Week 8: Difference

Naked Spaces - Living Is Round (Trinh T. Minh-ha)

    Today tokenism is just as much of an issue as it was in the 1980's when Difference: "A Special Third World Women Issue" was written by Trinh T. Minh-ha. Tokenism is when a person from an underrepresented group is used as a symbolic effort to look inclusive, when in reality the person is not given the same opportunities as the main character. White-dominated institutions can amplify the voices of others without using tokenism by not having these characters be the sidekick, but making shows that feature them as the main character. I think for this to be successful and avoid stereotypes it would be best for a person of color to write for another person of color as well. I don't know if this makes sense, but I feel like that would help to avoid any stereotyping in the writing but will help write from a genuine perspective of a person of color. 

    Although equal opportunity sounds like it would be beneficial, the truth is it can continue the cycle of oppression and exclusion because not everyone is the same. Treating everyone the same sounds nice, but at the end of the day, some of us still need accommodations and extra help here and there. This reminds me of an image that I saw years ago to help explain the difference between equality and equity. Equality sounds lovely, but if you are all given the same resource, it will still only benefit those that already have a leg up on others. However, if you are given resources based on your need, it will really level the playing field. 

    Authenticity is to be genuine, original, to be your true self. Cultural authenticity is how well a cultural system reflects the world view. For example, others believe that a whole culture will reflect the same world view, values, and attitude. I suppose cultural authenticity could be harmful because it is assuming that everyone in one culture has the exact same beliefs. In reality, you might share some core beliefs with others in your culture, but with constant change throughout the world some personal beliefs will undoubtedly change too. Cultural authenticity could invite a lot of stereotypes from others. 

    

    Diversity and inclusivity committees are teams in a business or organization that are responsible for bringing cultural and ethical changes to the environment. They are intended to establish a welcoming workplace environment where employees of all backgrounds can work together, however sometimes these committees fail to bring about the changes that they promise. Many committees are underfunded and understaffed too. It takes dedication to be a part of one of these committees, but it also takes many skills and knowledge to address the many issues that come with this type of work. There are complex issues that include diversity, equity and inclusion. 

    

Works Cited

Trinh T. Minh-ha, "Difference: A Third World Women Issue,” in Discourse (Wayne State University, 1987)

https://www.minicine.org/event/naked-spaces-living-round-film-trinh-t-minh-ha (Image Source)