The problem of diversity of thought has always been a topical issue for societies around the world since people always tend to have their own viewpoints. Recent years have been particularly notable for the growing divisiveness and radicalism among communities espousing different ideological perspectives. Conservatives and liberals are the two main groups in the United States who have opposing views, and they often engage in open confrontations in various contexts.
Different media are constantly covering news about major scandals related to the lack of diversity in the corporate world and even academia. For instance, in universities, certain spheres are dominated by people who adhere to one particular ideology, which often impacts the quality of their research (Brooks). As a result, one can get the impression that diversity is a fiction which is impossible to maintain. While it is true that the complete form of diversity is impossible to achieve, there are certain steps society and organizations can take to ensure a more equal representation of people with different views.
The first factor necessary for diversity is the recognition of the principle of freedom of speech by the government and society. The United States is one of few countries which actually protects the right of its citizens to hold and voice their opinions even if they sound controversial or insulting to others. The first amendment of the U.S. Constitution is the document which prohibits any limits to the freedom of speech (U.S. Const. amend. I.).
In a civilized society, people should not be afraid to utter words in support of their position openly. Moreover, they must not be persecuted for holding beliefs which the government might consider inappropriate or simply incorrect. Such a criterion is key to ensuring diversity because it would be impossible to establish it without the right to freedom of expression. At the same time, the majority of citizens themselves have to support the idea that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, no matter how offensive it is.
The second step which society as a whole needs to take to achieve diversity is to educate its members on different belief systems. It is natural for people to become militant and aggressive towards a certain group if they do not know any relevant information about it. For example, after the tragedy of 9/11, many people became extremely intolerant towards Muslims, which triggered an increase in the number of islamophobia-related hate crimes (Considine 9).
In this case, such developments can be explained by the lack of basic knowledge of many people about Islam, which led to a situation where individuals were considering all Muslims to be anti-American and anti-Christian. Promotion of ideological and religious diversity would solve the problem of hate crimes or at least reduce their incidence since people would become more knowledgeable about the beliefs of their fellow citizens. Schools are the primary institutions which must be tasked with promoting diversity among society members and form citizens’ acceptance of others from an early age.
Knowledge is not the only factor which should be mentioned since empathy and trust also play a major role in the achievement of diversity in society. In other words, educating citizens on theoretical aspects of different religions, ideologies, and belief systems may not contribute to the improvement of their tolerance. Thus, the existence of diversity to a considerable extent depends on society members’ ability to trust people with views different and even opposite to theirs.
The increase in empathy can be achieved through sharing people’s personal experiences in front of others and holding discussions about them (Crichton 11). Classrooms, offices, and even public libraries can become platforms where people will be able to openly express their views or tell their stories. Such events will increase trust among members of society because they will be able to relate to the personal experiences of other individuals.
Finally, organizations such as universities and companies must also promote diversity in all of its forms, including ideological, and seek to eradicate biases. Today, many enterprises and academic institutions name diversity as one of their values but do not make any efforts to achieve it. Yet, it is clear that diversity of thought is the primary driver of social progress, and it provides an opportunity to “examine blind spots in the majority” (Abbott et al.). In other words, diversity helps people avoid trapping themselves in an ideological echo chamber. It encourages them to reflect on their own views and to either change them or discover better arguments.
Thus, various types of organizations and especially academia, must integrate diversity as one of the fundamental aspects of their work. Moreover, they have to do it not due to political reasons but because diversity stimulates growth by challenging people’s views and ideas.
Nevertheless, the state of complete diversity is not feasible to achieve because it eventually would lead to chaos. Namely, for any community to exist and function properly, it has to be based on an agreement made by its members. Therefore, to ensure the right of an individual to voice their opinion openly, the majority of citizens must accept it as a norm and subsequently give up some of their freedoms. In a society where complete diversity is established, a consensus does not exist because people have multiple opinions on all issues.
For example, in such a society, there could be no agreement on the question of the right to kill fellow human beings because some would call it unacceptable, while others would consider it essential. As a result, any community which is governed by consensus inevitably discriminates against some individuals, for instance, violent criminals. Thus, diversity must exist and has to be promoted, but it should always rely on strict rules respected by everyone, which make the complete form of it inconceivable.
Diversity is an important factor which every person has to advance by protecting the freedom of speech and encouragement of education and trust, but its complete form inevitably leads to chaos. Diversity is a phenomenon which not everyone can enjoy in a properly functioning society because there are laws and regulations which make certain activities illegal. As a result, people wishing to engage in illicit actions cannot receive representation in the community, which makes complete diversity impossible.
Nevertheless, there are steps countries can take which can help them attain diversity within the existing limits. Promotion of education and sharing of information about different ideologies and belief systems can assist people in normalizing different perspectives. Encouragement of empathy and trust among society members can make individuals be more accepting of others. Organizations such as schools, universities, and commercial enterprises must act as platforms which value diversity since it benefits them and ensures progress.
Works Cited
Abbott, Benjamin W. et al. “Does Our Vision of Diversity Include Social Conservatives?” Eos. 2019. Web.
Brooks, Arthur C. “Academia’s Rejection of Diversity.” The New York Times. 2015. Web.
Considine, Craig. “The Racialization of Islam in the United States: Islamophobia, Hate Crimes, and ‘Flying while Brown’.” Religions, vol. 8, no. 165, 2017, pp. 1–19. Web.
Crichton, Sha-Shana. “Teaching In the Time of Disruption: A Case for Empathy and Honoring Diversity.” The Journal of the Legal Writing Institute, vol. 25, no. 1, 2021, pp. 4–14.
United States Constitution. Amend. I.