[Chicago] ChiPy Organizers Meeting

[Bob Haugen]

P.S. I am aware that does not deal with gender and race/culture
differences, but I;m still wondering if it would help.

On Fri, Feb 21, 2014 at 11:40 AM, Bob Haugen <bob.haugen at gmail.com> wrote:
> Jennifer, that was totally awesome!
>
> I don't participate much in Chipy any more because I moved out of
> state, but I still subscribe to the list because I learn so much. But
> I am also a member of several similar groups that lack diversity.
>
> Do you think it would help to have an intro section at the beginning
> of each meeting where new people could introduce themselves and the
> old people could welcome them explicitly? (And then hopefully not
> avoid or dismiss them thereafter?)
>
> On Fri, Feb 21, 2014 at 10:58 AM, Jennifer Leadbetter
> <jleadbet at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I realize with the pace this mailing list moves, I'm a bit behind and this
>> discussion may be winding down. I'm mostly an observer, but I'd like to
>> present an outsider's perspective, because I've been seeing what I feel to
>> be some really poor responses to the concepts of "exclusivity" and
>> "diversity" from all sides of the issue:
>>
>>
>> 1) "Diversity isn't just about skin color and gender. I may a white male,
>> but I'm definitely different from other people in the group"
>>
>>
>> It's true that everyone has something that makes them stand out from the
>> crowd. However, several studies have been done on organizations that have
>> tried to increase diversity by teaching "general diversity" (i.e., we're all
>> special). They don't work, and actually have the opposite effect of
>> reinforcing the exclusivity.
>>
>>
>> Being a hobbyist versus being a professional is not the same level of
>> diversity as, say, being an African American or being a woman, because
>> hobbyists probably haven't grown up with a "hobbyist" identity their whole
>> lives (and dealing with all the social ramifications that shaped their
>> personality and the way they interact with and view the world). If you want
>> diversity, you actually have to recognize and target the specific
>> populations where you want to increase diversity.
>>
>>
>> 2) "Our group is completely friendly. When I came to the group I was totally
>> welcomed."
>>
>>
>> First, I recommend researching the phrase "stereotype threat". When people
>> are reminded that they're part of the "out" group, it drastically affects
>> the way they act, think and perform (and also how likely they are to stick
>> with the activity).
>>
>>
>> What's welcoming and friendly to you, may be completely hostile to another
>> person. You're obviously in the group because you feel welcomed, and you're
>> trying to figure out why other people don't feel welcomed. The best response
>> is to listen to what they have to say and acknowledge that perhaps the group
>> has unconscious behaviors you haven't experienced.
>>
>>
>> 3) "You just need to introduce yourself more."
>>
>>
>> The problem isn't shyness. It's feeling unwelcome (see problem #2). Asking
>> the person to introduce themselves to more people that make them feel
>> unwelcome is not going to improve the issue and make the person want to come
>> back.  To fix the problem, people who already feel welcomed need to take the
>> initiative in meeting newcomers, not the other way around.
>>
>>
>> The problem isn't shyness. It's feeling unwelcome (see problem #2). Asking
>> the person to introduce themselves to more people that make them feel
>> unwelcome is not going to improve the issue and make the person want to come
>> back.  To fix the problem, people who already feel welcomed need to take the
>> initiative in meeting newcomers, not the other way around.
>>
>>
>> This whole discussion was started because people felt the criteria for
>> showing up to the meeting were too exclusive, and I'm inclined to agree. I
>> have no "skin in the game", so to speak, because I don't live in the area
>> and rarely come to ChiPy. But I do have a stake in the outcome -- I stay on
>> the list because I have friends in the organization and I love the things I
>> learn from being on the list. And I do want an organization where, when I do
>> show up, I feel welcome to participate.
>>
>>
>> I understand wanting a base level criteria for people who are going to run
>> the organization. But the criteria seem to self-select for keeping more of
>> the same 'exclusive' behavior in the guiding principles of the organization.
>> Even though it was unintentional, the message sent was "We don't want you
>> here".
>>
>>
>> I believe that the best course of action is to open up the first several of
>> these meetings to whoever wants to participate, regardless of whether they
>> fit the criteria, and then create a group of governing members from the
>> people who keep showing up.  Perhaps you'll get the same group of people you
>> always get, who meet the exact criteria you've outlined; but perhaps you'll
>> get what you've actually been asking for: a broader group of people.
>>
>>
>> And now I'll go back to being a silent lurker. :D
>>
>>
>> Jen
>>
>>
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