing more than an opportunistic exercise in public relations and image.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/165187/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Companies should focus on fair pay and workers’ rights, our survey suggests.Paurav Shukla, Professor of Marketing, University of SouthamptonDina Khalifa, Senior Research Associate, University of CambridgeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1639552021-07-13T14:37:47Z2021-07-13T14:37:47ZVictoria’s Secret joins the ‘inclusive revolution,’ finally realizing diversity sells<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410424/original/file-20210708-25-hvedm1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=14%2C0%2C4962%2C3315&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Victoria's Secret we've become accustomed to is no more. The brand has finally realized that diversity sells.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Andy Wong) </span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-06-17/victorias-secret-rebrand-influencers-angels">Victoria’s Secret recently announced a cast of new “angels.”</a> They include American athlete Megan Rapinoe, actress and activist Priyanka Chopra Jonas and the brand’s first transgender model, Vanetina Sampaio. Together, they speak to a far more diverse image of beauty than was common for the once popular company. </p>
<p>Victoria’s Secret learned a lesson other leading fashion brands and the industry at large are coming to realize: diversity sells.</p>
<h2>Better representation</h2>
<p>This isn’t surprising. For years, consumers have <a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/fashions-long-road-to-inclusivity">called for greater inclusion and better representation in mainstream fashion</a>. And the industry’s most avant-garde players have already responded, including <a href="https://www.theroot.com/rihannas-savage-x-fenty-show-is-a-masterclass-in-divers-1845252031">Rihanna’s much talked about Savage X Fenty</a> and <a href="https://people.com/style/summersalt-beach-body-campaign/">Summersalt’s “every body is a beach body”</a> campaign. </p>
<p>Consumers are willing to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/aeries-latest-inclusive-campaign-featuring-women-with-disabilities-and-medical-conditions-praised-online">back brands that feature diversity with their praise</a> and more importantly, their dollars. </p>
<p>In the last two years, fashion brands like <a href="https://fashionunited.uk/news/business/tommy-hilfiger-commits-to-diversity-with-people-s-place-program/2020071349808">Tommy Hilfiger</a>, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/flyease-adaptive-fashion-1.6026277">Nike</a> and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/shelleykohan/2020/06/28/aeos-aerie-brand-built-on-body-positivity-and-inclusion-is-slowly-edging-out-sexy-supermodel-juggernaut-victorias-secret/">lingerie competitor Aerie</a> all made efforts toward greater inclusion. They feature plus-size models, transgender models and models with disabilities in their stores and online campaigns. </p>
<p>Each brand has been rewarded with public kudos and a flurry of consumer purchases. Yet others in the industry lagged. Despite Victoria’s Secret’s latest inclusion and diversity efforts, models with disabilities were missing.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Women with diverse bodies wear bikinis and hold signs that read 'fashion for every body' and 'We want diversity on our runways.'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410442/original/file-20210708-19-h1k2jm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410442/original/file-20210708-19-h1k2jm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410442/original/file-20210708-19-h1k2jm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410442/original/file-20210708-19-h1k2jm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410442/original/file-20210708-19-h1k2jm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410442/original/file-20210708-19-h1k2jm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410442/original/file-20210708-19-h1k2jm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Undressed activists in swimsuits with posters that read ‘fashion for every body’ and ‘We want diversity on our runways’ on the street during London Fashion Week in 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Embarking on diversity initiatives</h2>
<p>According to our new study, <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F14695405211022074">A model who looks like me: Communicating and consuming representations of disability</a></em>, the $3 trillion fashion industry has, until recently, paid little attention to gender, sexuality, race and disability. </p>
<p>We ask how and why the industry almost suddenly embarked on diversity initiatives. </p>
<p>We focus our attention on disability because it’s traditionally seen as <a href="https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/02/13/why-disabled-people-have-been-forgotten-by-the-fashion-industry">inconsistent with fashion</a>. The industry largely saw a person with disabilities as someone who can’t embody, reflect or convey beauty. In other words, disability would turn off consumers.</p>
<p>Our analysis over five years of three mainstream fashion magazines - <em>Vogue</em>, <em>InStyle</em> and <em>Harper’s Bazaar</em> - revealed not a single person with a disability appearing on the cover. A look at 2,500 ads in <em>InStyle</em> turned up similarly little. </p>
<p>So we turned to the recent and well-known Nike, Aerie and Tommy Hilfiger campaigns that featured a diverse cast of models, including those with a range of visible and non-visible disabilities.</p>
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<p>Tommy Hilfiger’s campaign went a step further. The brand developed <a href="https://usa.tommy.com/en/tommy-adaptive">adaptive clothing specifically designed for people with disabilities</a> — a step few others have taken. </p>
<p>This inclusion, though hugely important, often comes with more “sanitized” depictions of disability – creating images thought to be “more palatable” to consumers. </p>
<p>We found that editorials often reinforced distinctions between “ability” and disability, suggesting that disability is something to be overcome. For example, when athletes were praised for pushing the limitations of their disability. Sometimes, no photos of people with disabilities were included in editorials about them. When models with disabilities were included, they were often treated as too unremarkable to dress in brands referenced by the magazine’s editorial staff. </p>
<h2>Disability, diversity and inclusion efforts</h2>
<p>So why has disability become a more significant part of the fashion industry’s diversity and inclusion efforts?</p>
<p>Some brands take the leap, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahkim/2020/01/31/aerie-disability-representation/?sh=329e933250bd">challenging beliefs about potential consumer backlash</a>. They lower perceived risk as other brands follow suit. Risk, though, is also lessened when <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/tommy-hilfiger-spring-2018-adaptive-collection">consumers respond favourably to more inclusive initiatives</a>, sending a message to the industry at large. </p>
<p>We analyzed more than 200 online consumer comments about <em>Teen Vogue’s</em> “<a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/jillian-mercado-runway-debut">The New Faces of Fashion</a>” campaign that featured three models with disabilities: Chelsea Werner, Mama Cax and Jillian Mercado. We found that an overwhelming majority of consumers gave praise and admiration. </p>
<p>One viewer thanked <em>Teen Vogue</em> for “making great changes.” Another, eager for inclusion, wrote: “Let’s see this on a regular basis, please.” Brands like Dove Beauty and <em>Allure</em> left comments on the magazine’s Instagram page.</p>
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<p>In response to <em>Allure’s</em> praise, one viewer called on the magazine to “join the Inclusion Revolution too.” It wasn’t long after that Allure announced its own series on “<a href="https://www.allure.com/topic/the-beauty-of-accessibility">the beauty of accessibility</a>,” positioning Ellie Goldstein, a young model with Down syndrome, on the cover of their digital print magazine.</p>
<h2>Poised for a reboot</h2>
<p>Away from social media and after more than a year in lockdown, the fashion industry is poised for a reboot. Couturiers <a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/dior-show-celebrates-fashion-up-close-personal-after-pandemic-2021-07-05/">like Dior</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/jul/06/begin-again-chanel-returns-first-major-live-shows-pandemic-paris-haute-couture">Chanel have convened</a> in Paris for the industry’s first set of in-person shows since the pandemic began. </p>
<p>As Victoria’s Secret and others set about reimagining the world that will be, we wonder what the “inclusion revolution” will look like — and whether people with disabilities will continue to be part of it. </p>
<p>We should look to industry leaders for signs of lasting change, but consumers matter too. They must continue demanding that fashion and beauty brands engage meaningfully with their efforts towards diversity and inclusion. </p>
<p>These demands will need to move beyond casting calls and runway models. They must include boardrooms and brand teams – those who ultimately influence and make decisions about what consumers see and purchase.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/163955/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Pettinicchio receives funding from SSHRC</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jordan Foster receives funding from the Government of Ontario and from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council. </span></em></p>Victoria’s Secret learned a lesson other leading fashion brands and the industry at large are coming to realize: diversity sells. But when it comes to disability, brands aren’t quite there yet.David Pettinicchio, Associate Professor, Sociology, University of TorontoJordan Foster, PhD Student, Sociology, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1610882021-06-07T12:30:15Z2021-06-07T12:30:15ZThe queer city: how to design more inclusive public space<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403399/original/file-20210528-13-1mc5tf3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Making inclusivity a visible and a structural component of urban planning is crucial</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/a2opMDQbZ-I">Tayla Kohler | Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://artlibre.org/licence/lal/en">FAL</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Most people might not usually think of public space as being gendered, but this is how scholars of the built environment <a href="https://theconversation.com/women-and-the-city-reclaiming-the-streets-to-impose-equal-rights-88279">increasingly talk</a> about it. In many countries, the architecture profession is largely male and white. That results in a design approach that privileges the male perspective, from <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/23637923?seq=1">licensing regimes</a> that favour heterosexual male drinking establishments to
<a href="http://makespaceforgirls.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Make-Space-for-Girls-Summary-of-Research-findings-December-2020-web.pdf">parks and sports facilities</a> built for boys. </p>
<p>These assumptions about who the built environment should serve, as well as others such as the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0739456x0202100303">heterosexual, family oriented nature</a> of suburbia, contribute to how it is designed. They can also affect how public spaces are experienced by <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1068/d110395">women</a> or men who don’t <a href="https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/research-report-102-causes-and-motivations-of-hate-crime.pdf">conform</a> to masculine stereotypes.</p>
<p>Design failures, such as inadequate or poorly positioned <a href="https://research.arup.io/story/cities-for-girls">lighting</a>, only serve to make public space even more intimidating for marginalised groups who, as a result, try to make themselves invisible – or <a href="https://www.galop.org.uk/transphobic-hate-crime-report-2020/">avoid</a> <a href="https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/59581/670598433-MIT.pdf%3Bsequence=2">open</a> spaces altogether. </p>
<p>In the context of <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/hate-crime-police-england-wales-record-b1010765.html">rising patterns of hate crime</a>, the idea of “<a href="https://www.arup.com/perspectives/publications/research/section/queering-public-space">queering” public space </a> might offer a solution. Through interviews with over 120 academics, designers, activists and other respondents, we have studied how considering the design and planning needs of LGBTQ+ people might make the public realm more inclusive.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gbRUVSSARO4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p>.</p>
<h2>Marginalised geographies</h2>
<p>Since the 1980s, scholars have mapped out geographies of how different social groups access, or are marginalised and threatened, in public space. Much has been written, in particular, about the emergence of the “<a href="https://gayborhoodfoundation.com/">gayborhood</a>”. From the 1950s, queer urban enclaves – such as Manchester’s <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02614360110121551">Gay Village</a> and London’s <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/43201479?seq=1">Soho</a> – began to appear in run-down, marginal areas of cities across the world. Key initial factors were low rents, good transport links and accessible bars and <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315756721-3/gay-commercial-districts-chicago-role-planning-1-curt-winkle">other amenities</a>. </p>
<p>These neighbourhoods, however, are not without problems. Improvements led to increases in rent, so that these enclaves steadily became overly structured around relatively wealthy <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02614360110121551?casa_token=YN0D_HQk6WEAAAAA:9tBGGROk-bTEuDMEtqutbJpJp1aEx5_bOd3BSC-fGeQCP5G_BtVVZBz7WlMdektvgAHRGoQBWyzf8g">gay white males</a>. Poorer LGBTQ+ people can often only access them via potentially <a href="http://opensquare.nyupress.org/books/9781479835737/">dangerous transport networks</a>. What’s more, as is borne out by police <a href="https://www.met.police.uk/sd/stats-and-data/met/hate-crime-dashboard/">statistics</a>, gayborhoods like Soho are marked by relatively high levels of homophobic crime.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A painted mural in London's Soho area" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403400/original/file-20210528-13-15elksl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403400/original/file-20210528-13-15elksl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403400/original/file-20210528-13-15elksl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403400/original/file-20210528-13-15elksl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403400/original/file-20210528-13-15elksl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403400/original/file-20210528-13-15elksl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403400/original/file-20210528-13-15elksl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Old Compton Street is at the heart of London’s Soho, one of the earliest gayborhoods.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/ekvNI_03FLM">Mark Hayward | Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://artlibre.org/licence/lal/en">FAL</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These areas are also <a href="https://failedarchitecture.com/after-the-gay-bar-the-uncertain-future-of-queer-space/">vulnerable</a> to redevelopment. By contributing to the cultural value of a city, gayborhoods eventually attract investors. But regeneration and gentrification often results in the communities who used to visit or live in these areas being displaced. Almost <a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayor-pledges-support-to-lgbt-venues-in-london">60%</a> of London’s LGBTQ+ venues have closed since 2010. </p>
