Science has Spoken

Improving Organisational Effectiveness to Positively Impact Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB)  Part Two

As someone passionate about equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (EDIB), I have been taking a course on the psychology of diversity. The course has challenged me to apply scientific thinking to diversity matters and approach diversity through a dialectic lens. This has been challenging because, as a person of colour, it was indeed challenging to detach my emotions from such a personal subject. I have personally seen and experienced the effects of marginalisation, and it is a very emotive subject with polarised opinions on both a societal and scientific level.  

One of the most interesting things I learned in the course is that the cognitive ability to categorise people is an evolutionary construct that we used to adapt and survive as a species in the hunter-gatherer age. Categorisation helped us to store and quickly retrieve information, allowing us to think about others in shorthand terms (e.g., dark, mid-aged, athlete, short and curly hair). It helps us respond to new information with minimal effort. Even babies are wired to see differences, which is the basis of attachment behaviour between a child and mother. However, this categorisation becomes the source of prejudice and, subsequently, bias, which is usually unconscious thoughts and motivations from childhood. It's like the invisible smog of bias that lingers in the air, affecting our perceptions without us even realising it.  

At this point, I understand where many good intentions fail at an organisational level. We try so hard, and it just doesn't work. In fact, the more we try, the more divisive it gets. How do we undo unconscious cognitions that developed over a lifetime? Research has shown that we have 175 cognitive unconscious biases, and it is a tall ask for anyone to change 175 ways of thinking that they do not know about but have successfully seen them through to where they are today.  

As I wrapped up the course, I concluded that the answer to change lies in each of us. Science posits that we could do this in three ways: de-categorisation, re-categorisation, and personalisation.  
De-categorisation means seeing others as individuals but not the descriptors we give them (e.g., dark, middle-aged, athlete, short, curly hair). To understand more about this, reading about the outgroup homogeneity effect would be helpful. Re-categorisation means seeing others as a member of the larger group-the concept of 'we', and personalisation means seeing individuals as unique people and celebrating the beauty of individuality. This happens when we increase our cultural competency.   

This is a journey to unlearn and relearn, a journey of self-discovery and a rediscovery of self, grounded in the common ancestry of humanity. I am reminded of the wise words from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO): "The individual is responsible for creating a culture of peace, respect, and tolerance." One thing is very important as we tackle our 175 biases, the smog of prejudice all around us or the labels we have been given by others or even by ourselves. We are all RESPONSIBLE (RESPONSE-ABLE). We all can respond; we have an obligation to do something, and let's start with tolerance and respect for 'the other.'  
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To improve organisational effectiveness to impact EDIB positively, we must start with ourselves and our biases. By understanding the science behind categorisation and prejudice, we can begin to deconstruct our biases and work towards a more equitable and inclusive society. ​

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