Most recent edit on 2005-10-01 18:17:01 by EschaTon
Additions:
Diversity is a loaded term that can encompass several aspects of life. According to the Webster’s Dictionary website, diversity can be defined as, “a state of difference; dissimilitude; and unlikeness.” This is a loose definition that merely gives us a general understanding of the word rather than a specific answer. Everyone has their own definition, as everyone has their own opinion. However, I feel that we should observe what Penn State’s definition leaves out, examine my own definition, look at outside sources, and study society’s impact on diversity. [good introduction!]
Personally, I feel that diversity is a range of variation and difference among others that can include several other features besides race and culture. Politics, preferences, opinions, and personal beliefs are just some of the other ways in which diversity can be portrayed. For example, my roommate and I are very close, yet we are so different from one another at the same time. We come from different regions of the state, listen to different music, have different styles of clothing, eat different foods, and have different sleeping habits. Though these things have nothing to do with race and background, they inevitably make us diverse from one another. Each of these characteristics describes our own unique preferences as well as showing our variety as human beings.
For example, Ohio State has an interesting take on diversity and wants to become the nation’s model in achieving it. After recognizing that a change was necessary, the university began what they call a welcoming of difference. Found on the Ohio State University’s website[,] they believe to attain this goal [of] diversity should include, “a diverse faculty and welcoming classroom climate" are crucial to the success of these efforts ", progress towards a campus that fully welcomes difference will depend upon the ability of each individual to respect the diversity of others, and academic programs must advance knowledge and understanding of the challenging issues associated with diversity.” [I tried to cut this quote, but I'm not sure how want to deploy. The way it is written, the quote does not agree with the phrase you use to introduce it. Be more careful, in the future, with the way you introduce your quotations]
I especially agree with the second idea Ohio State uses in its diversity declaration. We must remember that diversity cannot be achieved through a set of written rules and regulations. Each individual has to be mindful and respectful of all others for diversity to truly succeed. We are all on this planet together, and should[,] therefore[,] respect the beliefs, opinions, and differences of everyone. Though we may not always agree with some of these ideas, we should open our minds to the array of differences.
Our society is already naturally diverse, without any fancy definitions formulated by professionals. Traditionally, diversity has been viewed as a difference in the majority race being mixed and diluted with several minority groups. However, this form of diversity is only one sided and fails to acknowledge the many other aspects of being diverse. As stated before [above] we are each our own unique person, automatically making us each diverse from each other. Limiting diversity to only race, culture, and background short sides [limits; what does "short sides" mean? I've never heard it used before.] the definition of numerous other ideas. Everyone is different, everyone is diverse.
Unfortunately, our society has created these barriers that ultimately decide our race for us. Diversity and race can be used interchangeably in Penn State’s definition of the word. Coming from a white upper-middle class suburban environment, many people would assume that I am sheltered and have not encountered “diversity”. If you are going by the definition that diversity is the mixing of races and cultures than this assumption is very wrong. Diversity is all around us[,] from the shoes we wear to the color of our eyes.
In defining diversity we are faced with the same challenges as we found trying to define truth or music. These words do not have one definite meaning, and are better described through examples. A person with a truly open mind could define diversity as all life continuously all around us. Penn State does not need to put in place specific rules and foundations to make our university more “diverse” when our university and world are already diverse as it is. Everyone is diverse from each other. No one person is the same in the entire world. We have been told that since we were children. Having this belief instilled upon us at such an early age, shouldn’t we look past race and culture to define diversity? If diversity is variety, then we have already achieved that.
[This is a very well-written paper. There are some minor problems with comma usage and word choice. More importantly, though, the concluding paragraph gets a little repetitive. A good conclusion does more than just restate your conclusion, despite what you may have been told elsewhere]
Deletions:
Diversity is a loaded term that can encompass several aspects of life. According to the Webster’s Dictionary website, diversity can be defined as, “a state of difference; dissimilitude; and unlikeness.” This is a loose definition that merely gives us a general understanding of the word rather than a specific answer. Everyone has their own definition, as everyone has their own opinion. However, I feel that we should observe what Penn State’s definition leaves out, examine my own definition, look at outside sources, and study society’s impact on diversity.
Personally, I feel that diversity is a range of variation and difference among others that can include several other features besides race and culture. Politics, preferences, opinions, and personal beliefs are just some of the other ways in which diversity can be portrayed. For example, my roommate and I are very close, yet we are so different from one another at the same time. We come from different regions of the state, listen to different music, have different styles of clothing, eat different foods, and have different sleeping habits. Though these things have nothing to do with race and background, they inevitably make us diverse from one another. Each of these characteristics describes our own unique preferences as well as showing our variety as human beings.