<p>So, while gayborhoods have provided much appreciated space in which LGBTQ+ people can be themselves, we still need to think about inclusion in public space more generally.</p>
<h2>Inclusive design guidelines</h2>
<p>In the UK, <a href="https://www.thenbs.com/PublicationIndex/documents/details?Pub=BSI&DocID=320547">existing guidelines</a> for inclusive design concentrate largely on accessibility for disabled people. In our <a href="https://www.westminster.ac.uk/news/queering-of-public-spaces-will-make-them-more-inclusive-for-all-report-suggests">research</a>, we have identified three main principles to improve this. </p>
<p>First, planning regimes should prioritise safety. LGBTQ+ people need more <a href="https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-01525370/document">privacy</a> in public space because common activities that most people take for granted (<a href="https://cphpost.dk/?p=100810">holding hands</a>, with a partner, say) can draw negative attention. </p>
<p>Our respondents highlighted how greenery and lighting could be used to break up space and sight lines and provide more privacy. It’s about getting away from both <a href="https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/opinion/better-street-lighting-alone-wont-make-our-cities-safer-for-women">claustrophobic, enclosed designs</a> and large, open plazas dominated by the kind of harsh security lighting and wide sight lines dictated by surveillance strategies, and the protection of property. </p>
<p>Instead, as in <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329074937_Beyond_the_Bathroom_Gender-inclusive_planning_and_policy_for_public_spaces">New York</a>, planners can follow the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/may/14/city-with-a-female-face-how-modern-vienna-was-shaped-by-women">gender-sensitive approach</a> pioneered in Vienna, Austria, to make city parks and streets feel safer and <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315756721-8/pervasiveness-hetero-sexism-experiences-queers-everyday-space-sarah-nusser-katrin-anacker?context=ubx&refId=3d7bdb72-1c10-45c7-b72b-07173d59331e">more comfortable</a> on an individual level. </p>
<p>There they have installed better, warmer lighting to encourage footfall (which can help to counter hate crime) and created semi-enclosed pockets in parks that are visible but still offer a reasonable level of privacy for those who do not feel comfortable being visible from all angles and from far off.</p>
<p>Second, city planners need to cater to the specific needs of all sectors of the population. For the LGBTQ+ community, this does not just mean preserving venues and historic landmarks. Historically, housing estates have often been <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0739456x0202100303">intentionally designed</a> for heterosexual families. Changing design assumptions – planning for all kinds of people and families - will make cities and neighbourhoods feel more accessible and diverse.</p>
<p>The distinctive services required by an <a href="https://www.housinglin.org.uk/_assets/Resources/Housing/Support_materials/Viewpoints/HLIN_Viewpoint39_LGBT.pdf">ageing LGBTQ+ population</a> also need to be considered. This group is more likely to live alone than their peers. They often have distinct health needs and can lack support networks. Crucially, their experience of discrimination and exclusion often means they prefer to live in <a href="https://www.housinglin.org.uk/_assets/Resources/Housing/Support_materials/Viewpoints/HLIN_Viewpoint39_LGBT.pdf">queer-specific accommodation</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="A black gay couple dressed in dark clothes embrace in front of an orange wall" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403401/original/file-20210528-19-1h9eevt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/403401/original/file-20210528-19-1h9eevt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403401/original/file-20210528-19-1h9eevt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403401/original/file-20210528-19-1h9eevt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403401/original/file-20210528-19-1h9eevt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403401/original/file-20210528-19-1h9eevt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/403401/original/file-20210528-19-1h9eevt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Being demonstrative in public can be so much more dangerous for LGBTQ+ people.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/5g2FB0rTnAc">Lloyd Jr | Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://artlibre.org/licence/lal/en">FAL</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Third, planners need to make spaces visibly inclusive. More representation of <a href="https://historicengland.org.uk/research/inclusive-heritage/lgbtq-heritage-project/">queer heritage</a> – through statues, memorials, plaques and street and building names – would emphasise that these communities, though marginalised, have always existed. And making that history more visible, <a href="http://leedscivictrust.org.uk/whatwedo/heritage/blue-plaques/leeds-rainbow-plaques">even temporarily</a>, may help to undermine public hostility towards them.</p>
<p>Similarly, as on the South Bank in London, features including public artworks, <a href="https://www.caribonigroup.com/en/news/the-social-impact-of-urban-lighting/">artistic lighting</a> or decorative street furniture, such as <a href="https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/new-rainbow-crossing-provides-tiny-5324690">rainbow crossings</a>, can help to signal inclusion to LGBTQ+ people.</p>
<p>It may seem that these recommendations are simply about general good public space design. And they are. Addressing these design issues would benefit <a href="https://www.itf-oecd.org/sites/default/files/docs/womens-safety-security_0.pdf#:%7E:text=women%20worldwide%20feel%20unsafe%20in%20public%20transport%20and,spaces.%20As%20a%20result%2C%20women%20often%20prefer%20driving">all sections of the community</a>, rather than just LGBTQ+ people by making public space safer, accessible and inclusive for all.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/161088/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pippa Catterall received funding from Arup's Global Research to conduct this research project.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ammar Azzouz received funding from Arup Global Research to conduct this research project. </span></em></p>The gaybourhood gave LGBTQ+ communities the space they urgently needed to simply be themselves. But our cities should be built in such a way that everyone feels at homePippa Catterall, Professor of History and Policy, University of WestminsterAmmar Azzouz, Short-term Research Associate, University of OxfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1555962021-05-26T13:56:50Z2021-05-26T13:56:50ZHow ‘allyship’ can make LGBT+ staff feel less excluded in the work place<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/402837/original/file-20210526-19-1y99l3g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=276%2C217%2C4715%2C3046&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/silhouettes-business-people-working-office-191691161">Shutterstock/Rawpixel.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>More than 40% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people experience conflict – such as being undermined, humiliated or discriminated against – at work, according to a <a href="https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/relations/diversity/inclusion-perspectives-lgbt#gref">recent report</a>. This figure rises to 55% for transgender and non-binary staff, compared with 29% for their heterosexual colleagues. </p>
<p>The report from the <a href="https://www.cipd.co.uk/">Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development</a> (CIPD), suggests that these issues are often left unresolved and more needs to be done to protect and support LGBT+ people within the workplace. And, while some progress has been made, there remains a particular and significant lag in <a href="https://www.acas.org.uk/supporting-trans-employees-in-the-workplace/html">the inclusion of trans workers</a> and understanding of the specific challenges <a href="https://www.cipd.co.uk/news-views/news-articles/international-day-of-transgender-visibility">connected with gender identity</a>. </p>
<p>There is compelling evidence that workplaces can be <a href="https://www.totaljobs.com/advice/trans-employee-experiences-survey-2021-research-conducted-by-totaljobs">challenging environments</a> for trans people, where their voices often remain the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09585192.2016.1234503">least heard</a>. Even for organisations which seek to be inclusive, many <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/HRMID-06-2017-0121/full/html">lack the necessary expertise</a>. </p>
<p>This is reflected in the CIPD report, in which most trans workers said their organisation did not have sufficient supportive policies in place – despite evidence that they have a <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joop.12336">positive effect</a>.</p>
<p>The report also highlights how some trans workers feel isolated from colleagues, find it difficult to maintain work-life balance, and experience difficulties in expressing or transitioning their gender identity. </p>
<p>Many trans workers said they didn’t feel they had the active support of their work colleagues, which may help to explain why up to half reported not being <a href="https://theconversation.com/half-of-transgender-and-non-binary-people-hide-their-identity-at-work-in-fear-of-discrimination-heres-how-you-can-help-115523">open about their gender identity at work</a>. </p>
<p>It seems then, that concrete steps are needed to build a more <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/inclusion-journey">inclusive workplace culture</a>. One way of doing this is to engage in a concept known as “allyship”.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/S1877-636120190000022008/full/pdf?title=allyship-as-a-diversity-and-inclusion-tool-in-the-workplace">Allyship</a> refers to everyday acts which challenge behavioural norms and support members of marginalised groups through an awareness of the issues being faced by others.</p>
<p>As a concept, allyship can be applied to anyone within the LGBT+ spectrum as well as other marginalised groups, including <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0011000017719323">people of colour</a>. Women can <a href="https://hbr.org/2018/10/how-men-can-become-better-allies-to-women?autocomplete=true">also benefit</a>. For trans people, allyship focuses on increasing knowledge about identities and experiences, and gaining the personal skills required to be trans-inclusive.</p>
<h2>How to make allyship work</h2>
<p>An important first step is <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/inclusion-journey">self-education</a>, which might involve exploring free resources available from organisations such as <a href="http://genderedintelligence.co.uk/">Gendered Intelligence</a> and <a href="https://www.stonewall.org.uk/">Stonewall</a>. There are widely available <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/18/disclosure-laverne-cox-netflix-documentary-trans-representation">documentaries</a>, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100332/">films</a>, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06y51dp/episodes/downloads">podcasts</a> and social media <a href="https://www.instagram.com/transhappinessisreal/">campaigns</a> where trans experiences are explored with nuance. This can then influence long-term everyday language and behaviour which may cause a person to feel included rather than excluded. One example could be the use of <a href="https://www.mypronouns.org/what-and-why">preferred personal pronouns</a> in email signatures and during meetings.</p>
<p>An LGBT+ <a href="https://www.stonewall.org.uk/setting-up-an-LGBT-employee-network-group">staff network group</a> might also be useful to help workers feel more included, as would a move away from one-off grand gestures (such as investing heavily only in pride month) towards regular smaller supportive acts, particularly visible role modelling from managers and leaders.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="graphic showing cut-out human figures of different colopur to illustate the concept of 'allyship'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/402852/original/file-20210526-13-pe5z7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/402852/original/file-20210526-13-pe5z7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402852/original/file-20210526-13-pe5z7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402852/original/file-20210526-13-pe5z7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402852/original/file-20210526-13-pe5z7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402852/original/file-20210526-13-pe5z7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402852/original/file-20210526-13-pe5z7j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A better approach to harmonious working.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/allyship-concept-on-quote-plate-figures-1949754514">Shutterstock/Vitalii Vodolazskyi</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Employers should consider too how they cater for different gender identities within <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/recruiting-and-retaining-transgender-staff-a-guide-for-employers">Human Resources (HR) policies</a> such as recruitment, leave arrangements and dress code. What training and guidance is given to line managers about how they support trans workers for example, particularly during a period of transition? Are websites and internal communications properly scrutinised for problematic <a href="https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/understanding-gender-inequality/0/steps/66842">gendered language</a> or images? </p>
<p>A similar approach, developed by <a href="https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/books/255/">black feminist writers</a>, is an analytical way of thinking known as “<a href="https://disorient.co/intersectionality-readings/">intersectionality</a>”, which involves being more nuanced and thoughtful in our approach to others. </p>
<p>Intersectional thinking means understanding how a person’s experiences may be informed by different aspects of their life, such as socioeconomic background or education. It also includes understanding how experiences of exclusion can compound, such as when trans people of colour can experience <a href="https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/being-a-queer-andor-trans-person-of-colour-in-the-uk-psychology-i">both racism and transphobia</a>. </p>
<p>As a general approach, being proactive about inclusion <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hrm.20459">sends a clear message</a> to current and future employees about the values of an organisation and how it supports its people. Some groups face greater challenges and barriers to being included in the workplace than others, but everyone can benefit from a culture of allyship. </p>
<p>The pandemic has meant <a href="https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/work/trends/goodwork/covid-impact">drastic changes</a> to how many people work, and altered the social dynamics of the workplace – perhaps for the long term. Businesses should take this time of adjustment as an opportunity to remember the importance of adapting broader policies and practices to specific minority groups. </p>
<p>The pandemic has also highlighted the need for everyone to support each other. Allyship presents a good opportunity to build a stronger sense of community for the organisation – and society – as a whole.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/155596/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The CIPD commissioned the LGBT working lives report that Dr Luke Fletcher coauthored. They paid Aston University (Dr Fletcher's employer at the time) for some of the staff time spent on the development of the report.
