SOC FPX 1150 Assessment 4 Diversity and Ethics Statement

Diversity and Ethics Statement

Student name

Capella University

SOC FPX1150

Prof. Name

Submission date

To: Chair, Diversity and Ethics Committee

From:

Date:

Subject: Statement to the Diversity and Ethics Committee

Part 1: Background and Perspective

Being born in a background where I have been continually exposed to people who represent all cultural, economic, and social settings, I have come to learn the need to know how the networks of society frame individual experiences. These early experiences had helped me to accept the reality that issues such as gender roles, financial stability, and family responsibilities are strong determinants of opportunities and decision-making for individuals.

Education has also prepared me to use a sociological approach not just in the study of a single case but of looking at the broader social trends in which people live. In order to illustrate this argument, when students are exposed to institutional pressure, e.g. attendance policy, I can observe the social obstacles that students might be facing and provide them with more accommodating solutions that can take into account students’ realities. This ability to examine the problem in this manner will ensure that I am able to contribute to any diversity, inclusion, and ethics team by bringing insight, equity, and remedies to the team.

There was one instance in my academic life where I was assigned to work on a group assignment, and we had issues as far as determining the focus of the research was concerned. The members were intrigued by the fact that each one had a topic that was personally relevant to them and initially, this brought conflict. I did not emphasize my decision, instead, I encouraged us to discuss each alternative in different aspects, including relevancy, cultural reverence, and workload equity.

This allowed us to make a decision that would be acceptable to the group and allowed us to do more impactful work as a team by providing each conviction with an opportunity to be heard and respecting each conviction. This experience has educated me on the importance of appreciating diversity and using ethical decision-making in making collective decisions in a manner that is fair and inclusive.

Part 2: Scenario Response

When addressing the situations brought about by the three female students at Herringbone University, I would begin with a sociological perspective to understand how the greater societal systems had led to the situations that the three students were in. The rigid policy on attendance may appear to be equally applied to all but in the real sense, it is disproportionately enforced on women who have children in care, such that gender roles and unfair allocation of caregiving responsibility are truly striking contributors to access to education. Ethically, it is fair to consider the following few realities in the policy instead of blaming students who are not in charge of their circumstances.

On a personal level, whenever I have performed a group task with my other peers who were both studying and/or employed in school, I have learned that by listening to them and by making/reallocating time and responsibility, I have created a more equal environment. Likewise, I would also promote less restrictive solutions, such as new excused absences of parents, delivery of online courses, or partnership with local daycare facilities, in this instance. By incorporating both divergent opinions as well as the logic of morals, one can reevaluate the policy and make students more successful without undermining the quality of the institution.

Various ethical solutions to the situation with the attendance policy are obligatory because such a solution tries to accumulate inequalities in the system and harm the principle of justice and inclusion that the university must promote. Although the policy is well balanced on paper, it does not consider the differences in the burden that parents and the female gender, in particular, must bear, as they are more likely to be in such a position to continue to bear the responsibility of caregiving and education. Any failure to pay attention to such realities would be tantamount to disadvantaging them and throwing hindrances in their path to success.

The research results have been in agreement to support that with the inclusion practices, the institutions increase the retention, equity, and the overall performance of the students. The principle of fairness, accountability, and compliance with social justice is a fairly straightforward guideline of professional conduct that is underlined by the ASA Code of Ethics, as well as in the drafting of the policies of the institutions. Through various and ethical approaches, the university will be assured of consistency in rules and, even more so, equitable approaches since each student gets a fair chance to excel in success.

Communication on the importance of diversity and ethical views should be carried out strategically and supported with actual examples to attract colleagues. One of the practical solutions would be to promote open forums and seminars where faculty and staff members will be able to consider how even seemingly neutral policies, such as mandatory attendance, may affect learners with caregiving responsibilities unequally.

The real-life situation of the three female students at Herringbone University can allow colleagues to better realize that there can be a difference between fairness in principle and fairness in practice. To back up these arguments, I would also refer to the Code of Ethics of the American Sociological Association that places the emphasis on fairness, accountability, and the professional responsibility and how these principles can be applied in educational establishments as well as in sociology.

This individual experience of collaborating on collective projects was reflected in the fact that the members of the group took into account the fact that their decisions could potentially affect several people in one way or another and with diverse backgrounds, which resulted in more ethical and inclusive solutions. The activity prompted us to accumulate blind spots, reduce inadvertent biases, and also come up with strategies that were amenable to every member of the group.

Modifying this approach to professional environments through systematic training, with seminars, reviewing of policies, and case studies, can help other workers to appreciate how other perspectives can help in the decision-making process. These hardships make the benefits very tangible and real and demonstrate that diversity and ethics are not abstract notions but real techniques of advancing fairness. This will help attain better student outcomes in the long-term and contribute to the equity, inclusivity, and social justice objectives at the institution.