What is the importance of Overstanding Diversity and Inclusion Practices?

By Loretta Simpson

According to Rice, Chapter 1, the author provides some explanations of why public services must be well equipped to serve a diverse public. Public services will need to respond effectively to the challenges of the 21st century. The demographics will be the contributing factor that is contributing to or changing the trajectory for public services. The U.S. Census Bureau defines the largest minority group as Hispanics and African-American as the second. (https://www.routledge.com/Diversity-and-Public-Administration-Theory-Issues-and-Perspectives/Rice/p/book/9780765626332)

Additionally, other groups represent a mixture of colors, languages, cultural values, and ethnic traditions. These changing demographics will require a more diverse workforce, which will equate to having a diverse executive management team. The author states, “The U.S. Department of Labor reinforces the Hudson Institute predictions for a changing workforce.” The report reveals that one-quarter of all Americans will be Hispanic, older Americans will double, one-tenth will be Asian or Pacific Islander by 2050. Based on these predictions public service must prepare to manage the new landscape of America and Americans effectively.

The author states that Texas, California, Hawaii, and New Mexico is now majority-minority state. These are states where minorities are the majority of the population. When I left California in 1990, California was a minority state and was increasingly Hispanic, particularly in Los Angeles and San Deigo, California. Addressing the influx of Hispanics and Nigerians forced California to be proactive about its workforce. The changing demographics were not without challenges. Learning to manage the population created the success of cultural richness and diversity in California.

Rice and other scholars understand that each culture and group possess unique cultural norms and values that affect their decisions. The ethnic norms and behaviors are unique and distinguishable by each group. These same norms can be seen in African-American groups in Africa and the Caribbean Islands. Rice concludes, that race, ethnicity, cultural difference, gender, gerontology, and technology are individually and collectively factors that affect the diversity of the public sector. All of these factors, according to Rice, will determine who will be the public servants, which goods and services will be provided, and in what manner services are produced.

Source

Rice, M. F. (2015). Diversity and public administration: Theory, issues, and perspectives. London: Routledge.

#Bwiseafricam #Repatriation
Loretta Simpson has spent her life using her personal and career experiences to help individuals, overcome disadvantages in public policy and public practices. Teaching individuals to recognize their strengths and innate learned abilities are her greatest strengths. She believes that Africans have a right to education, equity, and access. She knows how to effectively help others in education development, personal development, program implementation, community planning, and family/community engagement. She is a social justice champion and an encourager to those who need a word of encouragement. Her work is a labor of love. She knows there is no single approach that works for everyone, so she continues to educate herself on emerging learning modalities and tools to provide the most comprehensive programs and services that empower individuals, students, families, and the community. She has over twenty years of experience in community counseling, organizational psychology, and effectively providing person-centered and need-based services. She is committed to cultural awareness, understands the importance of cultural identity, and values cross-cultural differences.

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