[Edu-sig] more thoughts on diversity...

[kirby urner]

On Wed, Feb 4, 2015 at 10:49 AM, kirby urner <kirby.urner at gmail.com> wrote:

< . . . >


>
> Good point re Diversity.  Aahz once listed edu-sig as one of the many
> Diversity-related resources associated with Python.org and many a
> university and college has a Diversity office, so I think we're within the
> bounds of education as well.  VCs are what makes the discussion seem alien
> as private sector wheeler-dealers are what "the cloistered" like to wall
> themselves away from, but we should at least admit they exist, even within
> academia (universities have hired people to come in and encourage a more
> patent-minded culture, a trend which those of us in open source often find
> offensive and  worth countering).
>
> Kirby
>
>
I did think of a 100% diversity oriented type post just this morning and
sent it over to Aahz's list.  Lets see if it generates further discussion.

Continuing my thinking above, I do like that this superbowl commercial
escaped most criticism, other than an earlier version has been on the
Internet a long time so it wasn't actually novel.

Still good though, though I'm sure interesting criticisms abound and I
could invent some of my own e.g. too much power is given to "film
directors" reinforcing a stereotype that we should be bossed by such people.

In my view, people need to ask themselves:

Am I trying to brand the genders a certain way (e.g. women are more the
sweet talkers and guys more the rough talkers.  If that's so, I should be
prepared to acknowledge I'm doing that.

Or:  am I trying to erase all idea of gender distinctions mattering and
we're not to look at either / any gender "a certain way".

I find some people in the latter group rather easily offended when they
come across people who think its OK to brand along gender lines i.e. see
nothing wrong with a blue aisle and a pink aisle or whatever equivalent (to
have cross-gender you need gender in the first place or what's to cross?).

Me?  I like variety so like being able to hop a jet and find a place where
gender matters, sure, but in a different way.

And when that gets oppressive, fly somewhere else.  Or maybe I just need to
make some new friends now and then, expand my bubble.  Portland, Oregon
abounds with ethnicities, but sometimes one needs to seek them out.  We
have Newar for example, from Kathmandu valley (my own circle is greatly
effected by that fact -- in a good way as I'm showing on Facebook again
these days (Lindsey has a new skull cup she just made, wants to eat
spaghetti from)).

Finding groups where gender really doesn't matter that aren't just cyber
can be difficult but if you find one, you may go there to "refresh your
rockets" as it were, meaning you'll likely be reinvigorated and be ready
for more life in the "real world" as they say.

Kirby
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