Exploring diversity

Diversity can be experienced every day; everybody is different, starting from physical characteristics but also in critical thinking, way of living, way of dressing, way of eating, way of talking... millions and millions of differences can be noticed from one individual to other, even though they live in the same country or same city, this fact make everyone to have special and unique characteristics, giving each person an “added value” perceived by others.

Dimensions of diversity at work and society

In order to explain better the diversity, I found this dimensions that helped me to understand how diversity impacts our society.

Primary dimensions: Important impact on our early socialization and sustained impact throughout every stage of life.
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Gender
• Mental/physical abilities and characteristics
• Race
• Sexual orientation

Secondary dimensions: “More mutable, less visible to others around us, and more variable in the degree of influence they exert on our individual lives.”(1).
• Communication style
• Education
• Family status
• military experience
• organizational role and level
• religion
• first language
• geographic location
• income
• work experience
• work style

Source: http://www.ryder.com/images/employees_diversity_wheel.gif

References

1. Loden, Marilyn . 1996. Implementing diversity, (Page 15)
Zapata Dalila. Chica Lina. Diversity presentation, organizations and cultures. 2008. UNIVERSIDAD EAFIT.
Gonzalez, Maria Alejandra. Exploring diversity, Organisations and cultures.