For example, Ohio State has an interesting take on diversity and wants to become the nation’s model in achieving it. After recognizing that a change was necessary, the university began what they call a welcoming of difference. Found on the Ohio State University’s website they believe to attain this goal diversity should include, “a diverse faculty and welcoming classroom climate are crucial to the success of these efforts, progress towards a campus that fully welcomes difference will depend upon the ability of each individual to respect the diversity of others, and academic programs must advance knowledge and understanding of the challenging issues associated with diversity.”
I especially agree with the second idea Ohio State uses in its diversity declaration. We must remember that diversity cannot be achieved through a set of written rules and regulations. Each individual has to be mindful and respectful of all others for diversity to truly succeed. We are all on this planet together, and should therefore respect the beliefs, opinions, and differences of everyone. Though we may not always agree with some of these ideas, we should open our minds to the array of differences.
Our society is already naturally diverse, without any fancy definitions formulated by professionals. Traditionally, diversity has been viewed as a difference in the majority race being mixed and diluted with several minority groups. However, this form of diversity is only one sided and fails to acknowledge the many other aspects of being diverse. As stated before we are each our own unique person, automatically making us each diverse from each other. Limiting diversity to only race, culture, and background short sides the definition of numerous other ideas. Everyone is different, everyone is diverse.
Unfortunately, our society has created these barriers that ultimately decide our race for us. Diversity and race can be used interchangeably in Penn State’s definition of the word. Coming from a white upper-middle class suburban environment, many people would assume that I am sheltered and have not encountered “diversity”. If you are going by the definition that diversity is the mixing of races and cultures than this assumption is very wrong. Diversity is all around us from the shoes we wear to the color of our eyes.
In defining diversity we are faced with the same challenges as we found trying to define truth or music. These words do not have one definite meaning, and are better described through examples. A person with a truly open mind could define diversity as all life continuously all around us. Penn State does not need to put in place specific rules and foundations to make our university more “diverse” when our university and world are already diverse as it is. Everyone is diverse from each other. No one person is the same in the entire world. We have been told that since we were children. Having this belief instilled upon us at such an early age, shouldn’t we look past race and culture to define diversity? If diversity is variety, then we have already achieved that.
Edited on 2005-09-22 21:29:56 by MelissaMalski
Additions:
Definitional Arguement Final Draft
Deletions:
Definitial Arguement Final Draft
Edited on 2005-09-22 21:27:52 by MelissaMalski
Additions:
On the Penn State website, diversity is defined as a “reasonable representation from different minority groups, representation from different countries and cultures, reasonable balance of gender, diversity in curriculum content, and climate supportive of different minority groups and cultures.” I feel that this definition is inadequate and only dances around the actual meaning of the word. Penn State concentrates much of its definition on race and background, when there are so many other pieces to the puzzle.
Personally, I feel that diversity is a range of variation and difference among others that can include several other features besides race and culture. Politics, preferences, opinions, and personal beliefs are just some of the other ways in which diversity can be portrayed. For example, my roommate and I are very close, yet we are so different from one another at the same time. We come from different regions of the state, listen to different music, have different styles of clothing, eat different foods, and have different sleeping habits. Though these things have nothing to do with race and background, they inevitably make us diverse from one another. Each of these characteristics describes our own unique preferences as well as showing our variety as human beings.
I especially agree with the second idea Ohio State uses in its diversity declaration. We must remember that diversity cannot be achieved through a set of written rules and regulations. Each individual has to be mindful and respectful of all others for diversity to truly succeed. We are all on this planet together, and should therefore respect the beliefs, opinions, and differences of everyone. Though we may not always agree with some of these ideas, we should open our minds to the array of differences.
Unfortunately, our society has created these barriers that ultimately decide our race for us. Diversity and race can be used interchangeably in Penn State’s definition of the word. Coming from a white upper-middle class suburban environment, many people would assume that I am sheltered and have not encountered “diversity”. If you are going by the definition that diversity is the mixing of races and cultures than this assumption is very wrong. Diversity is all around us from the shoes we wear to the color of our eyes.
Deletions:
On the Penn State website, diversity is defined as a “reasonable representation from different minority groups, representation from different countries and cultures, reasonable balance of gender, diversity in curriculum content, and climate supportive of different minority groups and cultures.” I feel that this definition is inadequate and only dances around the actual meaning of the word. Penn State concentrates much of its definition on race and background, when there are so many other pieces to the puzzle.
