Diversity is the watchword

If you want to build a ship,
don’t drum up the (wo)men to gather wood,
divide the work and give orders.
Instead, teach them to yearn
for the vast and endless sea

Antoine de St Exupery

As a student of psychology, I know that among the few things that are true for most people most of the time is that, people like people who are like them. It is easier to live and work with people who look like us, speak the same language, practice the same rituals, share similar beliefs, have similar home backgrounds, etc. Yet, it is also true that human beings are curious by nature and want to find out about things, situations, and people. In this dichotomy lies a unique opportunity for educational institutions to nurture and foster diversity in backgrounds, thoughts, beliefs, language, socio-economic status, and religions.

The purpose of education is to help people recognize patterns of behaviour and learn newer ways of behaving and being. Thus educational institutes can strive in their design of curriculum and social environment to shape learners to value diversity and be comfortable with it. Diversity cannot be taught to be valued as part of a course just like one cannot teach being ethical in a classroom. Valuing and being comfortable with differences has to be part of the fabric of the educational institute. When classrooms are diverse in the students who sit on its benches it is easy to observe and absorb how people from difference backgrounds bring different viewpoints. For example, in several classes that I have taught at IIM-A, a student who was totally blind in a class of 90 sighted students needed some special care but what he gave to the whole class in terms of learning about persons with disabilities was immense.

A student coming from the north-eastern part of the country, with an unpronounceable name and looks that make her stand out from the rest of the class, had always a different perspective on marketing and sales in class. She was able to demonstrate alternative ways to handle conflict. Her presence in class was instructive to the whole class. A student who belonged to both lower socio-economic class and also was scheduled caste was able to humanise the discussion in class about unequal access to resources. A majority of the class who had not known poverty or discrimination was able to appreciate that poor did not mean lack of intellect or ambition. A homosexual student moved the needle on the stereotypical images that are held by majority of the individuals based on portrayal in movies and television serials.

Knowing someone personally exposes to people the greater similarity rather than differences among people who are different from us. Most times we are anxious when we have to meet or live or work with people who are different from us and this anxiety is fuelled by our lack of knowledge and experience of others. Educational institutes are a very safe container for such learning to happen. Research on small groups show that when people work towards a common goal they not only come in contact with each other but they also learn to respect the unique strengths of co-workers.

Diversity, both at surface level (what can be seen) and deeper level (learning styles, personality preferences) of co-learners, professors, and staff is beneficial. Research shows that diverse groups come up with more and better ideas, diverse faculty brings in newer perspectives, research agenda, conversations which all contribute to the richer and deeper learning of the students.

Fostering and nurturing of diversity requires that the overall discourse is inclusive and norms of equalising are prevalent. To pretend that differences do not exist and to curb curiosity of differences is the anti-recipe for allowing diversity to show dividends. Disrespect and dehumanising on any grounds cannot be allowed but open discussion and experience of differences is a must for it to lose its charge and power. With greater openness it is possible for people to be okay for multiple identities to exist. For example, I am a woman, professor, psychologist, researcher, feminist, Punjabi, Oriya, sister. A part of me resonates with similar parts of other who is dissimilar in many other parts and I can express fully when no part of me is expected to less desirable and therefore has to be hidden.

I personally think educational institutes can only be called thus when they recognise their role in creating an environment open to multiple
perspectives.