Friday, October 24, 2008
by guest blogger M. Wittmer (or... Mr. Cosmopolite?)Although I am not sure what the cosmopolite individual would say, an argument to not downplay the necessity and role of judgment within our views of the world merits more attention than sturdy advocates of diversity will readily admit. Judgment often gets a bad rap when it comes to the expansion of diversity. Pressures to expand individuals’ views to be more inclusive, more accepting, more tolerant, and more thirsty for the unknown frequently seem to paint judgment with a bad name. "Don't be so judgmental" is often the resulting subtext of these messages. Or, at least the push for diversity seems to presuppose some universal assumption that we all may not agree on in the first place – like the simple fact that we all must be more accepting. That is not important to some people. And it is very hard for many people to understand. I've heard more than a few times, strongly-held sarcastic perspectives about the results diversity initiatives play within a corporation when the company tries to bring these issues to the table for their stakeholders. Recently, I heard a few jokes amongst some level-headed professionals who seemed to acknowledge a recognition that there is an overall awareness regarding the barriers of so called 'mandatory diversity policies' within the workplace. One's first inclination at such talk, on the surface, is to think that to mock or abandon diversity efforts within institutional policy is worse than never having made these efforts. But then again, if diversity efforts are being met with resistance or interpreted in a negative light, are our institutional efforts to incorporate diversity not then contributing to the divisions between us as a people rather than creating more welcoming and cosmopolitan perspectives? I'm not sure. It seems resistance to diversity often gains strength from claims that efforts to diversify are not effective, not practical, and not relatable enough. I find myself wondering why more people aren't thinking about the efforts behind diversity initiatives instead of evaluating or interpreting the functionality, practicality, potential, end result, or effects that they see within their own worlds. Initiative efforts don't have to be a qualitative, measurable objective in order to impact our perspectives. Debating the practicality of diversity, and specifically opposing diversity efforts on the grounds of inefficiency is itself a huge issue and a strong judgment upon the world within which we all live. This kind of critiquing builds a foundation for many to promote the worth and impression that their individual routines are too complex, too static, and will most assuredly be more unreceptive to becoming more cosmopolitan and tolerant. Perhaps looking at the issues of judgment is diversity's true cash cow. While organizations often use the cookie cutter issues of expanding individual perspectives to be more inclusive of various socioeconomic, ethnic, or cultural groups, this kind of effort posits more emphasis on accepting others for the sake of doing so and skims over the lynchpin issues of examining our individual judgment processes. Why do we think the way we do? Why are we resistant? Why does it matter so much that diversity initiatives truly meet our needs to be worthy enough for us to consider them valuable? Judgment is an essential skill that we all rely on 24 hours a day to survive and grow. Like any tool at our disposal, we also use judgment to bolster our own resistance to many things and justify our perspectives. Diversity initiatives should begin to address this universal issue within each of us, as it is the core process that is universal to all groups. Diversity initiatives may claim that judgment is what they are there to address. Personally, I think corporations and the diversity programs they utilize could do better by focusing not on one person’s experience to draw us into learning about the differences of one type of group, but by focusing more exclusively on the process and stories behind OUR judgments. It is within the context of our judgments that the differences in our stories can support the central issues universal to each of us. Using this approach can help unite the process of diversifying citizens of the world more effectively and in my estimate, will be met with less resistance than initiatives that focus on a particular cultural group or experience. Would Ms. Cosmopolite agree?
Friday, October 17, 2008
Well it is finally Friday afternoon; truthfully, I wasn’t sure I would make it through this week without jumping on to my office chair and begging the gods for mercy. In general, I am a pretty optimistic and merry lady, but the past few weeks have tested me in several ways. Stock markets falling, politicians misbehaving, media personalities dense and irritating, and fires literally burning in my backyard. Then there was the considerable number of small-minded people that destiny brought into my daily life almost as a taunt. I had to use all my super powers not to be sucked into their lesser world, and I now feel depleted. Most graciously, the stars have once again aligned in my favor. Tomorrow morning, I will board AF 9898 (business class thankfully!!!) and jet off to foreign lands to revive my creativity and find my inner balance. As Mark Twain put it, Nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kind of people. My innate need for travel and experiencing foreign cultures is both a gift and sometimes a curse… The elders in my family claim that I fell under the spell of an old globe when I was 3-years old and was destined to travel widely and often. Perhaps they are correct since nothing makes me feel more alive than the sights and smells of foreign lands. Every part of me expands to take it all in. Curiously, the more foreign the place to me, the more I feel at home. It’s the lack of new cultural experiences, and interactions with myopic ideas and people that cause me to contract (and sometimes get a rash!). So, after a period of experiencing petty irritations and global chaos, I depart tomorrow for a new adventure – my first trip to the Arab Gulf (after a brief stop-over in Paris) to experience for myself the ancient and rich cultures of the region. I will travel as I always do: lightly and with a generous spirit, or as Aldous Huxley mused, To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries. Tune in next week to enjoy thoughts from Ms. Cosmopolite’s guest blogger, and our first male writer... Bon voyage!! Ms. Cosmopolite