Dr Fletcher is an academic member of the CIPD. Dr Fletcher pays an annual membership subscription. This membership does not involve any activities that would be deemed a conflict of interest to this piece. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Deborah Brewis and Rosa Marvell do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Companies need to make sure every voice is heard.Luke Fletcher, Associate Professor in Human Resource Management, University of BathDeborah Brewis, Associate Professor in Management Strategy and Organisation, University of BathRosa Marvell, Postdoctoral researcher, Oxford Brookes UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1522782021-05-19T15:50:01Z2021-05-19T15:50:01ZThree ways to ensure diversity training actually works<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401585/original/file-20210519-21-17426cq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=462%2C211%2C6247%2C4255&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/back-view-female-employee-speak-talk-1689338029">Shutterstock/fizkes</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>More and more employers are trying to increase the diversity of their staff – and rightly so. A <a href="https://www.unstereotypealliance.org/en/resources/diversity-and-inclusion/2020/12/diversity-wins-report-by-mckinsey#:%7E:text=Originally%20publishetrying%20to%20increase%20the%20diversity%20of%20their%20staffd%20by%20McKinsey.%20Diversity%20wins%20is%20the,likelihood%20of%20financial%20outperformance%20has%20strengthened%20over%20time">recent report</a> from management consulting firm McKinsey found that greater diversity within an organisation leads to greater productivity and profit, and improves problem solving, innovation and creativity. </p>
<p>Implementing a better understanding and appreciation of diversity can be cost effective too. In the UK for example, Transport for London <a href="https://theewgroup.com/case_studies/london-underground/">spent £1.3 million</a> on diversity training for 2,000 managers, with the expectation that the measure would avoid significant expenses associated with tribunals and disciplinary procedures. A spokesperson <a href="https://theewgroup.com/case_studies/london-underground/">later said</a> the organisation went on to make savings 12 times the cost of the diversity programme. </p>
<p>Diversity training then, should be a positive move when it comes to dealing with incidents of discrimination, greater staff harmony and even from a financial perspective. Yet there are also occasions when diversity training has had a negative effect on employees. </p>
<p>For example, it can create resentment among members of the majority group, who are disgruntled about the apparent focus on a minority. There have also been instances where participants have complained of the <a href="https://ideas.wharton.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Anand-Winters-2008.pdf">stereotyping of minority groups</a>, and cases where participants have found diversity training to be traumatic. </p>
<p>Indeed there is no consensus about its <a href="https://europepmc.org/article/med/27618543">overall effectiveness</a>. So far, the evidence suggests that diversity training works best after a critical incident such as an act of discrimination (either internal or external to the organisation), although the behavioural impact is <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-06080-001">often short-lived</a>. </p>
<p>To ensure any diversity training programme has the maximum positive impact, organisations need to be mindful of important factors including the method of delivery, who attends, and what happens next. </p>
<p>Here are three ways to ensure diversity training has the desired positive effect: </p>
<h2>1. Make it face to face</h2>
<p>This is an area often overlooked by organisations considering diversity training. Yet <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/job.1839">research shows</a> that face-to-face training is the most beneficial method as it allows participants to ask questions and develop conversations. </p>
<p>Small workshop groups – which can easily be organised on Zoom – are better at promoting honest and open exchanges than text-based computer courses or pre-recorded training packages, which are usually aimed at individual employees. </p>
<p>Unfortunately face-to-face training can be expensive, which is why many organisations opt instead for e-learning using an online or pre-recorded course. E-learning does mean greater flexibility for course completion (and might be a welcome alternative during pandemic-induced work restrictions) but can give the training a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hrm.20396">“tick-box exercise” feeling</a>, especially within minority groups. </p>
<h2>2. Make it mandatory</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/diversity-at-work/diversity-initiative-effectiveness-what-organizations-can-and-cannot-expect-from-diversity-recruitment-diversity-training-and-formal-mentoring-programs/D9471749EC410A3586630307869DD4BB">Previous research</a> has shown that employees with lower diversity competence levels were less likely to take part in voluntary diversity training, and staff with an interest most likely to take part. </p>
<p>Mandatory training overcomes this problem and shows that an organisation is serious about diversity, equality and inclusion. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hrm.20396">Research suggests</a> it also brings greater changes in staff behaviour.</p>
<p>It is also important for senior managers and executives to participate in diversity training as well as their staff. Doing so is a clear demonstration of its importance, and something which will echo throughout the organisation. Senior staff have great influence on the diversity of an organisation through recruitment and business strategy. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A line of different coloured pens ticking boxes." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401593/original/file-20210519-21-17iejcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401593/original/file-20210519-21-17iejcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401593/original/file-20210519-21-17iejcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401593/original/file-20210519-21-17iejcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401593/original/file-20210519-21-17iejcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401593/original/file-20210519-21-17iejcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401593/original/file-20210519-21-17iejcb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Avoid the box ticking approach.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/multiple-colored-ball-pens-crossing-off-520697587">Shutterstock/BeeBright</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3. Have a post-training plan in place</h2>
<p>Training can be seen as the final step of diversity management, but in reality it is often the first. Diversity training should be used to prevent acts of discrimination rather than just as an intervention for when an incident has taken place. Ways of continuing diversity management post-training include mentoring programmes, encouraging “diversity champions” – employees tasked with driving diversity forward within a company – and organising employee networks.</p>
<p>Diversity training is sometimes delivered in isolation, and then not spoken about until the next incident occurs. This is neither productive nor an efficient use of resources. Training needs to be part of a plan – not the whole plan – for better diversity management.</p>
<p>Improving an organisation’s approach to diversity training using the above methods has the capacity to be extremely effective – and not just for the organisation and its employees. </p>
<p>The long-term positive effects can extend into wider society. Diversity awareness does not begin or end in the workplace, but can be a powerful force for positive change.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/152278/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anthony R. Thomas does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Improved awareness is a positive move for personnel, and the bottom line.Anthony R. Thomas, Senior Lecturer in Strategy and Entrepreneurship, University of South WalesLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1576642021-05-02T12:41:37Z2021-05-02T12:41:37ZAsian Heritage Month: Gold ribbons show hope and solidarity amid anti-Asian violence<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397644/original/file-20210428-23-hckl07.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4495%2C2987&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The recent rise in anti-Asian racism, subsequent protests and increased activism has sounded alarm bells.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><blockquote>
<p>And when I get excited<br>
My little China girl says<br>
Oh baby, just you shut your mouth<br>
She says … shhhh<br>
She says … shhhh </p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YC3sTbAPcU">David Bowie</a>’s <em>China Girl</em> did not make my life any easier growing up. </p>
<p>From being spit on to hit on and reduced to “China girl,” my experiences of anti-Asian racism marred my youth and adolescence, giving way to internalized oppression. <a href="http://www.aclrc.com/forms-of-racism">Individual, institutional and systemic racism</a> have longstanding and pervasive psychological damage. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-atlanta-attacks-were-not-just-racist-and-misogynist-they-painfully-reflect-the-society-we-live-in-157389">targeted killing earlier this year of eight people in Atlanta</a>, six of them Asian women, was a catalyst sparking public outcry and rage, prompting Asians to speak out.</p>
<p>With an increase in <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/7785233/anti-asian-hate-crimes-racism/">anti-racist mobilization</a>, emphasis on <a href="https://medium.com/national-center-for-institutional-diversity/asian-americans-and-racial-justice-racial-exclusion-and-the-im-possibilities-of-developing-our-cb5d9186995c">racial justice</a>, recognition of <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228391480_Asian_American_Perceived_Racism_Acculturation_Racial_Identity_Social_Context_and_Sociopolitical_Awareness_as_Predictors_of_Asian_American_Perceived_Racism">sociopolitical factors</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-020-0784-y">inclusivity and equity education</a> alongside emphasis on <a href="https://www.today.com/popculture/best-asian-pride-moments-oscars-t216454">Asian cultural pride</a>, opportunity can emerge out of crisis.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-asian-canadian-scholars-we-must-stopasianhate-by-fighting-all-forms-of-racism-157743">As Asian Canadian scholars, we must #StopAsianHate by fighting all forms of racism</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>As we celebrate Asian Heritage Month, the time is now to collectively centre dialogue against anti-Asian racism, with an optimistic view for a global reset. I am a psychologist and professor comfortable in her academic bubble. But as an Asian woman who endured racism growing up, and with daughters who deserve a better future, I felt compelled to start <a href="https://asiangoldribbon.com/">a campaign</a> and contribute to an Asian movement fighting racial intolerance. </p>
<h2>Present turmoil provides opportunity</h2>
<p>The recent rise in anti-Asian racism, subsequent protests and increased activism has sounded alarm bells for what’s reminiscent of legislated racism endured by Asian people in North America in the 19th century. </p>
<p>There was the internment of <a href="https://www.nps.gov/articles/japanese-american-internment-archeology.htm">American</a> and <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/japanese-internment-banished-and-beyond-tears-feature">Canadian</a> Japanese people during the Second World War. A <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/chinese-head-tax-in-canada">head tax that was levied against Chinese immigrants in 1885</a>; over the 38 years it was in place, nearly $23 million was collected from 82,000 Chinese immigrants. The <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/chinese-immigration-act">Chinese Immigration Act, also known as the Chinese Exclusion Act</a> of 1921 and other structural impediments, infringed upon human rights and normalized <a href="https://www.anewseducation.com/post/guide-sinophobia">sinophobic rhetoric</a> — the fear and disdain of Chinese people. </p>
<p>COVID-19 makes visible this century-old racism and has revived it into present day. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/history-of-asian-activism-tells-us-to-share-the-burden-of-responsibility-in-fighting-racism-158732">History of Asian activism tells us to share the burden of responsibility in fighting racism</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>April saw progress with <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2021-04-14/illinois-house-passes-bill-mandating-asian-american-history-in-schools">Illinois passing a bill mandating</a> Asian American history be taught in schools, the <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/7782167/us-senate-asian-hate-crimes-bill/">U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill</a> that would help combat the rise of hate crimes against Asian Americans, and Canada’s federal budget announced <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/budget-systemic-racism-1.5999023">$11 million over two years to expand the activities of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation</a>. But much more is needed. </p>
<p>Anti-Asian racism is taking a heavy mental and emotional toll on Asian communities globally. Recognizing the psychological impact faced by these communities can help with progress. It allows for the development of specific mental health programs and interventions targeting the negative health effects of racism among marginalized people which can improve the lives of Asian people globally. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Men sit crowded around table" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397416/original/file-20210427-19-13bc3yf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397416/original/file-20210427-19-13bc3yf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397416/original/file-20210427-19-13bc3yf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397416/original/file-20210427-19-13bc3yf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397416/original/file-20210427-19-13bc3yf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397416/original/file-20210427-19-13bc3yf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397416/original/file-20210427-19-13bc3yf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=521&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Royal Canadian Mounted Police constable checks documents of Japanese Canadian evacuees in Slocan City, B.C. in 1942.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/37102683784/in/album-72157688230790083/">(Tak Toyota Library and Archives Canada, C-047387)</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Psychological impact of anti-Asian hate, racism</h2>
<p>With over <a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/">150 million confirmed cases of COVID-19</a>, worldwide and more than three million deaths, incalculable changes have upended every facet of life. </p>
<p>Pandemic suffering of collective trauma is exacerbated for those experiencing race-based marginalization and discrimination. This can include heightened <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2020.08.032">fear, unease, indecisiveness, anxiety, confusion</a>, depression, deep mistrust, post-traumatic stress disorder, internalized racism, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-437-1_8">suicidality and substance abuse</a>. </p>
<p>Race-related traumatic stress has been shown to increase cortisol levels, leading to <a href="https://www.bu.edu/articles/2020/experiencing-racism-may-damage-memory-cognition/">poor health, cognitive and mental health decline</a> and <a href="https://newsroom.heart.org/news/structural-racism-causes-poor-health-premature-death-from-heart-disease-and-stroke">earlier death</a>. Exposure to racial microaggressions such as being shunned, treated rudely and unfairly, hassled or made to feel inferior <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/713667453">can have long-term effects</a> on mental health. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-words-matter-the-negative-impacts-of-racial-microaggressions-on-indigenous-and-other-racialized-people-157637">Why words matter: The negative impacts of racial microaggressions on Indigenous and other racialized people</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>It is also important to recognize that anti-Asian racism has disproportionately affected the elderly, women and youth. Women make up nearly 70 per cent <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/there-were-3-800-anti-asian-racist-incidents-mostly-against-n1261257">of the reported 3,800 anti-Asian hate incidents in the U.S.</a> and <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/asian-racism-hate-canada-pandemic-1.5959788">more than 60 per cent of the reported 1,150 cases in Canada</a>.</p>
