Identity, Diversity and Inclusion in Education and Society EDU3049

1. Creative Piece

Title: The Tapestry

Form: Short Story

Context -The story is about James who was sitting beside his grandmothers loom weaving threads of different colours. He understood that each thread represents a part of his identity. The vibrant reds and deep blues helped him reflect on his parents influence on his upbringing, while the darker threads marked different moments of struggle and uncertainty that he had seen throughout his life. As the tapestry was coming to an end or towards its final form, he was able to witness how these diverse threads had formed a beautiful and cohesive shape or structure. The gaps and imperfections within the work did not weaken the tapestry. Instead it further added depth and allowed light to shine through the same. James even realised that true inclusion actually means how an individual can embrace every thread of his identity. It also shows how understanding the togetherness of the identities can create the strength that he has and develop the personality that he wants to portray towards the world (Bernstein et al., 2020).

Explanation -There is a lot of similarity between the mind-set that I have and that of James. I also believe that accepting the gaps and faults in the past and moving forward through inclusion is a way to build a strong character. The way James had denoted the colours to a situation in his past, represents the values, traditions and experiences that I have inherited from my family as well. I believe that these values are quite important to me in building my identity. The weaving process discussed in the story also symbolises how I can inherit aspects that are interwoven with my own personal experiences. This helps in creating a complex and rich tapestry that can successfully justify the person I am today.

2. Ko Aotearoa t?tou

Breaking up with Captain Cook on our 250th anniversary By Selina Tusitala Marsh. The above poem has been extracted from Ko Aotearoa t?tou: We are New Zealand.

2.1 Describe the Form of the Chosen Piece

The poem "Breaking up with Captain Cook on our 250th anniversary" By Selina Tusitala Marsh has been written under a free verse format which allowed the poet to break away from the general structure that is used to express a deep and personal narrative to the incident. The structure that has been used in the poem reflected on the nature of a breakup letter which was quite direct and written in a conversational language. The contents of the letter rapidly shift between personal reflection and cultural commentary (HETARAKA et al., 2023). The tone used in the poem was both assertive and reflective which also helped in using repetition and rhetorical questions that could help in emphasising the decision of the poet to break up with the historical figure of Captain Cook which mainly symbolises a rejection of different colonial narratives highlighted in the poem. The form of the poem can also be stated as fluid, where the line lengths vary from each other. The poem was also successful in showing a mirror of complexity of emotions from the poet along with different ideas being explored.

2.2 Discussing the Meaning of the Work

"Breaking up with Captain Cook on our 250th anniversary" is based on addressing the movement from diversity to inclusion. The poet has achieved this by critically examining the legacy of colonisation and the impact that it had on indigenous identities. The poem even served as a metaphorical breakup letter to Captain Cook by representing an emphasis on the rejection of colonial histories that have promoted marginalised indigenous voices. Marsh even used this act of breaking up to showcase the importance of reclaiming the indigenous narratives and identities (Elvy et al., 2020). This was mainly done through seeking information beyond general history where diversity was acknowledged but was not respected or included. The poem has heavily emphasised on a quick shift towards true inclusion so that indigenous perspectives are not only recognized but also valued as the national identity.

3. Diversity to Inclusion

Fitzsimmons et al. (2023), diversity can be defined as the presence of a difference under diverse settings or aspects like race, gender, age, sexual orientation and cultural background. Inclusion can be defined as the process which generally involves creating a work environment where every individual can feel accepted, respected and empowered to participate and contribute towards the work that they have gathered for (Bernstein et al., 2020).

According to Malhotra (2024), inclusion is all about integrating different diverse perspectives into the essence or belief of the organisations culture, decision-making processes and everyday practices. It has been seen that organisations often struggle to conduct a shift from diversity to inclusion due to the presence of different barriers. Unconscious bias is a barrier that leads to exclusionary practices especially in organisations that are diverse on paper. Furthermore, Kaur & Arora (2020), believes that a lack of clear strategies or understanding of inclusion for an organisation can result in tokenism. This situation is where diversity is celebrated superficially without real inclusion of the people involved within the organisation.

As per Morfaki & Morfaki (2022), managers often play an important role in the journey from diversity to inclusion but they face several challenges in this process. These challenges can be balancing the needs and expectations of the employees belonging from a diverse background. The managers also face difficulty in addressing resistance to change within the organisation and ensuring that inclusion is practised throughout every level of the organisation.

4. Linkages

The assignment has been successful in exploring the journey from diversity to inclusion. This was done through a personal creative piece in the initial stage followed by an analysis of a poem extracted from Ko Aotearoa t?tou. The creative piece highlighted the internal diversity of identity and inclusion within oneself. The poem was about showcasing how a community's diversity can help in becoming its strength through inclusion. Lastly, the literature review highlighted the importance of shifting from diversity to inclusion through a practical approach in the organisational context.

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