Personally, I feel that diversity is a range of variation and difference among others that can include several other features besides race and culture. Politics, preferences, opinions, and personal beliefs are just some of the other ways in which diversity can be portrayed. For example, my roommate and I are very close, yet we are so different from one another at the same time. We come from different regions of the state, listen to different music, have different styles of clothing, eat different foods, and have different sleeping habits. Though these things have nothing to do with race and background, they inevitably make us diverse from one another. Each of these characteristics describes our own unique preferences as well as showing our variety as human beings.
I especially agree with the second idea Ohio State uses in its diversity declaration. We must remember that diversity cannot be achieved through a set of written rules and regulations. Each individual has to be mindful and respectful of all others for diversity to truly succeed. We are all on this planet together, and should therefore respect the beliefs, opinions, and differences of everyone. Though we may not always agree with some of these ideas, we should open our minds to the array of differences.
Unfortunately, our society has created these barriers that ultimately decide our race for us. Diversity and race can be used interchangeably in Penn State’s definition of the word. Coming from a white upper-middle class suburban environment, many people would assume that I am sheltered and have not encountered “diversity”. If you are going by the definition that diversity is the mixing of races and cultures than this assumption is very wrong. Diversity is all around us from the shoes we wear to the color of our eyes.
Edited on 2005-09-22 21:27:07 by MelissaMalski
Additions:
Definitial Arguement Final Draft
Diversity is a loaded term that can encompass several aspects of life. According to the Webster’s Dictionary website, diversity can be defined as, “a state of difference; dissimilitude; and unlikeness.” This is a loose definition that merely gives us a general understanding of the word rather than a specific answer. Everyone has their own definition, as everyone has their own opinion. However, I feel that we should observe what Penn State’s definition leaves out, examine my own definition, look at outside sources, and study society’s impact on diversity.
On the Penn State website, diversity is defined as a “reasonable representation from different minority groups, representation from different countries and cultures, reasonable balance of gender, diversity in curriculum content, and climate supportive of different minority groups and cultures.” I feel that this definition is inadequate and only dances around the actual meaning of the word. Penn State concentrates much of its definition on race and background, when there are so many other pieces to the puzzle.
Personally, I feel that diversity is a range of variation and difference among others that can include several other features besides race and culture. Politics, preferences, opinions, and personal beliefs are just some of the other ways in which diversity can be portrayed. For example, my roommate and I are very close, yet we are so different from one another at the same time. We come from different regions of the state, listen to different music, have different styles of clothing, eat different foods, and have different sleeping habits. Though these things have nothing to do with race and background, they inevitably make us diverse from one another. Each of these characteristics describes our own unique preferences as well as showing our variety as human beings.
For example, Ohio State has an interesting take on diversity and wants to become the nation’s model in achieving it. After recognizing that a change was necessary, the university began what they call a welcoming of difference. Found on the Ohio State University’s website they believe to attain this goal diversity should include, “a diverse faculty and welcoming classroom climate are crucial to the success of these efforts, progress towards a campus that fully welcomes difference will depend upon the ability of each individual to respect the diversity of others, and academic programs must advance knowledge and understanding of the challenging issues associated with diversity.”
I especially agree with the second idea Ohio State uses in its diversity declaration. We must remember that diversity cannot be achieved through a set of written rules and regulations. Each individual has to be mindful and respectful of all others for diversity to truly succeed. We are all on this planet together, and should therefore respect the beliefs, opinions, and differences of everyone. Though we may not always agree with some of these ideas, we should open our minds to the array of differences.
Our society is already naturally diverse, without any fancy definitions formulated by professionals. Traditionally, diversity has been viewed as a difference in the majority race being mixed and diluted with several minority groups. However, this form of diversity is only one sided and fails to acknowledge the many other aspects of being diverse. As stated before we are each our own unique person, automatically making us each diverse from each other. Limiting diversity to only race, culture, and background short sides the definition of numerous other ideas. Everyone is different, everyone is diverse.
Unfortunately, our society has created these barriers that ultimately decide our race for us. Diversity and race can be used interchangeably in Penn State’s definition of the word. Coming from a white upper-middle class suburban environment, many people would assume that I am sheltered and have not encountered “diversity”. If you are going by the definition that diversity is the mixing of races and cultures than this assumption is very wrong. Diversity is all around us from the shoes we wear to the color of our eyes.
