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[acrimone]

What the f*ck does this mean?

We, the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, use the term ‘diversity’ to mean the desirability and value of many kinds of individual differences while at the same time acknowledging and respecting that socially constructed differences based on such characteristics as gender, race, ethnicity, class, ability, health status, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, and geographical and cultural background exist within systems of power that create and sustain inequality, hierarchy, and privilege.

I've been trying to parse this for twenty minutes, and the closest I can come is something like:

The diversity of a student population is the desirability of their differences, but only their actual differences, not any social meaning attached to those differences because social meanings get used for bad things.

Which makes no sense.

[secretweapon]

It means that inequality, hierarchy and privilege should be be respected!  Hence, the need for college education.

[sockgumbee]

It means that the CLA&HS values individual differences but not differences that are social constructed such as that people with darker skin being less capable of intellectual work because those kinds of difference are used to, for instance, keep people with darker skin out of the loop.

[sciencephd]

It means that there are good differences, but also bad differences, and that some differences are more equal than other differences.  Sounds like doublespeak.

Not sure what "diversity is to be actively advanced" really means...sounds like code for affirmative action.

[starfleet_grad]

"College is nothing like the real world."

[acrimone]

It means that the CLA&HS values individual differences but not differences that are social constructed such as that people with darker skin being less capable of intellectual work because those kinds of difference are used to, for instance, keep people with darker skin out of the loop.

The sentence isn't about what they value.  It's about the meaning of "diversity."

I'm still hung up on the whole diversity=desirability thing.

[sockgumbee]

It means that the CLA&HS values individual differences but not differences that are social constructed such as that people with darker skin being less capable of intellectual work because those kinds of difference are used to, for instance, keep people with darker skin out of the loop.

The sentence isn't about what they value.  It's about the meaning of "diversity."

I'm still hung up on the whole diversity=desirability thing.

Yeah, you're right--they are defining how they use the term.

Re: Diversity=Desirability. You mean you don't agree? or that you don't understand what they are trying to say?


Okey, let me try again.
CLA&HS defines diversity as wanting and needing many of the various characteristics of individuals but not characteristics that are social constructed, such as that tall, light-skinned men are the most capable of leadership, because those kinds of differences are used to, for instance, falsely elevate the worth of tall, light-skinned men, while negating the worth of others.

Is that better?--the desirability and value piece is difficult to parse.

[acrimone]

It means that the CLA&HS values individual differences but not differences that are social constructed such as that people with darker skin being less capable of intellectual work because those kinds of difference are used to, for instance, keep people with darker skin out of the loop.

The sentence isn't about what they value.  It's about the meaning of "diversity."

I'm still hung up on the whole diversity=desirability thing.

Yeah, you're right--they are defining how they use the term.

Re: Diversity=Desirability. You mean you don't agree? or that you don't understand what they are trying to say?


Okey, let me try again.
CLA&HS defines diversity as wanting and needing many of the various characteristics of individuals but not characteristics that are social constructed, such as that tall, light-skinned men are the most capable of leadership, because those kinds of differences are used to, for instance, falsely elevate the worth of tall, light-skinned men, while negating the worth of others.

Is that better?--the desirability and value piece is difficult to parse.

You're telling me it's hard to parse.  We end up saying things like, "We really need to increase the wanting and needing of X of the student body."  Or "Our university is known for the desirability and value of the student body with respect to many kinds of individual differences."

I suspect this is just meant as sensual speech, and that it's not meant to be denotative in any sense.  Sort of if I wrote something like "The meaning of diversity is strong family bonds and a deep love of country."  Anyone would be justified in saying, "WTF?" but the point isn't to actually make sense -- rather it's to link the emotional content of some concepts together.

[beacon1]

diversity = bull**** attempts at fascism...

[lemondrop]

All animals are equal.  As you now know, some animals are more equal than others.

[polly_mer]

All animals are equal.  As you now know, some animals are more equal than others.

Four legs good, two legs better!

[lemondrop]

If you parse the original statement, I think what you meant was "two legs baaaah baaaah bad."

[mountain_ivy]

Don't flame me, please, about what follows.  How would Cho, the deranged young man at VT, fit into the "health status" category?  My point is to demonstrate the absurdity of the statement.

[sockgumbee]

Don't flame me, please, about what follows.  How would Cho, the deranged young man at VT, fit into the "health status" category?  My point is to demonstrate the absurdity of the statement.

The statement does have a CY(it's?)A aspect in that the differences are qualified by "many kinds of" so I doubt that someone that is deranged and dangerous to themselves and others, no matter what their ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation etc would be a desired or valued part of the student body. Asks a silly question, but not to be flamed? <shakes head, smurks and rolls eyes>

While there seem to be a lot of cynics on board, any kind of statement of policy or rights has to be intentionally broad. I don't know why Acrimone needed to parse it but if I had to paraphrase it I would use examples, as I have in earlier posts. (And I sense that some did not like my examples) In my eyes, and I have to do similar kinds of writing, it's about as succinct as you can get about what diversity does and does not mean. Of course, you need some background in cultural studies/post modernism to fully understand it. But needing some background to understand is true for most things. As I've pointed out in another thread what is common knowledge for one is not necessarily for another.

I especially like Beacon1's likening diversity to attempts at fascism. Must be a "same-difference" sort of fascism. Lovely.

[acrimone]

I was trying to parse it because I have this odd sense in me that words are supposed to mean things, and sentences are supposed to make sense, particularly when they are put out by people who are supposed to be educated.

In any event, I'm printing this out and putting it on my wall:

We, the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, use the term ‘diversity’ to mean the desirability and value of many kinds of individual differences while at the same time acknowledging and respecting that socially constructed differences based on such characteristics as gender, race, ethnicity, class, ability, health status, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, and geographical and cultural background exist within systems of power that create and sustain inequality, hierarchy, and privilege.

"... it's about as succinct as you can get about what diversity does and does not mean."