<p>Instilling <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827318302362">positive ethnic identification</a> through family, school and peer support is ideal for buffering affects of discrimination and racism. Learning and <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-asian-immigrant-traumas-lead-to-mental-health-issues-we-shouldnt-be-ashamed-of_b_59284670e4b0065b20b632b4">speaking about historical trauma</a> from a place of compassion sets the stage for healing, and makes way for genesis of cultural pride and feelings of greater safety. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman stands holding protest sign" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397417/original/file-20210427-23-1vnroio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397417/original/file-20210427-23-1vnroio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397417/original/file-20210427-23-1vnroio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397417/original/file-20210427-23-1vnroio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397417/original/file-20210427-23-1vnroio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397417/original/file-20210427-23-1vnroio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397417/original/file-20210427-23-1vnroio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A woman holds a sign saying ‘NOT A FETISH, NOT INVISIBLE’ at a rally opposing discrimination against Asian people, in Toronto on March 28, 2021.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Supporting Asian solidarity and allyship</h2>
<p>The rise of anti-Asian racism has increased mobilized efforts to address longstanding discrimination. </p>
<p>Efforts made through organizations around the world such as <a href="https://asianaustralianalliance.net/">Asian Australian Alliance</a>, <a href="https://www.covidracism.ca/">Fight COVID-19 Racism</a>, <a href="https://act2endracism.ca/">ACT2End Racism</a>, <a href="https://stopaapihate.org/">Stop AAPI Hate</a>, <a href="https://www.washthehate.com/">Wash the Hate</a>, <a href="https://www.stophateuk.org/">Stop Hate UK</a> and <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51294305">#IAmNotAVirus</a> have all helped increase visibility of anti-Asian racism. Through their work, and the work of individuals globally, we’ve been able to encourage reporting and increase efforts to directly highlight harmful Asian stereotypes. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-model-minority-myth-hides-the-racist-and-sexist-violence-experienced-by-asian-women-157667">The model minority myth hides the racist and sexist violence experienced by Asian women</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Asian people <a href="https://truthout.org/articles/non-black-people-of-color-are-mobilizing-to-end-complicity-in-black-death/">joined forces to protest anti-Black racism</a> following the death of George Floyd, which demonstrated cross-racial coalitions to combat <a href="https://civilrights.org/heres-10-things-you-can-do-to-stop-white-supremacy/">white supremacy</a>. This defies how <a href="http://doi.org/10.1177/0032329299027001005">Asians are often racially triangulated</a> in relation to Black and white people.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Man holding protest sign" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397645/original/file-20210428-21-23rvig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/397645/original/file-20210428-21-23rvig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397645/original/file-20210428-21-23rvig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397645/original/file-20210428-21-23rvig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397645/original/file-20210428-21-23rvig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397645/original/file-20210428-21-23rvig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/397645/original/file-20210428-21-23rvig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Asian people joined forces to protest anti-Black racism.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>The Asian Gold Ribbon campaign</h2>
<p>In the spirit of hope and optimism, I founded the <a href="https://asiangoldribbon.com/">Asian Gold Ribbon campaign</a> because I decided I could no longer stay invisible, <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-model-minority-myth-hides-the-racist-and-sexist-violence-experienced-by-asian-women-157667">meek and voiceless</a>. </p>
<p>The Asian Gold Ribbon campaign compels individuals, organizations and communities to demonstrate solidarity against anti-Asian racism and recognize its profound psychological impact. It calls for people to support healing, amplify Asian voices and educate to raise awareness. It inspires an ongoing commitment for an Asian movement and involves community outreach, a visibility campaign and <a href="https://fundly.com/the-asian-gold-ribbon-campaign">funds collected</a> to increase Asian mental health services.</p>
<p>During the month of May, we are calling for people around the world to wear gold ribbons to celebrate Asian Heritage Month. The inaugural Asian Gold Ribbon Day is Thurs., May 20, 2021. </p>
<p>The campaign aims to compel social change and contribute to the momentum of a sustained 21st-century Asian movement. As racial justice for one vulnerable group reflects justice for others, <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-asian-canadian-scholars-we-must-stopasianhate-by-fighting-all-forms-of-racism-157743">we must work together to eliminate racism and inspire visible acts of solidarity together</a> at this pivotal moment in time. </p>
<p>Support <a href="https://asiangoldribbon.com/portfolio_page/asian-gold-ribbon-day/">the campaign</a> by <a href="https://youtu.be/_zHraalWrgY">wearing a gold ribbon</a> on May 20.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/157664/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gina Wong is affiliated with the Asian Gold Ribbon campaign</span></em></p>As we celebrate Asian Heritage Month, the time is now to collectively centre dialogue against anti-Asian racism, with an optimistic view for a global reset.Gina Wong, Professor, Program Director, Psychologist, Athabasca UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1526882021-01-25T15:00:06Z2021-01-25T15:00:06ZAs the world changes, science does too – and that’s a good thing<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377154/original/file-20210105-15-1gco1pj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Science can become more open and inclusive and can shift its culture.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Suwit Rattiwan/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The term “<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2018/09/02/what-is-industry-4-0-heres-a-super-easy-explanation-for-anyone/?sh=8deb2ac9788a">Industry 4.0</a>” has been used for years to describe the need for societies to adapt their work and productivity to the “4th Industrial Revolution”, in which new technologies bridge the virtual, physical and biological domains. These terms have become so dominant that <a href="https://www.4ir.gov.za">governments</a> have adopted them into their policies and planning.</p>
<p>Against this backdrop it is important to ask whether – and how – the world of science is effectively adapting to an ever more connected and data intensive world. Is there such a thing as “Science 4.0”? What does this mean for society?</p>
<p>As scientists who have been involved in research, technological development, advocacy, diplomacy and the realisation of societal benefits from science, we believe that yes, “Science 4.0” is real. It is about a revolution in which science is an integral part of society, rather than being confined to public or private laboratories and institutions of higher learning. It is about recognising that scientists are people, subjective and opinionated – and people are scientists, curious and eager to learn. It is about embracing new technologies to do better science more responsibly and more inclusively.</p>
<p>Over the past nearly three decades, we have observed trends that show what is possible. These include openness, the importance of data, artificial intelligence, inclusion and crucial changes in the culture of science. </p>
<h2>Openness</h2>
<p>The term “open science” was first captured by the <a href="https://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read">Budapest Open Access Initiative</a> in 2002. It originated from open source software and open access literature; it includes the openness of data, methods, software, results and publications.</p>
<p>Openness is a shift away from traditional thinking around the protectionism of intellectual property. Its <a href="https://content.iospress.com/articles/information-services-and-use/isu861">benefits to science</a> have become increasingly clear. </p>
<p>Today most organisations have policies of openness, from the <a href="https://osp.od.nih.gov/scientific-sharing/nih-data-management-and-sharing-activities-related-to-public-access-and-open-science/">National Institutes of Health in the US</a> to <a href="https://en.unesco.org/science-sustainable-future/open-science/recommendation">UNESCO</a>. The <a href="http://africanopenscience.org.za/">African Open Science Platform</a>, meanwhile, aims to grow open science practices across the continent. </p>
<p>Several business ventures have emerged. The <a href="https://www.cos.io/products/osf">Center for Open Science</a>, for instance, sees people generating value by helping scientists to make their science more open. </p>
<h2>Data-driven science</h2>
<p>Increasingly, scientific research involves very large data sets. From the massive <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1532046413001007">genomics data</a> to the <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsta.2019.0060">data</a> expected from future telescopes, data-intensive research is becoming the norm. </p>
<p>There is a shift in the scientific method from, for example, single observations to large scale statistical analyses. This progression calls for new infrastructure models to support scientific research. <a href="https://www.labiotech.eu/genomics/cloud-genomics-big-data-problem/">Cloud computing technologies</a> are at the forefront of this shift; these combine easy access to and collaboration on data and analysis with high-performance computing.</p>
<p>Nowadays, data and codes are part of scientific publications. <a href="https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1435800">Containerisation</a>, a technology that packages code and the computer environment in which codes are run, helps make results easily reproducible by others. Containers can be shared and cited.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cloud-computing-could-be-key-to-speeding-up-africas-development-121344">Cloud computing could be key to speeding up Africa's development</a>
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<h2>AI scientists</h2>
<p>Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a tool of science as both data storage and computing power have become cheaper. Machine learning (computer algorithms improving with experience) is <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200114074044.htm">accelerating the rate of discovery</a> in anything from drug development to image analysis.</p>
<p>AI is becoming advanced enough that <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/04/artificial-intelligence-evolving-all-itself">it could do the whole cycle from hypothesis to result</a>. As research accelerates, the rate of publications follows and AI <a href="https://iris.ai/">can even be used to sift through</a> the overwhelming literature. Scientific unions and other councils are also now <a href="https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/ai-and-society">discussing</a> the ethics of AI.</p>
<h2>Culture of science</h2>
<p>Science 4.0 is not just a transformation of scientific tools and methods. It also affects the culture of science and how we evaluate scientific work. <a href="http://blogs.nature.com/naturejobs/2017/04/14/the-next-generation-of-science-outreach/">Outreach</a> is increasingly valued as a part of a scientist’s tasks. Counting publications and citations is limited and doesn’t reflect the true impact of research.</p>
<p>Scientists are also admitting that science is done by people – and that means acknowledging their failings. Misconduct by scientists is <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-19/science-brilliant-free-pass-bad-behaviour/9879704">not taken lightly</a>. Science is slowly becoming <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07782-3">more family friendly</a> too, with some <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2018/12/are-conferences-providing-enough-child-care-support-we-decided-find-out">conferences offering childcare</a> facilities.</p>
<p>One area that’s worth watching is the speed of science. The race to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 has demonstrated that science can be done fast, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-1015-0">albeit sometimes at the expense of quality</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/international-statistic-of-the-year-race-for-a-covid-19-vaccine-152064">International Statistic of the Year: Race for a COVID-19 vaccine</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p>This speed may become more common in some areas of science. And that’s potentially a good thing because it brings the benefits of science to more people, more rapidly.</p>
<h2>Inclusion</h2>
<p>However, these new ways of science won’t benefit everyone unless scientists have a serious conversation about inclusion. For example, the pandemic also showed a <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/women-in-science-may-suffer-lasting-career-damage-from-covid-19/">disproportionate effect on women scientists</a> as compared to men.</p>
<p>Inclusion has risen to the surface in recent years: minorities have <a href="https://physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/PT.3.3536">denounced</a> science as an unwelcoming space of rampant implicit bias that needs to be claimed by diverse identities. This has given rise to large grassroots visibility campaigns such as the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BlackInSTEM">#BlackInSTEM</a> hashtag on social media and open conversations about inclusion.</p>
<p>In the developing world, academic isolation is a multifaceted challenge. Academics in relative isolation can become the targets of <a href="https://predatoryjournals.com/publishers/">predatory publishers</a>. Developing countries can be led to giving away their data, for example genomics of endemic species, or oral traditions recorded without permission but with misplaced good intentions of preservation. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/global-academic-collaboration-a-new-form-of-colonisation-61382">Global academic collaboration: a new form of colonisation?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/international-research-collaborations-how-can-we-shift-the-power-towards-africa-142421">This situation is not sustainable</a>. <a href="http://trust-project.eu/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/San-Code-of-RESEARCH-Ethics-Booklet-final.pdf">Initiatives are emerging</a> to ensure communities are involved and benefit from research carried out on them, on their environment, and ultimately their universe.</p>
<p>It is also worth noting the growth of <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-we-tracked-the-eating-habits-of-snakes-in-africa-with-the-help-of-a-facebook-group-143569">citizen science</a> and <a href="https://www.zooniverse.org/">its evolution</a> from passive data gathering to participatory approaches to research.</p>
<h2>Role of Science 4.0 in a changing world</h2>
<p>Progress in science is not about bringing more people into an ivory tower. It is about breaking down the tower completely and helping scientists work with and among people. </p>
<p>As the world grapples with building back better, the scientific community needs to display engaged leadership and play an active, humanistic role in shaping policies, public perceptions and technologies for a sustainable future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/152688/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>‘Science 4.0’ is real. It is about a revolution in which science is an integral part of society.Carolina Odman, Associate Professor, University of the Western CapeKevin Govender, Director, International Astronomical Union Office of Astronomy for DevelopmentLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1423552020-09-25T12:50:11Z2020-09-25T12:50:11ZNot letting students choose their roommates can make college a drag<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/359424/original/file-20200922-22-txbidg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=6%2C1%2C387%2C258&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Assigning roommates in college doesn't lead students to have more diverse circles of friends. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/you-are-irritating-me-now-royalty-free-image/641616598?adppopup=true">GCShutter/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When colleges and universities assign roommates instead of letting students pick and choose their own, the idea is often to increase the chance that students will live with someone from a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/opinion/when-roommates-were-random.html">different racial or ethnic background</a>. It’s also to help them create a <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w11530">more diverse network of friends</a>.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/08/colleges-dont-want-freshmen-choosing-their-roommates/596803/">growing number of colleges and universities </a> – from <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/04/21/602270265/why-duke-university-wont-honor-freshman-roommate-requests-this-fall">Duke University</a> to <a href="https://thecolgatemaroonnews.com/2308/news/first-years-no-longer-able-to-choose-roommates/">Colgate University</a> to <a href="https://vanderbilthustler.com/26858/featured/first-year-housing-selection-transitions-to-fully-university-matched-system/">Vanderbilt University</a> – have adopted this approach in recent years.</p>
