Diversity
Diversity is another way of saying difference, it is about recognising an individual and group differences and treating people with respect and equal. Because nobody is the same. Diversity plays a big part in the community life and in the workforce especially.
In the previous year’s employers particularly in the private sector and government sector have ignored certain differences. And diverse groups of people. For example prayer rooms where not provided, and neither was the time off work to pray. However after various diversity and equality acts (such as the disability act of 2005) employers now have a legal right to provide relevant access to facilities such as prayer rooms and wheelchair ramps and many other things that could affect their time at work. Individual and group diversity needs to be understood and acted upon, For example.. An employer may allow an employee to work a different shift in order to accommodate child care arrangements. Or a GP surgery may offer surgeries at the weekends to help those who work full time during the week and don’t get the opportunity to go in the week.
This is a key aspect of keeping the public service sector efficiently.
Some people may be reluctant to adapt to diversity, for example Government legislation aimed to abolish the long tradition of sexist office jokes keeping on the sex legislation. The Sex Discrimination act of 1975 has made it unlawful for an employer to be biased to male or female when hiring them as an employee. There are a many negative terms associated with diversity, such as homophobia, prejudice and harassment. These all have negative terms that offend people and shouldn’t just be used loosely. In actual fact diversity is essential to everyday life. Through the knowledge and skills which can be gained from living in a diverse society. This could improve the groups knowledge and how people should be treated equally if there a member of a diverse group.
Diversity and the Public Services
Diversity has various effects on the public services for example in previous years This example is one of thousands of ways diversity affects all public services. Many public services, and private sector organisations, now have to take into account other religious festivals, outside of the normal Christian festivals. This is due to an ever increasing religious population migrating to England, where, previously, facilities such as prayer rooms were not provided.
Diversity has a hugely positive effect on the public services, especially the police who patrol the community. For example Muslims may find it more comfortable speaking to a Muslim police officer because they feel better connected with somebody who understands their religious rules and attitudes.
Diversity has also shaped the way the public services employ there staff. Police officers used to have to be a certain height, which has now been abolished because being tall and working well don’t have anything in common. Women were also in a huge minority of street police officers, now they are on the increase. Although still in the minority the service is making a conscious effort to employ women by offering flexible hours and good maternity leave etc.
Equality
Although sometimes confused or considered the same as diversity, equality is very different.
Equality is about creating a fairer society where everyone at least has the chance to show their potential and stand an equal chance of being selected for a job or task. It is about challenging a system that, traditionally favour a particular class or gender etc. For example women make up around 75% of the NHS but are generally concentrated in areas such as nursing, administration or cleaning, this is known as occupational segregation.
Another, more prominent example is Parliament. Parliament is supposed to be democratic by representing the whole population fairly and give balanced views. However the make-up of parliament (i.e. the MP’s)
