So I've been wondering about things for a while now, and now wondering if I can even articulate what I am trying to convey....Here goes.
Lets start with
definitions:
Inclusive - I would assume this encompasses ALL, includes everyone, no one feels left out.... right? Includes the extremes at both ends and everything in between.
versus.....
Exclusive - meaning only for a privileged few, distinguishing those that are included apart from those that are excluded. Some, not all, and for certain reasons that define their differences.
Right?
Now... lets get into a more touchier topic. Exclusivity can pertain to anything from race, culture, gender, ability, education, age, wealth, religion..... right? And when that happens in negative ways we call the ones that are excluded a minority. Because this exclusivity has either a definite or assumed privilege that the others do not.
Now lets make up a story....
Suppose there is a room full of 30 people. 20 of which are dressed in purple. 10 dressed in blue, 5 dressed in red, 5 dressed in yellow. The Purple people like to play dodgeball every day at a certain time. While the Blue have a dance they like to do every day at a certain time, the Red like to sit and read all day and the Yellow like to sing. Sometimes each colour joins in what the other colours are doing, sometimes they dont. Because of the numbers or because of what the majority Purples do, others feel like their activity is not getting enough attention or to the extreme, sometimes they feel or even are made fun of because of their activity - its not as popular and the majority are not familiar with it. Some even feel like they "have to" play dodgeball because everyone else is doing it too, and they feel left out if they don't. Or some even feel the opposite, when they do join in dodgeball they feel they are being treated differently or unfairly since that is not what their colour usually does.
How can you make this situation more Inclusive?
Does this mean to make things more homogenous? Eliminate all the colours and make everyone wear grey?
How about tell people to stop playing dodgeball?
How about telling everyone they must read all day instead?
How about assuming people who feel like wearing purple or feel like playing dodgeball, that because they do that, it means they do not support people who wear yellow? Or that they automatically do not support dancing? Make it an "opposites" connotation.
How about telling the purples to not wear purple and to not play dodgeball and making them feel bad if they do, because they were the majority? And allowing the others to continue on with what they were doing and wearing?
How about saying this is a all colour all activity neutral safe environment, shining a spotlight on bringing the attention more toward what individuals are wearing or what their activity is - when there were no signs saying Purples only or No singing allowed.
Or .... maybe .... how about trying to educate people on the differences and to be more welcoming and respectful of these differences but also allow people to do what they enjoy and to wear what they enjoy? Focusing more on the individual and welcoming and respecting who they are as a whole and not defining them by their clothing colour or their activity preference - because there is more to the person than just those. All this without changing people's present expression of individuality and identity? It's the actions of people and how people treat others based on differences that makes things become "exclusive", its not the actual colours of what people are wearing, nor is it the activity they do.
Or maybe......
Who knows.
But you see, I'm struggling with those definitions. They seem pretty clear on paper. However when you try to implement them, it feels like to be "inclusive" is actually eliminating/excluding or reducing something else or to amplify the differences or to rid us of the majority. So in essence, that is not being inclusive at all.
There. My meek attempt at explaining something more deeper than just clothing colour or activity. I still don't think I conveyed my point clearly enough.... ugh.