<p>On the surface, campus housing policies that may force students to get out of their comfort zones and share living space with someone they might not otherwise may seem like a good idea. That is especially the case when you consider that experiences with people from diverse backgrounds have been shown to <a href="https://doi.org/10.3102%2F0034654309352495">enhance critical thinking and problem-solving skills</a>. They have also been shown to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.504">increase empathy and knowledge</a> about people from different backgrounds and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.504">reduce anxiety</a> about interacting with peers of another race, ethnicity or religion.</p>
<p>But as <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=KWoQxs4AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">researchers</a> who examine what makes it easier or harder for students to get through college, we have discovered that not letting students choose their roommates doesn’t really achieve the desired effect. We found that not only is this approach an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2019.1689483">ineffective way</a> to promote interaction between students from different backgrounds – whether it be political, economic or otherwise – but it may also be making the overall college experience worse for students of color.</p>
<h2>Interactions stay the same</h2>
<p>In our research, which involved 14,401 students at 76 colleges and universities, we found that first-year students who were assigned a roommate by their college did not interact with students from a different background any more than those who chose their own roommates. When we ran these results separately by racial groups, we found the same result within each group.</p>
<p>We also looked at the relationship between roommate assignment methods and whether students saw their schools as more supportive – something that has been shown to be a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-013-9304-9">strong indicator</a> that students will actually finish their degrees.</p>
<p>Overall, we didn’t find evidence that students see their schools as more or less supportive based on how they assign roommates. However, a different picture emerged when we broke down the data across racial groups.</p>
<p>Specifically, we found that Asian, Black and multiracial students saw their schools as being more supportive if they were allowed to choose their own roommates. There was no such difference among white, Latino or international students.</p>
<p>What this means is that when colleges restrict roommate choice, it seems to lead some students of color to see their colleges as being less supportive. So this may end up being an unintended negative consequence that makes it a little harder for students of color to get through school.</p>
<h2>Counterspaces and norms</h2>
<p>Why do these students of color view their colleges more positively when they’re not assigned random roommates? It could be that there’s a certain safety and solace associated with having a residence hall room that serves as sort of a “counterspace” – that is, an area that culturally feels more like the community the student is from. People, including college students, tend to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/226505">form friendships with people like themselves</a>.</p>
<p>We did not observe a similar relationship for white students, most likely because their institutions reflect their norms and they had a greater chance of being assigned a white roommate, since white students are the majority at most of the schools we examined. The lack of a difference for Latinos is not as clear. Latino college students are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/19496591.2018.1474752">less likely to live on campus</a>.</p>
<p>While our results highlight the importance of allowing students of color to choose their own first-year roommates, our data show that only about a quarter did so compared with 40% of white students.</p>
<p>It is unclear why students of color choose roommates less often, but it could be due to the segregated nature of high schools and different patterns of college enrollment, differences in knowledge about going to college, or the digital divide. Closing this gap could be a pathway to help students of color see college as a more supportive environment.</p>
<h2>Possible explanations</h2>
<p>Why might restrictive roommate policies have a negative effect on students of color?</p>
<p>First, such roommate policies place an undue burden on students of color to <a href="https://psmag.com/social-justice/in-short-white-people-need-to-be-less-stupid">teach their own humanity</a> to their white peers. What this ultimately means is while these policies are meant to encourage positive interactions between people from different backgrounds, if they end up tasking students of color with helping white students gain racial knowledge and empathy, the policies might actually end up deepening inequality, not lessening it.</p>
<p>This approach is dramatically different from, say, employing professionals who are trained to facilitate <a href="https://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/evaluating-intergroup-dialogue-engaging-diversity-personal-and">dialogue between different groups</a>. </p>
<p>Further, students of color tend to benefit from having spaces where they feel safe and free from the emotional <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-it-means-to-be-black-in-the-american-educational-system-63576">burden of microagressions</a> and other forms of racism. Emerging research has shown that <a href="https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.79.4.m6867014157m707l">counterspaces</a> – that is, things and places like campus cultural centers, identity-based organizations or ethnic studies departments – help students of color succeed.</p>
<h2>What this means for colleges</h2>
<p>Since restricting roommate choice may impose an additional burden for students of color – and since the restrictions don’t really lead students to befriend anyone they wouldn’t interact with otherwise – colleges don’t appear to have a strong case for these kinds of policies.</p>
<p>There is, however, a strong basis for colleges to help students of color find and choose their roommates before classes begin. Roommate searches could be embedded into the admissions process or spring or summer orientations.</p>
<p>Colleges may also want to consider easing the roommate application deadlines to give students time to find a roommate match. Another option is for colleges to include roommate finder services, such as <a href="https://roomsync.com/">Roomsync</a> or <a href="https://mycollegeroomie.com/">My College Roomie</a>, as part of their housing application process. Currently, only about two out of every five schools offer a <a href="https://www.acuho-i.org/campushousingindex">roommate finder service</a>. There are also multiple companies that offer private roommate finder services, like <a href="https://www.roomsurf.com/">roomsurf.com</a> and <a href="https://www.theroomieapp.com/">roomie</a>, for incoming students for a fee. </p>
<p>[<em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p>
<p>Alternatively, colleges can use incoming class social media groups to help students meet one another before arriving on campus, although many students already do this on their own.</p>
<h2>Implications for students</h2>
<p>After deciding upon a college, students should begin looking for a roommate with whom they feel comfortable. One way to get started is asking high school classmates who will attend the same college.</p>
<p>Students can find other potential roommates living farther away through social media, as many colleges have set up groups for incoming first-year students. Students can also meet potential roommates at campus visit days. Many institutions have an internal roommate-matching profile service designed to help connect students.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/142355/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kevin Fosnacht receives funding from the Association of College and University Housing Officers – International's Research and Education Foundation. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Polly Graham receives funding from the ACUHO-I Research and Education Foundation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert Gonyea receives funding from the ACUHO-I Research and Education Foundation</span></em></p>Colleges should let students of color choose their own roommates to make a more supportive environment, says a researcher who looked at student housing policies.Kevin Fosnacht, Associate Research Scientist, Indiana UniversityPolly Graham, Lecturer, Indiana UniversityRobert Gonyea, Associate Research Scientist, Indiana UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1313062020-02-19T19:02:23Z2020-02-19T19:02:23Z‘I will euthanise myself before I go into aged care’: how aged care is failing LGBTI+ people<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/314686/original/file-20200211-146696-15676de.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3031%2C2095&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI+) people fear discrimination, exclusion and isolation in Australia’s aged care services, we found in our research. </p>
<p>With an <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/ageing-and-society/article/recent-versus-lifetime-experiences-of-discrimination-and-the-mental-and-physical-health-of-older-lesbian-women-and-gay-men/90988215582414EA0AB7936B6384FC97">ageing cohort</a> of LGBTI+ people needing to access, and currently using, Australia’s aged care services, we interviewed <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/hsc.12760">older gay men, lesbian women</a>, and <a href="https://academic.oup.com/bjsw/advance-article/doi/10.1093/bjsw/bcz122/5606662">trans women</a> about their perceptions of residential aged care.</p>
<p>We found these populations have unique needs, and providing safe and dignified aged care for them means accepting and understanding their <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-australia-need-a-queer-history-month-54114">experiences and histories</a>. This includes the impacts of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-criminalising-homosexuality-is-a-public-health-hazard-42887">criminalisation of homosexuality</a>, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/assessing-the-first-wave-of-the-aids-epidemic-a-generation-on-29611">HIV/AIDS epidemic</a>, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-research-reveals-how-the-marriage-equality-debate-damaged-lgbt-australians-mental-health-110277">marriage equality debates</a>, and more recently, debates about <a href="https://theconversation.com/gay-conversion-therapy-a-short-history-of-an-ongoing-problem-28672">conversion therapy</a>. </p>
<p>Our research shows we need new initiatives and reforms to support LGBTI+ people to age safely and with dignity.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/does-australia-need-a-queer-history-month-54114">Does Australia need a Queer History Month?</a>
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<h2>Fear</h2>
<p>Many of the people we spoke to fear homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia from aged care residents and staff. Many feel they must, <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/elderly-lgbtqi-aged-care-residents-say-they-re-being-forced-back-into-the-closet">or are forced</a>, to hide their sexual orientation or gender identity in order to receive appropriate care.</p>
<p>Cody*, a 65-year-old gay man, said:</p>
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<p><em>I’ve heard stories about […] older people being discriminated against or not treated properly because they are gay.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Charlotte, a 64-year-old heterosexual trans woman, said she would rather end her life than go into aged care.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>I will euthanise myself before I go into aged care.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/314928/original/file-20200212-61966-g1u8un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/314928/original/file-20200212-61966-g1u8un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/314928/original/file-20200212-61966-g1u8un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/314928/original/file-20200212-61966-g1u8un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/314928/original/file-20200212-61966-g1u8un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/314928/original/file-20200212-61966-g1u8un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/314928/original/file-20200212-61966-g1u8un.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many older LGBTI+ people fear going into aged care.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">From shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Lack of support</h2>
<p>Older LGBTI+ people may be at higher risk in aged care because they don’t have <a href="https://www.healio.com/nursing/journals/jgn/2020-2-46-2/%7B0758cc22-6d6b-41dd-9854-e423543510ff%7D/families-of-choice-and-community-connectedness-a-brief-guide-to-the-social-strengths-of-lgbtq-older-adults">families of origin</a>, such as children or young relatives, or partners who are legally recognised to advocate on their behalf.</p>
<p>As Mabel, a 60-year-old lesbian woman, said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>A lot of nursing homes where residents have been sexually abused, medicated beyond belief, financially abused by staff and family, and it’s only those people that have got a really strong family support or advocate that survive that</em>.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Isolation</h2>
<p>Others are concerned about <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/hsc.12760">losing connection</a> to lesbian, gay or trans communities and people, and being isolated as a result.</p>
<p>Devon, a 69-year-old gay man, said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>I am just concerned about nursing homes and being isolated especially if you are alone as I probably will be […] Being in a nursing home and maybe there is not another gay person there, that does bother me. Not being able to speak to other gay people or mix with them.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/nursing-homes-for-all-why-aged-care-needs-to-reflect-multicultural-australia-123373">Nursing homes for all: why aged care needs to reflect multicultural Australia</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Unique needs</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.grai.org.au/sites/default/files/Latham%20Barrett%202015%20Trans%20Narratives_WEB.pdf">Trans people</a> have <a href="https://academic.oup.com/bjsw/advance-article/doi/10.1093/bjsw/bcz122/5606662">additional concerns</a>, including being able to access treatments, such as hormone replacement therapy, having their unique health needs understood, and being able to live as themselves.</p>
<p>Leah, a 60-year-old trans woman, said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>You have particular health issues with trans people, different for trans men and trans women […] how many would know that for trans women, you know, they are at risk for prostate cancer, even though being on hormones reduces that risk considerably, but it’s still a risk, it’s still there.</em> </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Janelle, a 67-year-old trans woman, said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>I have heard some horror stories about a number of people, of trans women who want to dress and live as trans women being told, “No, no, no, you are really a male. You have to wear this. You have to wear that” […] I would hate to be in that sort of situation.</em> </p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315134/original/file-20200213-41656-1cifj1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315134/original/file-20200213-41656-1cifj1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315134/original/file-20200213-41656-1cifj1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315134/original/file-20200213-41656-1cifj1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315134/original/file-20200213-41656-1cifj1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315134/original/file-20200213-41656-1cifj1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315134/original/file-20200213-41656-1cifj1r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">LGBTI+ people in aged care may be concerned about losing connection to their community.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock.</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Access to safe services</h2>
