Diversity
Lindsay Walsh - 1/24/2007
Following the catastrophe of events at Channel 4 this week and the trials of Big Brother and Shipwrecked, I felt inclined to send them one of our recently produced Diversity Training DVD’s. Although the term “Diversity” was relatively new to me also, the concept is an easy one to grasp. That we should respect people’s differences and value what they bring to an organisation or group of people.
I’m embarrassed to say I watched the interview with Jade Goody as she exited the Big Brother house, just to see what all the media hype was about. I bet Channel 4 writhed with excitement as their viewing figures rose, hang what the board would say. Bad press equals a bigger audience.
The footage showed a girl making fundamentally racist comments and launching a scathing attack on a fellow housemate.
However, it does beg the question why we watch programmes that seem to celebrate ignorance these days? Whilst half the population enjoys mocking her lack of intelligence, tact and general knowledge, the other half raises her up as woman of the people ‘done good’. So the programme and people that made her are now vilifying her beyond belief for the very things we not long ago celebrated – her ignorance.
But it strikes me as exactly that. Did she really understand she was potentially being Racist? She showed sheer ignorance of what a racist comment is, how it manifests itself as bullying and a lack of tolerance for another persons difference. Whilst many of us sit aghast at her comments, I’m sure there are many people who have behaved in a slightly milder, but still unacceptable fashion in the workplace. It boils down to Diversity awareness and understanding that we should celebrate our differences and the advantages those differences can bring to a business or group of people. Before we can combat prejudice in any shape or form, be it racial, sexual or something else, we need to start to believe that difference is a good thing.