Issues exposing unconscious bias have gripped my home country, the United States of America. Books like this help us address these issues in quiet pages before they escalate onto the street. Williams collects interviews from a diverse group of people in the workplace. Together, these can serve as ways for workers to understand their colleagues nearby.
She groups these interviews into five parts: Race, women, LGBTQ+, age and ability, and religion and culture. The latter two categories are under-appreciated forms of diversity, so I appreciate her conscientiousness in including them. Within each category, she presents interviews with several individuals, each representing a common type. Some individuals display intersectionality – that is, they simultaneously represent more than one type. Finally, these individuals represent different professional industries.
For instance, she individually interviews a black gay male at a non-profit, a Muslim Indian female lawyer, and a older female businessperson in tech. None of these interviews are particularly compelling on their own. Spanning a few pages each, they do not gain much depth, but together, they serve to paint a broad, diverse picture of the tapestry of the American workforce.
Reviews often mention Williams’ bias towards tech, and I concur completely. I work in the tech industry, so this bias does not bother me personally. It may bother other readers, however. It’s a good introduction, but deep dives must be reserved for the bibliography at the end. Some introductions fall short in their breadth; fortunately, this does not. It’s a quick read that will show a broad shoreline, but won’t boldly challenge many presuppositions.
Diversity in the Workplace: Eye-Opening Interviews to Jumpstart Conversations about Identity, Privilege, and Bias
By Bärí A. Williams
Copyright (c) 2020
Rockridge Press
ISBN13 9781641529044
Page Count: 107
Genre: Sociology, management/business
www.amazon.com