<p>The concerns and perceptions of our interviewees appear to reflect the reality of being an LGBTI+ person in aged care. The Australian Law Reform Commission has <a href="https://www.alrc.gov.au/publication/elder-abuse-a-national-legal-response-alrc-report-131/">recognised</a> many LGBTI+ elders experience mistreatment and abuse in aged care. </p>
<p>Yet aged care facilities may not be equipped to handle the unique needs of older LGBTI+ people.</p>
<p>Both residential and home care services need to create environments that are not only knowledgeable about the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-stigma-impacts-lgb-health-and-wellbeing-in-australia-96904">barriers</a> older LGBTI+ people experience in <a href="https://theconversation.com/sexual-minority-women-face-barriers-to-health-care-124029">health-care settings</a>, but are also welcoming and accepting of LGBTI+ people. </p>
<p>While <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/housing-decisions-older-australians">the majority of older Australians</a> prefer to stay in their own home as they age, some older LGBTI+ people are concerned care workers they invite into their homes may not be LGBTI+ friendly.</p>
<p>Rather than use aged care service providers, some older LGBTI+ people opt for alternative strategies such as moving house, seeking out LGBTI+ specific housing (co-operative housing specifically for LGBTI+ people), and renovating existing properties. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-wait-for-a-crisis-start-planning-your-aged-care-now-113572">Don't wait for a crisis – start planning your aged care now</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>We need <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ajag.12270">LGBTI+ inclusivity and cultural safety training</a> for aged care service providers and nursing and social work staff and students. Services that have undergone LGBTI+ training need to promote themselves to be more visible to the LGBTI+ community.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/aged-care-diversity-framework-initiative">aged care diversity framework</a> was introduced to guide service providers to better support diverse groups such as <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2019/12/actions-to-support-lgbti-elders-a-guide-for-aged-care-providers.pdf">older LGBTI+ people</a>. Ensuring aged care services are fully inclusive, as outlined in these guidelines, could go a long way toward supporting the emotional and mental well-being of older LGBTI+ people.</p>
<p><em>*Names have been changed to protect the anonymity of our research participants.</em></p>
<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/131306/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anthony Lyons has received funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrea Waling does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We interviewed older gay men, lesbian women, and trans women about their perceptions of residential aged care. Our research shows we need to make aged care safer for LGBTI+ people.Andrea Waling, Research fellow, La Trobe UniversityAnthony Lyons, Associate professor, La Trobe UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1061402018-11-16T11:44:23Z2018-11-16T11:44:23ZTransgender Americans still face workplace discrimination despite some progress and support of companies like Apple<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/245618/original/file-20181114-194494-rdq2wa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Transgender employees still struggle in the workplace.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/virginiamurray/43407956064/in/photolist-298P82A-j6uFp7-oxe2Vo-oPFDod-26pCrq9-pZZCpt-dpJHCt-QAgp4A-fy8nn7-mxJbt9-dpL814-aziFFA-azg3Wt-dpL6RE-drLr7F-dpKXqz-az2tZn-bG3MfX-azKfQZ-dpJYgU-82P5WN-dpLaJS-dpLaXm-bEcio2-dpsAmn-7C8cY4-drK1HL-dpL7qt-drJq6i-drLugB-dpsNja-dpKZxi-bEcfHe-brhnLj-azvEhf-dpJWv9-az58CU-bEcckk-drJq36-dpL9WS-azdgBi-drLCpY-dpJTUY-o8enRh-7Cc2Sj-dpsKx9-dpJPmc-oc3PSk-azdgQV-bEcdn6">Virginia Murray/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith founded <a href="https://www.glaad.org/tdor">Transgender Day of Remembrance</a> on Nov. 20 to honor the memory of those whose lives were lost due to trans prejudice and hatred. </p>
<p>In that spirit of reflection, the day serves as an opportune time to examine how the opportunities and experiences of transgender individuals in the workplace have changed – particularly at a time when some government officials are <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/10/22/18007978/trump-administration-lgbtq-transgender-discrimination-civil-rights">openly advocating policies</a> that discriminate against them.</p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=xU8P9K4AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">I’ve been researching</a> diversity and inclusion in a variety of settings including <a href="http://diversityinsport.squarespace.com">sports</a> and work for nearly two decades. The good news is that my work and that of my peers shows transgender individuals have made significant strides in the workplace. The bad news is that many hurdles remain to equal opportunity and an end to discrimination. </p>
<h2>Signs of progress</h2>
<p>Various indicators and signs point to meaningful improvements in the access, treatment and opportunities for transgender employees. </p>
<p>One such indicator is the Human Rights Campaign’s <a href="https://assets2.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/CEI-2018-FullReport.pdf">Corporate Equality Index</a>, an annual assessment of policies and benefits for LGBT individuals in Fortune 500 companies. In 2002, only 3 percent of Fortune 500 companies had nondiscrimination polices based on gender identity. That figure was 83 percent in the most recent report, which came out in 2018. </p>
<p>The report also shows that most Fortune 500 companies now include transgender-inclusive medical benefits. In 2002, no companies offered such provisions.</p>
<p>Another measure of how much things have changed is in the willingness of corporate giants and their CEOs to oppose policies that discriminate against trandsgender individuals. </p>
<p>A recent example is when President Donald Trump said he would seek to legally <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-trump-administrations-plan-to-redefine-gender-recalls-an-earlier-rejection-of-science">define gender</a> as immutably male or female. Coca-Cola, Apple, JP Morgan Chase and dozens of other major U.S. companies swiftly <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/business-trump-transgender-policies_us_5bdbbe6ce4b04367a87b15fe">signaled</a> their opposition.</p>
<p>Another is the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-anti-lgbt-laws-foster-a-culture-of-exclusion-that-harms-states-economic-prosperity-71123">backlash</a> that has followed legislative efforts to limit the rights of transgender individuals to use pubic restrooms. North Carolina, for example, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/27/bathroom-bill-to-cost-north-carolina-376-billion.html">was estimated to lose</a> US$3.76 billion over a dozen years after companies nixed plans to build facilities in the state or canceled concerts because of the “bathroom bill” lawmakers passed. They later repealed it. </p>
<p>My own <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/George_Cunningham3/publication/278035381_Signals_and_cues_LGBT_inclusive_advertising_and_consumer_attraction/links/557af47608aee5c46044946c/Signals-and-cues-LGBT-inclusive-advertising-and-consumer-attraction.pdf">research</a> with a colleague shows why corporate America is taking a stand: Most consumers value inclusiveness. Participants in a study we conducted in 2014 interpreted LGBT-inclusive statements by organizations as a signal that the company valued all forms of diversity. As a result, the consumers’ attraction to the organization increased. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/245619/original/file-20181114-194516-1q79muh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/245619/original/file-20181114-194516-1q79muh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245619/original/file-20181114-194516-1q79muh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245619/original/file-20181114-194516-1q79muh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245619/original/file-20181114-194516-1q79muh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245619/original/file-20181114-194516-1q79muh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245619/original/file-20181114-194516-1q79muh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Human Rights Campaign maintains the LGBT Corporate Equality Index.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/HRC-Releases-Results-of-Annual-LGBT-Corporate-E-/aeed0195def0445da05d0efc75979c42/13/0">AP Photo/John Amis</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Hurdles remain</h2>
<p>Despite the progress, hurdles still exist, impeding full trans inclusion in the workplace.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-017-0791-6">study</a> I conducted with another colleague in 2017, for example, showed that, although attitudes toward transgender individuals have improved over time, they still lag behind perceptions toward lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals. </p>
<p>Legal scholars from UCLA’s Williams Institute <a href="https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Pizer-Mallory-Sears-Hunter-ENDA-LLR-2012.pdf">have shown</a> that transgender people earn less and are more likely to be unemployed than their cisgender peers – whose gender corresponds to their birth sex. In fact, in 2011, one in seven transgender individuals earned $10,000 or less a year, while the unemployment rate for trans people of color was nearly four times the national rate. </p>
<p>For those who are employed, they routinely face discrimination. In another <a href="http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Texas-Impact-of-Stigma-and-Discrimination-Report-April-2017.pdf">study</a> out of the Williams Institute, state law and policy director Christy Mallory and colleagues found that more than one in four reported being fired, passed over for promotion or not being hired in the past year because of their gender identity and expression.</p>
<p>Others are aware of the mistreatment. In a <a href="http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Texas-Impact-of-Stigma-and-Discrimination-Report-April-2017.pdf">survey</a> of Texans – a state where employment discrimination against transgender individuals is legal – 79 percent of the respondents agreed that LGBT individuals face workplace discrimination. </p>
<p>Texans are not alone. According to the <a href="http://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/non_discrimination_laws">Movement Advancement Project</a>, an organization whose mission is to promote equality for all, 48 percent of LGBT individuals live in states lacking employment protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/245626/original/file-20181114-194506-2dor7i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/245626/original/file-20181114-194506-2dor7i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245626/original/file-20181114-194506-2dor7i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245626/original/file-20181114-194506-2dor7i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245626/original/file-20181114-194506-2dor7i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245626/original/file-20181114-194506-2dor7i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245626/original/file-20181114-194506-2dor7i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Apple has been one of the most outspoken companies about LGBT rights.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Gay-Pride-San-Francisco/f2b0b91cc09641f6a6e4bbb972432bda/4/0">AP Photo/Eric Risberg</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>More inclusive workplaces</h2>
<p>The evidence suggests transgender individuals have made progress in the workplace, but they still face considerable barriers. What, then, can employers do to create more inclusive environments?</p>
<p>Legal protections are key. Organizational psychologists Laura Barron and Michelle Hebl <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-13791-001">have shown</a> that the presence of anti-discrimination ordinances and laws decrease bias in employment decision making. Absent federal protections, states and cities can ensure all people have employment protections, irrespective of their gender identity and expression.</p>
<p>Organizational leaders also make a difference. My <a href="https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2014-0135">research</a> shows that leader advocacy and role modeling are critical when creating and sustaining an inclusion culture. Apple CEO Tim Cook, for example, has a history of <a href="http://fortune.com/2017/04/17/apple-ceo-tim-cook-lgbt-free-speech/">strongly advocating</a> for LGBT rights. It is little wonder, then, that Apple is routinely listed among the most <a href="https://www.thehrdigest.com/american-express-and-apple-among-worlds-lgbt-friendly-companies/">LGBT-friendly</a> companies.</p>
<p>Finally, co-workers play an important role, especially when they serve as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1376221">allies</a>. These are persons who advocate for transgender equality in the workplace and try to create welcoming, inclusive spaces. Allies seek to <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-59374-026">create social change</a>, leading the charge at times and supporting their transgender colleagues in other instances.</p>
<p>Transgender inclusion helps all involved. Employee engagement and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2014-0135">performance improves</a>, as does their <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2015-39781-007">psychological and physical health</a>. Diverse and inclusive organizations <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2624">outperform</a> their peers on objective measures of success, such as stock market performance. </p>
<p>Thus, the path forward – one that clears the hurdles in place and creates an inclusive environment – is one that can benefit everyone.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/106140/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>George B. Cunningham does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>While US companies have made significant strides in creating workplaces that are more inclusive of transexual individuals, discrimination and employment penalties remain.George B. Cunningham, Professor of Sport Management and Sr. Assistant Provost for Graduate and Professional Studies, Texas A&M UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1036282018-09-27T11:27:09Z2018-09-27T11:27:09ZDwarfism: wrestling show will simply reinforce prejudice<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/237903/original/file-20180925-149961-436w06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Dwarfanators: a force for good or just an update of the Victorian freak show?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dwarfanators</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Historically and culturally, many societies’ frames of reference concerning dwarfism have put people with the condition at the margins of humanity. People with dwarfism are <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-45360783/man-with-dwarfism-describes-street-abuse">subjected to daily abuse</a> from members of the public when out working, commuting or just getting on with their daily lives. </p>
<p>Even within disability circles, research suggests that the condition is given <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15017410902909118">marginal status</a>. Now, a “dwarf-wrestling” company from the US, The Dwarfanators, has travelled to the UK with the intention of putting on wrestling shows around the country. The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tvnothingelseon/videos/1828652073897925/">PR company</a> in control of its advertising and content has claimed on social media that: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>The Dwarfanator’s Wrestling show is the first time a show of its kind will be seen in the UK since ‘Victorian times’. The aim of the event is change [sic] perception of people with disabilities. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The reference to “Victorian times” has hit a nerve for some within the UK’s thriving dwarfism community. A UK-based charity, <a href="http://rgauk.org/">The Restricted Growth Association</a> (RGA), representing people with dwarfism has raised concerns that the show could increase levels of abuse against people with dwarfism, and hark back to <a href="http://www.bl.uk/learning/cult/bodies/freak/freakshow.html">Victorian freak shows</a>. The Dwarfanators strongly deny this accusation. </p>
