EQUALITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND ANTIRACISM

 

 

QUESTION: DEFINE EQUALITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND ANTIRACISM IN A SOCIAL CONTEXT AND GIVE EXAMPLES OF EACH?

 

{SOCIOLOGICAL PRINCIPLE: HOW YOU DEFINE EQUALITY DETERMINES HOW YOU DEFINE INEQUALITY}

 

 

1)         EQUALITY – REFERS TO THE SAME TREATMENT IN DEALINGS, QUANTITIES OR VALUES.

 

FORMAL EQUALITY IS CONCERNED WITH EQUALITY OF TREATMENT  – TREATING EVERYONE THE SAME, REGARDLESS OF OUTCOMES.

 

[[SOCIOLOGISTS ARGUE THIS CAN LEAD TO SERIOUS INEQUALITIES FOR GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN DISADVANTAGED BY A SYSTEM THAT FAILS TO TAKE THEIR SITUATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES INTO ACCOUNT.]]

 

EX: TEACHER HAS REGULAR OFFICE HOURS ON THE 3RD FLOOR OF BUILDING WITH NO ELEVATOR – EQUAL ACCESS BUT BARRIER/IMPEDIMENT TO DISABLED (WHEELCHAIR) STUDENTS

 

EX: FOREIGN CREDENTIALS CRISIS è MOST CANADIAN PROFESSIONS AND INSTITUTIONS ALLOW EQUAL ACCESS – BUT – MOST CANADIAN INSTITUTIONS ALSO OPERATED AS IF THE (MULTIPLE) REALITIES OF A RACIALLY DIVERSE POPULATION HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WAY THEY CARRY OUT THEIR ACTIVITIES. THEY RELY ON “TRADITIONAL MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES” è EQUAL ACCESS BUT NOT ACCESS AS EQUALS.

 

 

 

2)         EQUITY – REFERS TO SPECIAL MEASURES AND THE ACCOMODATION OF DIFFERENCES è FAIRNESS WHICH MAY REQUIRE DIFFERENT TREATMENT, OR       SPECIAL MEASURES, FOR SOME PERSONS OR GROUPS.

 

SUBSTANTIVE EQUALITY, OR EQUITY, IS CONCERNED WITH EQUALITY OF OUTCOMES – WITH CHANGING ASPECTS OF THE SYSTEM THAT HAVE DISADVANTAGED PARTICULAR GROUPS.

 

EX: REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION  - IS A TERM USED IN CANADA TO REFER TO THE THEORY THAT EQUALITY RIGHTS SET OUT IN SECTION 15 OF THE CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS DEMANDS THAT ACCOMMODATION BE MADE TO VARIOUS ETHNIC MINORITIES.

 

(CENTRAL OKANAGAN SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 23 V. RENAUD, [1992] 2 S.C.R. 970 IS A LEADING SUPREME COURT OF CANADA WHERE THE COURT FOUND THAT AN EMPLOYER WAS UNDER A DUTY TO ACCOMMODATE THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF EMPLOYERS TO THE POINT OF UNDUE HARDSHIP –

 

[[LARRY RENAUD WAS A UNIONIZED CUSTODIAN IN THE CENTRAL OKANAGAN SCHOOL DISTRICT AND A PRACTICING SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST. UNDER AN EMPLOYEE COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT RENAUD WAS REQUIRED TO WORK ON FRIDAY EVENING, HOWEVER, DUE TO RENAUD'S FAITH HE WAS FORBIDDEN FROM WORKING FRIDAY. HE PROPOSED SEVERAL FORMS OF ACCOMMODATIONS WHERE HE WOULD WORK SUNDAY TO THURSDAY AS A RELIGIOUS EXCEPTION TO THE COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT. THE SCHOOL BOARD REJECTED THE ALTERNATIVES AND EVENTUALLY TERMINATED HIS EMPLOYMENT è JUSTICE SOPKINA, WRITING FOR A UNANIMOUS COURT, HELD THAT REAULT WAS DISCRIMINATED AGAINST. SOPINKA FOUND THAT AN EMPLOYER WAS UNDER A DUTY TO ACCOMMODATE EMPLOYEES RELIGIOUS BELIEFS SHORT OF UNDUE HARDSHIP EVEN DESPITE ANY COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT OR PRIVATE CONTRACT.]]

 

 

3)         DIVERSITY (POLITICS), THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL POLICY OF ENCOURAGING TOLERANCE FOR PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.

 

PREMISE: “ACCESS PARADIGM” OF DIFFERENCE

 

EX: WORKPLACE DIVERSITY INITITATIVES – ARE OFTEN AIMED AT INCREASING THE NUMBERS OF DIFFERENT IDENTITY GROUP AFFILIATIONS IN AN ORGANIZATION [NOT NECESSARILY “LEVERAGING DIVERSITY” BY INCORPORATING THE VARIED PERSPECTIVES AND ORGANIZATIONAL APPROACHES OF DIFFERENT IDENTITY GROUPS]]

 

 

4)         ANTI-RACISM  – CAN BE DEFINED AS THE PROCESS THAT ISOLATES AND CHALLENGES RACISM THROUGH DIRECT ACTION AT PERSONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL           LEVELS.

 

PREMISE: ANTI-RACISTS ORGANIZATIONS TAKE A PROACTIVE STAND AGAINST RACISM IN ALL ITS FORMS. COMMITMENT IS BASED ON AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT RACISM EXISTS, THAT IT MANIFESTS ITSELF IN VARIOUS FORMS (INDIVIDUAL, INSTITUTIONAL, SYSTEMIC), AND THAT IT IS EMBEDDED IN THE MASS CULTURE OF THE DOMINANT GROUP.

 

AN ANTI-RACIST PERSPECTIVE BEGINS BY ACCEPTING THAT THE PERCEPTIONS OF PEOPLE OF COLOUR ARE REAL, AND THAT THERE MAY BE A MULTIPLICITY OF REALITIES IN ANY ONE EVENT.

 

THE FOUR STRATEGIC APPROACHES TO ANTI-RACISM (ADDRESSING INEQUALITIES AND RACISTS ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS):

 

  • RESPONDING TO ALLEGATIONS OF RACISM
  • EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES
  • MONITORING ANTI-RACISM INITIATIVES
  • EMPHASIZING THE ROLE OF INSTITUTIONS

 

GOAL:  THE REMOVAL OF DISCRIMINATORY BARRIERS IN PURSUIT OF EQUAL OUTCOMES, AND TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE REPRESENTATION OF IDENTIFIABLE GROUPS AT ALL WORKPLACE LEVELS.

 

EX: EMPLOYMENT EQUITY ACT – A SET OF PRACTICES DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY AND ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES THAT CREATE UNFAIR OR UNEQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND TO PROVIDE EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES IN EMPLOYMENT FOR DESIGNATED GROUPS

 

PURPOSES:

[A]       TO "ELIMINATE SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION" (INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS THAT LIMIT ACCESS TO VALUED RESOURCES FOR REASONS OTHER THAN ABILITY) IN           ORDER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MOST CAPABLE.

[B]       TO "REMEDY" THE EFFECTS OF "PAST DISCRIMINATION", AND

[C]       TO ACHIEVE A "REPRESENTATIVE WORKFORCE";

 

 

 

CONCLUSION: THE CONCEPTION OF FORMAL EQUALITY FITS WELL WITH DIVERSITY INITIATIVES; AND THE CONCEPTION OF SUBSTANTIVE EQUALITY OR EQUITY FITS WELL WITH ANTIRACISM INTITIATIVES