Scene Three: Thursday, May 10, 2007:
Including and Engaging people of all socio-economic levels
Working with the unmentionable difference - Class
Burning Questions about Class - Participant Generated
Participants from this session each wrote down a question or two that they wanted answered about class. This topic was new territory for many of the participants and so sparked new thinking and questions that resulted from the content provided.
What are your burning questions around class?
Rationale
- What is the business case to focus on class as an issue for training?
- Why can't we address intent? In order to fairly and accurately dissect dialogue, we must be informed about intent.
- How to build a compelling reason for those at the top and those who believe they can reach the top (move from a scarcity mindset to abundance)?
- What is the business case for focusing on class separate from diversity?
- What's so funny about peace, love and understanding (seriously)?
- How do you get buy off to incorporate this type of awareness?
- Segregation was terrible in our society...now there are "particular" groups being singled out - Hispanic Engineer of the Year, African American Engineer of the Year, on and on. Why are we not looking at engineers as a group of many people with diverse backgrounds? I only picked a group; there are many others that are being singled out.
- If someone (not only management, perhaps a co-worker) were to ask what is the benefit of these sessions, what would I say? How could I present a business case?
- How do I become fluent in talking about class and the business case for training around class issues in an organization?
Impact
- What are the consequences/impact of class on the organization?
- What are we missing by staying the way we are?
- Are you suggesting we completely flatten the organization's hierarchy? What's your "So what?"
- Still not clear on the subject of class - this is a new journey for me. How does this apply to high-tech versus retail or manufacturing? Seems manufacturing oriented.
- Is there research currently being conducted or are there results available that quantify the impact of this issue? What is the business case? Diversity is not always easy to quantify (intangible) but are there discrete numbers for class?
- How does class in a global market play a role (i.e. caste systems in India on impacting results and views)?
Would like more discussion re: how class is institutionalized in organizations (i.e. difference benefits for lowly vs. managers.
How do the mental health issues associated with class (i.e. abuse, divorced parents, depression) play into the workplace? Personally, I think mental health, which is largely determined in the first 10 years of life, is the single largest factor contributing to our society, including the workplace.
Assimilation
- In identifying ways in which a person can "move up" in a company (changing dress, an accent, etc.) don't we perpetuate the idea of class?
- If we are to become a classless society, will we not have to overlook these differences or must we become homogenous (speak the same, dress the same, same education)?
Change
- Is it possible to address class issues and differences without addressing the sticky areas of wealth redistribution and image or behavior norms?
- How do we blur the lines? What can I do to help raise the bottom wages?
- Is it really wrong to change your class level and can you ever truly do/make the change?
- Ambition seems to play a big part in being considered "meritorious." How do we recognize and respect organizationally people who are satisfied or content to remain at a lower rung of the organizational ladder?
- Why is it that class still separates individuals from reaching their dream goals? And how can individuals look beyond class to reach their goals?
Background
Though in some situations where you are in life is determined by your parents, there was no mention about those who were not defined by their parents' background?
Definitions
- How do we define class? It seems that it is (or could be) about the haves and have nots, but we still don't want to discriminate and we want people to value the lot they find themselves in. Seems very difficult and contradictory.
- How do class/race/gender/age/socio-economic, etc. all interplay?
- Can this topic be effectively addressed without using the word "class?" For example, focusing on the characteristics that create inclusion/exclusion.
- Class discussion is scary, but a necessary/critical discussion. How does the topic of class get the spotlight like race and gender?
- Why are people immediately labeled by their monetary value vs. how they act? There are many "upper class" a.k.a rich people who truly have no class. It's funny how we label people by how they look rather than always by their actions.
- How does weight play into class (Barbie doll figures vs. full figures)? And more men as well?
Teamwork
How can you engage/better work with people in other socio-economic groups?
Implementation
- How do you implement something of this caliber in a large organization?
- In your opinion who has addressed the issues of class in a manner that incorporates many of the ideas expressed that overcome the class barriers?
- What are current best practices for assessing a corporation's class profile?
- Knowing as much as I know about this, what do I want/need to do personally to address class issues in my own life? With whom? What? When?
- How do we engage all classes in one affinity group?
- What can I do (bottom of food chain) to influence difference - impact the behaviors of those on top without sounding like a complainer?
- How do I recognize skills or abilities outside my class? Such as interviewing or reviewing resumes?
Learning more
How do I develop skills to learn and recognize the different classes in an organization? Books? Videos? Training? Do you have recommendations on employee training?
Training and education
- What type of introductory training needs to be done so trainers will be willing/able to internalize and do something with this type of content?
- How do we create a class awareness program in our organization that will significantly and positively impact the employees' morale?
- How can I learn more about making change when I need to work on my personal awareness first?
- How would an organization start to include the different organizational groups (managers, non-managers) in discussions together?
- How to make the training actually happen where people would want to attend.
- Why isn't this a college class or topic we teach to the general population?
- When you create your workshop, is it ok to allow a little discomfort?
Awareness
- How do we raise awareness of class in the USA? How do we begin to address the issues?
- How do you get "C" level executives to not only see the other levels of workers, but to engage them as well (e.g. Huge gap between CEO and workers, CEO treating subordinates as if they were invisible)?
- What percentage of Americans really believes there is no class structure?
- How can we get others to appreciate this way of thinking (appreciating vs. looking negatively at class differentiation)?
Scene Three was the third session of the 2007 NW Diversity Learning Series, Life Theater - Inclusion and Engagement: Challenging and Expanding My Diversity Competency: Moving Beyond My Comfort Zone. The Series, held in Seattle, WA, is organized by The GilDeane Group, publishers of DiversityCentral.com.