<p>Since the media brought attention to this topic – there was a particularly heated discussion with Piers Morgan on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va12oN-kRUE&feature=youtu.be">Good Morning Britain</a> – people are saying individual freedom is at stake here. The US wrestlers are not only doing this job willingly, they’re trying to make a living – and with the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-45485344">cancellation of some of their shows</a> since the start of these discussions, including in Leicester and in Dorset, they claim their livelihoods are at stake. </p>
<p>The RGA has said that the actions of the few impact the lives of many who will have to live with the repercussions of such representations. They are not alone in these assertions. US organisation, Little people of America (LPA), which represents people with dwarfism in the US, has <a href="https://www.lpaonline.org/advocacy-and-community-outreach">come out in support of the RGA’s stance</a>. In a statement, the LPA said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Some people argue this issue is about choice. The wrestlers have made the decision of their own free will to participate in the event. Yet, the choice the wrestlers make doesn’t only impact them. It impacts thousands of other little people and their families who are forced to address the stigma related to dwarfs being used as entertainment because of their physical stature.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Reclaiming the gaze</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238309/original/file-20180927-48650-1sefylw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238309/original/file-20180927-48650-1sefylw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=291&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238309/original/file-20180927-48650-1sefylw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=291&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238309/original/file-20180927-48650-1sefylw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=291&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238309/original/file-20180927-48650-1sefylw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=366&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238309/original/file-20180927-48650-1sefylw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=366&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238309/original/file-20180927-48650-1sefylw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=366&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Detail from Little Big Woman: Condescension.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Debra Keenahan</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In an article on the <a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-the-female-dwarf-disability-and-beauty-84844">aesthetics of dwarfism and returning the gaze </a>, Australian academic Debra Keenahan argued that the representation of people with dwarfism within the visual arts often mirrored the societal attitude towards people with this disability. That is to say, how people with dwarfism are seen in culture and in the arts, reflects our societal conscious at the time.</p>
<p>When considering the “gaze”, you have to question and critique three perspectives. Who has control behind the lens? What is the representation in front of the lens? And finally, who are the spectators? In her own art, Keenahan is reclaiming ownership and complete control of the representation of dwarf images.</p>
<p>Actor <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/peter-dinklage-master-of-the-game-57152/">Peter Dinklage</a> has become world famous as Tyrion Lannister in the smash hit television series Game of Thrones. But since he first came to prominence in 2003 as Finbar, the central character in The Station Agent, he has been regarded as a leading figure in challenging and redefining societal expectations around dwarfism and the dwarf body.</p>
<p>Taking roles where he can control or manipulate the gaze levelled at his body, Dinklage’s dwarfism often becomes an incidental aspect of his character’s personality. As one of the central characters in Game of Thrones, Dinklage has shown the complexity and agency of Tyrion Lannister – a wise, witty, dangerous intellectual as well as a bon viveur and sexually promiscuous charmer. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lvRj9EBQ1qY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Dinklage is known for speaking out about the representations of dwarfism in society, art and culture. He once described the abuse and mockery people with dwarfism receive as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/magazine/peter-dinklage-was-smart-to-say-no.html">“one of the last bastions of acceptable prejudice”</a>. In his 2012 Golden Globe acceptance speech, he mentioned the name of a British man who had been assaulted by members of the public in an apparent copycat attempt at “dwarf tossing”, shortly after an incident involving the English Rugby team in New Zealand. Dinklage encouraged the audience <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2087341/Dwarf-tossing-victim-Martin-Henderson-trends-Twitter-Peter-Dinklage-Golden-Globe-speech.html">to Google him</a>.</p>
<p>It is at this juncture where organisations such as the RGA and LPA are making the connections between representations from culture and society and dangerous repercussions among the wider dwarfism community.</p>
<h2>Exploiting oppression</h2>
<p>There are clear historical links between dwarf comedy acts and the oppression of this community. A recent BBC4 documentary <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bgffgg">Dwarfs in Art: A New Perspective</a> demonstrated how dwarfs have often been the subject of ridicule throughout history. Not least during the times of the freak show when many were not even afforded their own names, let alone their own liberty. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Stratton">Charles Sherwood Stratton</a>, for example, was taken as a child by P T Barnum and used in his circus acts under the name of <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-ouch-30034409">Tom Thumb</a> .</p>
<p>The documentary also noted occasions when people with dwarfism were sold or presented to royal households as pets – objects of pleasure for their non-disabled owners’ gaze.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/237901/original/file-20180925-149970-vzz75i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/237901/original/file-20180925-149970-vzz75i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=987&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237901/original/file-20180925-149970-vzz75i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=987&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237901/original/file-20180925-149970-vzz75i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=987&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237901/original/file-20180925-149970-vzz75i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1241&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237901/original/file-20180925-149970-vzz75i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1241&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237901/original/file-20180925-149970-vzz75i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1241&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Queen Henrietta Maria of France (1609-69) and her dwarf, Jeffery Hudson (1619-82), by Anthonis van Dyck.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia Commons</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Dwarfanators wrestling show has reignited these fears. There is consensus between all involved that the acts and freak shows of the Victorian era were exploitative and oppressive. But are things any different today? How can an exploitative and oppressive show from a century ago be remodelled as a bastion of liberation and proof of progressive disability rights? </p>
<p>The wrestlers have all repeatedly stated that the difference between the past and the present is down to choice. As a doctoral researcher investigating demographics within the dwarfism community, I am left scrutinising this voyeuristic gaze in the visual aesthetics of dwarf wrestling. As <a href="https://www.crcpress.com/Film-Comedy-and-Disability-Understanding-Humour-and-Genre-in-Cinematic/Wilde/p/book/9781472455451">Alison Wilde</a> argues, cultural portrayals of disability can either act as “a mechanism for the transformation of prejudicial attitudes which discriminate”, or they can legitimise existing narratives and “perpetuate cultural, social, and economic inequalities”. </p>
<p>I feel that the Dwarfanators have missed an opportunity for the former, and have done nothing to help the latter.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/103628/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kelly-Mae Saville is a family affiliated member of the Restricted Growth Association</span></em></p>Dwarf wrestling is a spectacle that harks back to the Victorian age of ‘freak shows’.Kelly-Mae Saville, Doctoral Researcher, Aston UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1011182018-08-15T20:14:03Z2018-08-15T20:14:03ZComing out at work is not a one-off event<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/231830/original/file-20180814-2918-aftje8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It's a mistake to think of coming out as a once-off declaration: many LGBTIQ+ people have to come out to new colleagues and workplaces again, and again, and again.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/hello-gay-open-homosexuality-coming-out-1043973931?src=xImYFzjp5xkDKIH55dMNTA-1-3">Nadia Snopek/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>For many LGBTIQ+ workers coming out is a never-ending process. A recent study in the UK shows <a href="https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/media-statement/stonewall-reveals-coming-out-work-still-problem">coming out at work is still a problem</a>. <a href="https://www.dca.org.au/news/media-releases">Our research</a>, to be <a href="https://www.dca.org.au/event/235">launched in Sydney on August 27</a>, supports this finding and further unpacks the reasons for these continuing difficulties. </p>
<p>As LGBTIQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans/gender diverse, people with intersex variations, and queer) individuals navigate their careers, meet and work with new people, enter new workplaces and change their jobs, they continually face the dilemma of whether to come out at work. Even those who feel comfortable about their sexual orientation or gender identity need to assess this decision carefully because discrimination against LGBTIQ+ workers still prevails in some workplaces. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-have-marriage-equality-now-we-need-lgbtqi-inclusive-sexuality-education-in-schools-87501">We have marriage equality, now we need LGBTQi+-inclusive sexuality education in schools</a>
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</em>
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<hr>
<h2>Why does coming out matter so much?</h2>
<p>Unlike women and minority groups, LGBTIQ+ individuals hold an invisible identity that they can hide to avoid prejudice and discrimination at work. However, being able to hide their identity can also be a curse. </p>
<p>Research shows that not being authentic at work can increase <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/record/1997-42257-020">stress</a> and reduce <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2002-11420-003">satisfaction</a>. For LGB workers, hiding sexual orientation leads to <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2003-01068-018">disengagement and dissatisfaction</a> at work. A similar dynamic applies to trans and gender-diverse employees who experience lower levels of satisfaction with their job when they are <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2016-52085-001">misgendered by co-workers</a>. </p>
<h2>Then why don’t people come out?</h2>
<p>Participants in our research told us that, while coming out is important to them, the decision to come out is not always a real choice because the fear of negative consequences often constrains them. </p>
<p>At work, people are often calculating the consequences of their actions. They only take actions that lead to positive outcomes and avoid actions that lead negative outcomes. For many LGBTIQ+ workers, <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2010-03383-010">coming out often presents both social and career risks</a>. Research continues to show that LGBTIQ+ workers face considerable disadvantages at work, including <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hrm.21912">fewer job opportunities</a>.</p>
<p>Many LGBTIQ+ workers also live in fear that coming out might adversely impact their relationship with co-workers. Workers who have experienced discrimination in previous jobs have an even <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2007-09571-016">greater fear of discrimination and are less likely to come out</a>. </p>
<p>The workplace or occupational environment may affect the decision to come out or not. Some LGBTIQ+ workers even <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0001839215576401">avoid jobs that require interactions with other people</a> so they don’t have to grapple with this decision. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-stigma-impacts-lgb-health-and-wellbeing-in-australia-96904">How stigma impacts LGB health and wellbeing in Australia</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<h2>Coming out is complicated</h2>
<p>The decision to come out is often a “Catch-22” situation – many LGBTIQ+ workers are damned if they do (e.g. facing discrimination) and damned if they don’t (e.g. the anxiety of not living authentically). Unfortunately, LGBTIQ+ workers continue to live throughout their lives and careers with this dilemma of why, when, to whom, where and how to come out. </p>
<p>Coming out is a never a one-off event. It is a repetitive process, particularly when one meets new co-workers or supervisors, or starts a new job. It involves juggling multiple tactics, based on different audiences and environments, and weighing up different social and professional risks and rewards. </p>
<p>This all happens at different times during their career and even <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0149206314539350">multiple times during a week</a>. One participant in our research reflected:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>You have to come out again, and again, and again, and again…</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Inclusive culture is the key</h2>
<p>We measured the inclusiveness of respondents’ workplaces and, ultimately, <a href="https://www.dca.org.au/research/project/out-work-prejudice-pride">our study</a> revealed it was having an LGBTIQ+ inclusive culture that makes LGBTIQ+ people feel safe to be themselves at work and able to have a real choice about being out at work. </p>
<p>Previous workplace research shows an <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hrm.21630">inclusive culture encourages LGBTIQ+ people to be out at work</a>. This also increases <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10672-007-9046-y">their commitment and career satisfaction</a>. </p>
<p>Organisations with an inclusive workplace culture are <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0149206310385943">employers of choice for LGBTIQ+ employees</a> because they have a sense of belonging and feel their uniqueness is valued and respected. In these organisations, LGBTIQ+ employees feel they are an integral part of the organisation and their identity or status is respected. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/big-city-gaybourhoods-where-they-come-from-and-why-they-still-matter-93956">Big city gaybourhoods: where they come from and why they still matter</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Simply recognising the existence of LGBTIQ+ workers through workplace policies can make a huge difference to the workplace experience. <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2001-16970-002">Using inclusive language or including LGBTIQ+ employees in policies and practices</a> enhances their positive attitudes towards their employer. </p>
<p>Being supportive of LGBTIQ+ colleagues can make <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2003-01068-018">a positive difference</a> to their coming out experience. Working in an inclusive culture means that everyone is inclusive of all groups, and that we can make a difference to the lived experiences of all workers. </p>
