How do you define "diversity"?

[Spearhead]

Hi, could you please let me know which keywords and phrases you associate with the word diversity? I'm asking because I've recently had a discussion with a company executive about this issue and he said he'd never heard this word.

[Alan]

Hi spearhead,

I am surprised your colleague hadn't heard the word. I associate it with the word variety as in wide variety. A city can be well known for its diversity of different cultures/activities/architecture. Diversify is used a lot nowadays to describe the ability to change jobs/career and retrain. The process is known as diversification referring to individuals and also manufacturing companies that have to make different components in the llight of new/changing demands.

Alan
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[Myanswersnogood]

I believe diversity is the name of an old wooden ship.

[Prezbucky]

It probably is (the name of an old wooden ship).

In the world of business, "to diversify" means to produce and market a diverse range of goods or services. For instance, Nike markets shoes, socks, shorts, shirts, official athletic uniforms, etc. -- they have diversified their product offering beyond what they're best (and originally) known for, shoes.

In the investment world, for one to own a diverse portfolio means that his money is invested in differently rated stocks (high-risk, medium-risk, low-risk) and/or multiple companies. If I invest in Microsoft, Ford, Sony, Stolichnaya and Harrods, it could be said that my investments are diverse. These are all stable companies, but they are diverse in terms of industrial sector and nationality.

Likewise, if I were to invest in a new company (high-risk), a 10-year-old company with fair returns but also some losses, and a stalwart company like Coca-Cola, my investments would be diversely allocated because the risk levels of those three companies are different.

So:

Verb:
To diversify

Noun:
Diversity

Adjective:
Diverse

Adverb:
Diversely
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[Yankee]

.
Of course, if you ask someone in the Human Resources department of a company what the word "diversity" means, they probably will not think about the company's product line at all.

Diversity in the workplace
.

[Prezbucky]

Their first thought will likely be "Quotas. Ugh."

hehe
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[Jamie (K)]

In human resources and various politically correct contexts, diversity is used to mean various things. Usually it is used to mean that people from a variety of ethnic groups, religions and backgrounds are present in a group, for example on the staff of a company.

In the United States, some people use the term "diversity" to mean "the presence of black people", even if there are almost no other people present. So you get absurd situations, such as ones where a school district in which 95% of the students are black will be called "diverse" by its administrators, while a very diverse, multi-ethnic district will be called "white".

[Prezbucky]

It's not that important to me, but...

When a white guy harms a black guy it's termed a "hate crime".

When a black guy harms a white guy it's because he's been oppressed all his life, his father walked out on the family, or he's frustrated at the so-called racial iniquity in the US.

There is a racial double-standard in America, and it sickens me.

We won't end racism here until we get past our past. And frankly I'm sick and tired of people using the color of their skin as an excuse. Opportunity abounds in this country for those who are willing to work hard, take risks, persevere and use their heads. Chances are, if you're not happy with your life here, it's mainly your own damn fault. People need to take responsibility for themselves.
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[Jamie (K)]

Racial inEquity, Tom, not racial inIquity. That would be a different thing. (I see you're picking up Tennessee pronunciation!)

The sad thing is that this "hate crime" distinction is part of the law, and while it can theoretically be used against racial minorities also, it is almost exclusively used against white men, and now white heterosexual men. For some reason, homosexuals who are guilty of a violent attack on a church, or who physically attack its members (as in this story), are not guilty of "hate crimes", but people who preach kindness to homosexuals but do not accept their practices are guilty of "hate speech". Anyway, the hate crimes laws have grown out of embarrassment that racial minorities statistically and verifiably commit more crimes than whites do. Since the mentality of the 1960s (the mentality of most of our legislators) says that statistical disparities always indicate "racism", they passed hate crime laws to increase the chance that more whites would be put into prison for longer times, in order to make things "equal". (The current financial crisis in the US was largely caused by politicians' attempts to make everything "equal" in banking.)

The thing that I don't understand in US law is the Violence Against Women Act, which provides special protection for women who are attacked by men. Crime statistics show that by far the segment of the population most often victimized by violence is men. So logically, there should be a "Violence Against Men Act", but there is no special protection for men.

[Hairumian]

To have a better idea on diversity I recommend the following websites:

Here are informative websites on cultural diversity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_diversity

diversity (DV) lottary http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_Immigrant_Visa

"The mosaic of people who bring a variety of cultural, social and historical backgrounds, styles, perspectives, values and beliefs as assets to the groups and organisations with which they interact" at http://www.diversitydimension.com/diversity/diversity.html

[Prezbucky]

Jamie, this damn iPhone misspells a lot of words. hehe
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