Diversity and inclusion might not seem immediately relevant to essays. After all, the pursuit of knowledge should be impartial. And for many subjects it might seem entirely irrelevant, how can diversity be an issue in something like maths? But, regardless of discipline, embracing diversity and inclusion, however, that manifests in your subject, is essential to the academic process.
It is not just about being ‘woke’. The ability to consider different perspectives is critical to the academic experience and, arguably, the human experience too. Even those topics that are seemingly unaffected by diversity are, actually, shaped by the culture they are in. Think, for example, about the conflicts between early science and heavily religious societies, or, today, about how the ethical considerations — a reflection of culture — impact research into areas like AI or genetics.
To address how we can embrace those cultural perspectives, we’re going to look first at our and others’ perspectives, the impact those perspectives can have, and how we talk about them.
1. Understanding ourselves, then others
Occasionally, an essay might require a ‘reflexive’ answer. This entails writing not just reflectively, thinking about our own experiences, but also considering the wider context of that, like the social values we bring, or how our economic status and previous education affect our outlook.
However, regardless of the topic, we should always be reflexive in our work and aware that our instinctive views are shaped by our experiences. This is especially important because many students may have limited experience with diversity before university.
Universities tend to be incredibly diverse places, attracting students from across countries and the world. And for many students, even those international students, their background might have relatively little diversity: a student from a small rural settlement will be in a different world at a city university, for example.
It pays to be aware of what sociologists call the in-group and the out-group. Humans tend to identify themselves within tribes, and those tribes can differ. It might be things like race, gender, or birthplace, but it could just as easily be course subject or interests.
Interestingly, though, people tend to be better at recognizing and accepting diversity within their own group. This results in ‘out-group homogeneity,’ the perception that people outside the group are all the same. It’s not hard to see how that manifests in things like racial stereotypes, but it illustrates how we can all be blind to diversity when we don’t have a direct connection.
It may seem abstract, but it’s essentially about recognizing that the differences between those we don’t really know have all the variety we recognize in the differences we see in those closer to us. Once recognized, this can help you develop a more nuanced understanding of the topics you are addressing.
2. Consider the impact of culture and diversity
When you clearly understand the different types of diversity, and how to discuss them inclusively, you can consider how to address the impact these have.
That, unfortunately, is a task that is much easier to suggest than to do. The more you understand and analyze the impact of diversity, the more you will realize they are both complex and intersectional.
It can be almost impossible to fully separate the impact of gender, race, socio-economic status, education, and health outcomes. But cultural biases can have an impact anywhere and failing to address them can have serious consequences. For example, medicine is now recognizing that men and women with the same condition often have different symptoms. However, medical training tended to focus on the male symptoms, meaning that women were often misdiagnosed.
Unless and until questions about diversity have been considered, whatever the discipline, it’s impossible to know fully what impact it has had. However, it seems almost certain that, as time passes, we will learn of more and more cases where — even with good intent — our failure to appreciate diversity has had negative outcomes.
3. How we discuss the impact of those differences
Language is vitally important, and part of that reason is that language itself is a key marker of diversity and belonging. The term ‘shibboleth’ is used to describe this. It refers to a Biblical tale in which the people of Gilead used how someone pronounced the word to identify enemies. Ironically, of course, the choice of shibboleth to describe this is something of a shibboleth itself, reflecting the Judeo-Christian culture of the social scientists who first described it.
And language is full of those markers that give away our status. Collectively, they are a reflection of the richness of human communication. But be careful of them in academic writing. While some, like shibboleth, are acceptable, there are many terms that can be deeply offensive, even when used innocently.
Psychologically, people tend to assume that others have a similar background and outlook to them. Being aware that, like everyone, you do this, but that in fact, your experience is likely to be atypical on both a global and historical scale can help enormously. When you are choosing words, or picking an example to illustrate a point, consider whether they are inclusive. If they are not, you might not be able to persuade people who aren’t like you of the merits of your argument.
Recognize your privilege, and use it to be inclusive
But even when diversity is not directly relevant, actively considering it is not just an intellectual exercise. It means you think about things in greater depth and write better essays as a result.
Above all, it is always important to remember that any college student, is writing from a place of enormous privilege. A college education is something that’s denied to most people in the world. For many it is a matter of affordability, but there are still many denied education because of discrimination.
Use that position of privilege to think about diversity issues and inclusion in the essay you write. It won’t just help you write a more considered and well-rounded essay; it will help you become a more considered and well-rounded person, too.