In defining diversity we are faced with the same challenges as we found trying to define truth or music. These words do not have one definite meaning, and are better described through examples. A person with a truly open mind could define diversity as all life continuously all around us. Penn State does not need to put in place specific rules and foundations to make our university more “diverse” when our university and world are already diverse as it is. Everyone is diverse from each other. No one person is the same in the entire world. We have been told that since we were children. Having this belief instilled upon us at such an early age, shouldn’t we look past race and culture to define diversity? If diversity is variety, then we have already achieved that.
Definitional Argument ( rough draft )
Deletions:
Definitional Argument
Oldest known version of this page was edited on 2005-09-19 00:43:35 by MelissaMalski []
Page view:
Definitional Argument
Diversity is a loaded term that can encompass several aspects of life. According to Webster’s Dictionary diversity can be defined as “a state of difference; dissimilitude; and unlikeness” (
http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/diversity)∞. This is a loose definition that merely gives us a general understanding of the word rather than a specific answer. Everyone has their own definition, as everyone has their own opinion.
Penn State defines diversity as “reasonable representation from different minority groups, representation from different countries and cultures, reasonable balance of gender, diversity in curriculum content, and climate supportive of different minority groups and cultures” (
http://www.equity.psu.edu/paradigm/dev_diversity.pdf)∞. I feel that this definition is inadequate and dances around the actual meaning of the word. Penn State concentrates much of its definition on race and background, when there are so many other pieces to the puzzle.
A range of variation and difference among others can include several other features besides race and culture. Politics, preferences, opinions, and personal beliefs are just some of the other ways in which diversity can be portrayed. For example, my roommate and I are very close, yet we are so different from one another at the same time. We come from different region of the state, don’t listen to the same music, have different styles of clothing, eat different foods, and have different sleeping habits. Though these things have nothing to do with race and background, they inevitably make us diverse from one another. Each of these characteristics describes our own unique preferences as well as showing our variety as human beings.
When you think about it, everyone is diverse from each other. No one person is the same in the entire world. We have been told that since we were children. Having this belief instilled upon us at such an early age, shouldn’t we look past race and culture to define diversity? If diversity is variety, then everyone is diverse from one another.
Unfortunately, our society has created these barriers that ultimately decide our race for us. Diversity and race can be used interchangeably in Penn State’s definition of the word. Coming from a white upper-middle class suburban environment, many people would assume that I am sheltered and have not encountered “diversity”. If you are going by the definition that diversity is the mixing of races and cultures than this assumption is very wrong. Diversity is all around us from the shoes we wear to our birth place.
Ohio State wants to become the nation’s model in achieving diversity. After recognizing that a change was necessary, the university began its welcoming of difference. They believe to attain this goal they must have “a diverse faculty and welcoming classroom climate are crucial to the success of these efforts, progress towards a campus that fully welcomes difference will depend upon the ability of each individual to respect the diversity of others, and academic programs must advance knowledge and understanding of the challenging issues associated with diversity” (
http://www.osu.edu/diversityplan/index.php)∞.
I especially like the second idea Ohio State uses in its diversity program. Diversity cannot be achieved through a set of written rules and regulations. Each individual has to be mindful and respectful of all others for diversity to succeed. We are all on this planet together, and should therefore respect the beliefs and opinions of everyone. Though we may not always agree with some of these ideas, we should open ourselves to the diversity of them.
Though we may not think about it, our society is already diverse without agencies stepping in with definite regulations. As stated before, we are each our own unique person therefore making us each diverse from each other. Everyone is different, everyone is diverse.
Traditionally, diversity has been viewed as a difference in the majority race being mixed and diluted with several minority groups. This form of diversity is only one sided but it fails to acknowledge the many other aspects of being diverse. Limiting diversity to only race, culture, and background short sides the definition of numerous other ideas.
Defining diversity is the same idea as defining truth or freedom. These words have no one definite meaning, and are better described through examples. A person with a truly open mind could define diversity as constantly all around us. Penn State does not need to put in place specific rules and foundations to make our university more “diverse”. These regulations do not increase diversity; they increase minorities and other cultures.
Works Cited
“Developing a Shared and Inclusive Understanding of Diversity.” 2005. Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity.
http://www.equity.psu.edu/paradigm/dev_diversity.pdf∞
“A Diversity Action Plan for The Ohio State University” 2005. The Ohio State University.
http://www.osu.edu/diversityplan/index.php∞
“Diversity” 2005. Webster’s Dictionary.
http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/diversity∞.