Achieving Diversity and Organizational Practice Reflection Paper

Our introductory unit explored basic concepts related to representation in the media. It also broached many “hard questions”: conundrums or central contradictions pertaining to the issue of stereotypes, diversity, identity politics, and cultural appropriation.  

For this review, your job is to:   

1) Identify one of these “hard questions”  

2) Propose an answer to this question 

3) Consider at least one relevant counterargument (that is, why would someone disagree with you and what would you tell that person) 

4) Refer to at least one media example not taught in class 

5) Use at least three class readings to support your answer, and include relevant terms where applicable 

Your answer to the question may not be definitive—hard questions are by nature debatable and complicated. The goal of this paper is to prove that you can think through the complexities of the issues your question raises, and use the readings to make your point.  

Examples of hard questions include, but aren’t limited to:  

• If stereotyping is a common human tendency, why does it produce bias? 
• Is everyone intersectional?  
• Is there such a thing as “overrepresentation?” 
• If diversity is widely believed to matter, why is it so hard to achieve? 
• Can cultural appropriation be prevented? 

No outside reading is required for this paper, but you will need to think about a relevant example. If you wish, you may use additional materials from beyond our class.  

Attention!!!

Review material list is here!!:  

WEEK 1  INTRODUCTION 

  

January 14  

Introduction: Class Policies, Learning Environment, and Goals   Renner, “How Social Media Shapes Our Identity”

https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/how-social-media-shapes-our-identity

 

January 16  

Kidd, “Introduction” to Representation, pp. 1-15 

 

WEEK   2  

STEREOTYPES AND INTERSECTIONALITY        

 

January 21  

McGarty, Yzerbyt, and Spears, “Social,   Cultural, and Cognitive Factors  in Stereotype Formation” pp. 1-7(in attachment files)

Waterson, “UK Advertising Watchdog to   Crack Down On Sexist

Stereotypes” https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/dec/14/uk-advertising-watchdog-to-crack-down-on-sexist-stereotypers

 

January 23  

Crenshaw, “Mapping the Margins:   Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and

Violence   against Women of Color,” pp. 1241-1250 (in attachment files)

Rothman, “The Equality Connundrum” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/13/the-equality-conundrum

 

WEEK   3  

DIVERSITY, IDENTITY, POLITICS      

 

January 28  

Eagleton, “Postmodern Prejudices” 

(in attachment files)

 

January 30  

Saha,   “Diversity Initiatives Don’t Work, They Just Make Things Worse” Sherwood,   “Why Diverse Talent Is Being Found And Hired, ButNot Sticking Around”https://mediadiversified.org/2017/02/16/diversity-initiatives-dont-work-they-just-make-things-worse-the-ideological-function-of-diversity-in-the-cultural-industries/

Hernandez, “Reaching Latino Consumers Means Thinking BeyondCelebrities and Stereotypes” 

https://adage.com/article/news/marketers-diversity-pipeline-problem/315648

 

WEEK   4  

DIVERSITY, IDENTITY, POLITICS, CONT’D     

February 4  Friedersdorf, “Unraveling Race” https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/11/thomas-chatterton-williams-self-portrait-black-white/601408/

February 6  Screening, “The World’s Most Controversial K-Pop Group”  

WEEK 5   CULTURAL APPROPRIATION 

        

February   11

Malik, “In Defense of Cultural Appropriation”https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/14/opinion/in-defense-of-cultural-appropriation.html 

   

Wang, “Finding the Beauty   in Cultural Appropriation”https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/20/opinion/cultural-appropriation-coachella.html 

   

Jackson, “Who Really Owns the Blaccent?”https://www.vulture.com/2018/08/awkwafina-blaccent-cultural-appropriation.html