<p>Also, being inclusive means organisations need to have inclusive and bold leaders. They are willing to take a stand and to call out homophobia, transphobia, biphobia and intersexism, even if it comes from important stakeholders such as potential and current clients or customers.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Cathy Brown and Jane O’Leary contributed to this article. Cathy is the Policy and Research Manager at Diversity Council Australia. Jane is the Research Director at Diversity Council Australia.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/101118/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Raymond Trau receives funding from Deloitte, QBE and the Victorian Government. Out at Work: From Prejudice to Pride is a partnership industry research initiative between Diversity Council Australia, RMIT University, the Star Observer, Deloitte, and QBE.</span></em></p>When LGBTIQ+ people change jobs, gain new workmates or a new boss, they again must weigh up the risks of coming out. Inclusive workplaces realise the benefits of workers who can be their true selves.Raymond Trau, Lecturer, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/975012018-07-11T11:14:15Z2018-07-11T11:14:15ZHow cities help immigrants feel at home: 4 charts<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/como-las-ciudades-pueden-ayudar-a-los-inmigrantes-a-sentirse-en-casa-4-graficos-99898"><em>Leer en español</em></a>.</p>
<p>As anti-immigrant sentiment erupts in Western democracies from <a href="https://theconversation.com/influx-of-immigrants-shines-light-on-the-darker-side-of-europe-41128">Germany</a> to the <a href="http://time.com/4473972/donald-trump-mexico-meeting-insult/">United States</a>, some cities are still finding ways to make immigrants feel at home. </p>
<p>I conducted hundreds of interviews with immigrants in New York, Paris and Barcelona intermittently for over a decade to understand how each city integrates – or excludes – its migrants. </p>
<p>My new book, “<a href="https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=23440">A Place to Call Home</a>,” explains why some cities and their residents do better at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/jun/25/tourists-go-home-refugees-welcome-why-barcelona-chose-migrants-over-visitors">incorporating</a> foreign-born newcomers in the local economy, culture and politics.</p>
<h2>A feeling of belonging</h2>
<p>On the surface, immigration in these three cities looks quite different. </p>
<p>Over <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/newyorkcitynewyork,US/PST045216">one-third of all New Yorkers</a> were born abroad, the majority of them in <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/data-maps/nyc-population/nny2013/chapter2.pdf#page=3">Latin America and the Caribbean</a>. </p>
<p>In Paris, where 20 percent of the population is <a href="https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/2874034?sommaire=2874056&geo=UU2010-00851">foreign-born</a>, most immigrants and their children come from Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and other former <a href="https://www.ined.fr/en/everything_about_population/data/france/immigrants-foreigners/countries-birth-immigrants/">French colonies in North Africa</a>. </p>
<p>Much of Barcelona’s immigrant population, around <a href="http://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/bcnacciointercultural/sites/default/files/ficheros/La%20poblaci%C3%B3%20estrangera%20a%20Barcelona%202017.pdf">17.8 percent of its total population</a>, is <a href="http://www.bcn.cat/novaciutadania/pdf/pla_immigracio/pla_immigracio_en.pdf">Latin American</a> or Moroccan. </p>
<p>Despite their diverse origins, the immigrants I spoke with consistently cited the same elements as being critical to their sense of urban belonging, helping them to feel “at home” while working, socializing and raising a family in the city.</p>
<p>New York and Barcelona, it turns out, foster this sense of belonging more than Paris does. </p>
<p>Nearly 70 percent of the first-generation Latino immigrants I interviewed in New York City feel that they are part of the community. Just under half of first-generation Moroccans in Barcelona felt that way. But only 19 percent of North Africans in Paris feel like part of the community.</p>
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<h2>Lots of jobs</h2>
<p>In part, interviewees told me, that’s because New York and Barcelona both have ample jobs open to immigrants in both the formal and informal sectors. </p>
<p>Immigrants are vital to New York City’s economy. According to the <a href="https://osc.state.ny.us/osdc/rpt7-2016.pdf">New York state comptroller’s office</a>, immigrants account for 43 percent of the city’s workforce and nearly one-third of its economic output.</p>
<p>Immigrants have a strong presence in the service sector and construction. Additionally, according to a 2016 comptroller’s <a href="https://osc.state.ny.us/osdc/rpt7-2016.pdf">report</a>, “Many industries, such as technology, finance and information, draw on a worldwide talent pool of immigrants to maintain their competitiveness.” </p>
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<p>Barcelona, too, has depended on <a href="http://www.ub.edu/geocrit/sn-3.htm">immigrant labor</a> to grow its economy. Until Europe’s 2007 economic crisis, when <a href="http://treballiaferssocials.gencat.cat/web/.content/03ambits_tematics/05immigracio/dades_immigracio/informe_integracio/2015/EN_Informe-integracio-immigracio-2015.pdf">high unemployment</a> slowed immigration and compelled many foreign-born workers to <a href="https://migrationcluster.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk821/files/2017-07/giovanni_immigration_jobs_and_employment.pdf">return</a> to their countries of origin, immigrants were an important part of the labor force. </p>
<p>Employers in both cities are also generally accepting of undocumented status. Some 560,000 undocumented people live in New York City, according to a March 2018 <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/immigrants/downloads/pdf/moia_annual_report_2018_final.pdf">report by the city</a>, which is 6.3 percent of the city’s total population. Undocumented immigrants in New York have a high labor-force participation rate – <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/immigrants/downloads/pdf/moia_annual_report_2018_final.pdf">77 percent</a> for people ages 16 and above. </p>
<h2>Events and services for immigrants</h2>
<p>Both Barcelona and New York also hold regular cultural events celebrating immigrants.</p>
<p>Brooklyn’s <a href="https://nypost.com/2017/09/04/millions-gather-for-annual-west-indian-day-parade-in-brooklyn/">West Indian Day Parade</a>, organized by Caribbean immigrant populations and funded <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/05/nyregion/a-tradition-remade-in-brooklyn-west-indians-prepare-a-lavish-and-popular-pageant.html">partly by corporate donations</a>, draws millions of revelers each year. </p>
<p>In Manhattan, the act of closing down some main avenues to host the Saint Patrick’s, Puerto Rican, Dominican or Mexican Day parades is an important sign of solidarity with foreign-born residents and their descendants.</p>
<p>Many local nonprofit organizations and government agencies in New York and Barcelona exist to serve immigrants’ specific needs. </p>
<p>In Barcelona, the <a href="http://www.bcn.cat/novaciutadania/arees/en/saier/immigracio.html">Service Center for Immigrants, Emigrants and Refugees</a> is a government service that provides free resources for immigrants on how to obtain legal status and eventually obtain Spanish nationality. It also provides educational, employment and housing services in <a href="http://www.bcn.cat/novaciutadania/arees/en/saier/saier.html">seven different languages</a>.</p>
<p>In New York, many different immigration organizations advocate for immigrant rights and provide numerous resources and programs throughout the city. They also aim to elect immigrants into political office and community leadership positions to improve immigrants’ public representation.</p>
<h2>Let immigrants be</h2>
<p>Immigrants also told me that people in New York and Barcelona just let foreign-born residents be themselves, allowing them to maintain their own identity while creating a new home. </p>
<p>From the point of view of immigrants, then, it’s the ratio between being specifically catered to and treated the same as anyone else that determines how welcome they feel. </p>
<p>The key to inclusion, in other words, seems to be to help immigrant integration without forcing it. </p>
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<p>No city is perfect at this. In New York, Barcelona and Paris alike, I found that many immigrants were stuck in low-skilled jobs, working in restaurant kitchens, taxis and construction sites – no matter what they did back home. </p>
<p>All the immigrants I spoke with struggle to find affordable, quality housing in these expensive metropolises. Anti-immigrant politicians publicly decry them as “threats” to the nation. </p>
<p>And immigrants of color in these predominantly white countries reported being racially profiled by both police and residents, though that appears to happen much less often in New York City. </p>
<h2>What Paris gets wrong</h2>
<p>In my interviews, the first- and second-generation immigrants who most often reported that they struggled to feel at home were the ones who lived in Paris and its <a href="https://www.citylab.com/equity/2017/11/the-othered-paris/543597/">metropolitan region</a>.</p>
<p>France has long embraced the idea of itself as a <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-french-myth-of-secularism-36227">homogeneous secular republic</a>. This notion endured even as the country <a href="http://www.gmu.edu/programs/icar/ijps/vol2_2/seljuq.htm">colonized</a> Muslim North African countries like Algeria and Tunisia in the 19th and early 20th centuries and recruited workers from those countries.</p>
<p>The secular ideal makes it difficult for French society to address the ways that immigrants may in fact be <a href="https://www.american.edu/ucm/news/20180702-tale-of-three-cities.cfm">different</a> than native-born French.</p>
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<p>France’s national census cannot ask about racial or ethnic identity, for example. So policies designed to help minorities – such as affirmative action – are not only almost impossible there but also frowned upon as discriminatory.</p>
<p>Racial discrimination and racist comments are not uncommon in <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44039566">Paris</a>. But France’s steadfast belief that it is a “color-blind” society means there is little <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/race-policy-in-france/">interest in talking about racism</a>. </p>
<p>Muslim immigrants living in Paris also told me that they felt Parisians expected them to assimilate – to abandon their home culture and become entirely and immediately “French.” </p>
<p>Support for <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289529129_Urban_Citizenship_in_New_York_Paris_and_Barcelona_Immigrant_Organizations_and_the_Right_to_Inhabit_the_City">ethnic and race-based organizations</a> of the sort that proliferate in Barcelona and New York, is also seen as anti-French. As a result, immigrants in Paris typically practice their religion and cultural traditions in private. That isolates them from their neighbors and prevents most native-born French from learning about these newcomers. </p>
<p>This external pressure to conform quickly to the national culture makes immigrants feel less at home – and, based on my research, less likely to actually assimilate over time.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/97501/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ernesto Castañeda does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A sociologist interviewed hundreds of immigrants in New York, Barcelona and Paris. Here’s what they say those cities get right — and do wrong — when integrating foreign-born residents.Ernesto Castañeda, Assistant Professor of Sociology, American UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/947572018-04-11T10:05:54Z2018-04-11T10:05:54ZMonet for nothing? The misguided controversy about gallery ticket prices<p>The exhibition <a href="https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/the-credit-suisse-exhibition-monet-architecture">Monet & Architecture</a> has opened at London’s National Gallery to <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/arts/monet-and-architecture-review-magnificent-show-finds-a-revolutionary-power-in-bricks-and-mortar-a3806431.html">critical acclaim</a>. But it has also caused controversy – over the price of admission. </p>
<p>For the first time in its history, the museum has raised ticket prices above £20 for a ticket bought on the spot, with amounts varying between £18 and £20 if booked in advance online. <a href="https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/the-credit-suisse-exhibition-monet-architecture?tab=1">According to the gallery</a>, the price varies depending on the day of visit and the method of booking, and can be as much as £22. </p>
<p>Major British newspapers and broadcasters, including the <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/made-of-monet-gallery-charges-record-22-a-ticket-fr5sp80rk">The Times</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/apr/06/national-gallerys-22-ticket-revives-debate-exhibition-prices">The Guardian</a> and the BBC picked up on this price hike. In doing so, they reignited the seemingly neverending debate over whether and how much a museum should charge visitors to see their exhibitions. </p>
<p>But the uproar about increasing ticket prices is misguided. First, it is a well-known fact that museums <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/e1b325ce-122f-11e8-940e-08320fc2a277">struggling with funding cuts</a> need to find alternative revenue streams. Staging blockbuster exhibitions with paid entry fees is one of the most successful ways for public institutions to supplement their public funding. </p>
<p>This show, the first Monet exhibition in the UK for more than 20 years, features a number of works which are highly relevant to London visitors, including many London city scenes previously unseen in the capital. And with Claude Monet making a regular appearance in the top ten of the most popular artists of all time, the exhibition will undoubtedly attract a huge number of visitors. </p>
<p>It would be a missed opportunity for the museum not to charge the equivalent of other popular attractions in the city – around the same cost of a West End cinema ticket (and you rarely hear cinemas criticised for not showing films for free). People are often prepared to pay for peak prices – whether it’s air travel or entertainment. The National Gallery knows its audience will pay that price – so why not charge them?</p>
<p>Also, <a href="https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/news/museum-entry-fees-do-not-affect-visitor-diversity-research-suggests">according to research</a> commissioned by the Association of Independent Museums in 2016, and backed up by other studies, entrance fees do not deter visitors – nor do they increase or decrease visitor diversity. </p>
<p>If we take that into account, it is much more crucial to ask a different question which is astonishingly overlooked in the debate. What is the National Gallery doing to engage visitors who might not think of attending one of their shows? </p>
<p>On this subject, sadly, the picture seems rather more bleak. On the National Gallery’s website, scheduled events relating to the exhibition are also rather pricey. A guided walk of “Monet’s London” comes in at £32. </p>
<h2>Artistic license</h2>
<p>Of around ten events connected to the exhibition, none seems to creatively engage with anyone other than the gallery’s core audience of tourists and the middle class. All “family” events – the only other specific audience group the museum seems to attempt to engage with – relate to the permanent collection. </p>
<p>Returning to finances, there are barely any financial incentives notable in regard to discounts. The National Gallery’s <a href="https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/the-credit-suisse-exhibition-monet-architecture?tab=1">website</a> does not list any discounts for students, school pupils, the unemployed or the over 65s. Only children under 12 are free with a paying adult. So a family of four with teenagers would spend £88 visiting the exhibition at the weekend.</p>
<p>While it is not surprising that a national museum must charge in order to fund its yearly blockbuster shows, and while we can acknowledge that the museum calculates the ticket prices taking into account a wide number of factors “such as the costs involved in mounting that particular show”, important questions remain unresolved. </p>
<p>And the biggest question of all is: does the gallery actively welcome anyone other than the affluent middle classes and tourists? Looking at the National Gallery’s programming, pricing and lack of outreach, it would seem that the notion of inclusivity does not feature prominently within the art covered walls of its proud building on Trafalgar Square.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/94757/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephanie Dieckvoss does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Charging over £20 for admission is one thing – but what about reaching beyond the usual audience?Stephanie Dieckvoss, Senior Lecturer, Kingston UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.