Monday, October 13, 2008
Call me narcissistic but, I always imagined that I was too unique and complex to be typecast. Oddly enough, while I have dedicated my career to breaking down cultural and gender stereotypes, I didn’t fully understand just how easy it is to be a target of stereotyping. Ladies and gentlemen, I have officially been a casualty of stereotyping!! Recently I received comments about Ms. Cosmopolite that were both befuddling and slightly amusing. Curiously, these comments, which seem to focus exclusively on my physical form, ignore the spirit of my work in creating cultural awareness and promoting a cosmopolitan worldview. Now, I don’t consider being labeled as “too attractive”, “not ethnic looking enough”, a “globe-trotting socialite”, or my personal favorite “too feminine” as necessarily negative however, I am fascinated by the questions that come to mind with such comments. (What does one’s looks have to do with having a global mindset? Could a woman be too feminine? What qualifies as an ethnic look? Is globe-trotting negative? Can a socialite also be a community activist?) A stereotype (from the Greek word stereo + týpos = "solid impression") by definition is oversimplified conception or opinion based on assumptions or false associations (i.e. blondes are fun loving, superficial women who don’t care about the world or their place in it!). Humans often feel safer in a system, therefore, process information by categorizing people and behaviors. Naturally, this leads to generalized perceptions based on first impressions, which may work in scenarios where instant decision-making is needed, but can also lead to falsehood or worse. For example, someone that feels Ms. Cosmopolite is too attractive, well-dressed, or feminine to promote a message of universal values and peace, most likely has created a “solid impression” in their mind of what an activist or peacemaker should look like and isn’t willing to change their impression even when NEW information is provided. American journalist Walter Lippmann called a stereotype a "picture in our heads" saying, Whether right or wrong, ...imagination is shaped by the pictures seen... Consequently, they lead to stereotypes that are hard to shake. Stock characters are often used in comedies and sitcoms to oversimplify life and therefore, feel a bit cartoonish. It’s like watching TV in black and white – it feels one-dimensional or retro. The fact that a visual image has the power to supersede the content of a person’s character and message is not a new concept, but rather an outdated one. I would say it’s time to step into the kaleidoscope of the 21st century and start seeing in color folks!! That Ms. Cosmopolite has been stereotyped based on her picture is truly ironic since she is chiefly about the written word! Interestingly, stereotype and cliché were both originally printmaking terms referring to duplicate impressions of an original typographical element. The first reference to "stereotype", in its modern usage was in 1850, meaning, "image perpetuated without change". Ms. Cosmopolite vows to change your image of what a creative, intelligent, global-minded, social, peacemaking, curating, community activist looks like... just keep READING! Ms. Cosmopolite
Monday, October 6, 2008
Everyone is talking about it so, why shouldn’t I have a turn!? I actually lost a well-paying job in the 1998 Asia/Russian/LTCB credit market crisis (working for a hedge fund is overrated unless $$$ pumps your heart), which opened the door to the riches of the art world for me (well, that’s the short story ;-). In any case, what a dramatic and revealing week we have all just witnessed; fortunes lost, corruption exposed, and long-held ideas proved false. While Ms. Cosmopolite has no interest in rehashing the details of the biggest U.S. financial and banking crisis in decades, she does want to put in her 2 ¢ (pun intended). WHAT IN THE WORLD were our corporate and government leaders thinking?? Seriously, what is their worldview and how did it affect their decision-making? The level of self-interest displayed during this crisis can easily be compared to tribalism, understood as “the exaltation of the tribe above other groups”. From a wealthy former investment banker creating a tax-payer funded plan to bail out his fellow bankers to an elected representative whose vote was purchased with promised funds for his pet project (bike trails), loyalty to the tribe superseded the common good and COMMON SENSE. Yes, yes, I know anthropologists often argue that humans are hard-wired to stick with their own as a survival mechanism but, let’s not forget that we are all sharing the same planet and its resources! I am happy to acknowledge the positive potential of capitalism but, I don’t see how any economic system rigged towards one group at the expense of another can survive in the long-term. To that end, I have never before been compelled to quote Milton Friedman, the father of “free market” theory but, here it goes: The most important single central fact about a free market is that no exchange takes place unless both parties benefit. I wish his disciples on Wall Street and in the Treasury Department had remembered that line as they plotted their exit strategy… Perhaps the Greek philosopher Plato (428-348 BC) had a point when he argued that conventional political systems (including democracy) were inherently corrupt and that countries should be governed by an elite class of educated philosopher-rulers, who would be selected based on one simple idea: "those who have the greatest skill in watching over the community". Three cheers for Plato and at least one cheer for the success of the bailout plan. Looking forward to a new week, Ms. Cosmopolite
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Cosmopolite \koz-MOP-uh-lyt\, noun:
1. One who is at home in every place; a citizen of the world; a cosmopolitan person.
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