I’ve been asking my students to write papers on the subject of diversity, and
I have been getting some good results. For instance, one student, Janet, who
is a teacher of writing at a community college conducted
some interviews of her students and shared the stories of their diverse
backgrounds. The success of the new so-called "program project" was
obvious, for Janet said she never learned so much in a school assignment.
What was this assignment, though, but a simple self-assigned project (on Janet’s part) to
ask students questions rather than "teach" them something?
I know I wouldn’t have thought of it, so score one for me on diversity–letting the student
find her topic–and score a big one for Janet, in letting her students speak and capturing their stories for others. Other
students also explored the topic of diversity, as they wrote more or less standard
research papers on the topic.
Anyway, despite the success, I’m wondering lately if the new English Education
"Program Projects" assignment is itself diverse enough. Just how diversely
should we be thinking of "diversity"?
What leads me to this reflection is my recent reading of Mentoring for
Mission by Caroline J. Simon et al. I’m reading this book in connection
with my involvement in the University’s mentoring program this year. In a
section entitled, "How Does Your Garden Grow," Simon et al. write,
"In striving to think in a fully Christian way about
mentoring, it is helpful to call on two theologically informed organic metaphors,
one from the Apostle Paul and one from St. Theresa of Lisieux…. Paul tells
us in Romans that ‘as in one body we have many members, and not all members
have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body’ (Rom. 12:4-5)."
Paul urges acceptance and appreciation of one’s unique abilities and
limitations in regards to serving the larger whole. There’s an implicit lesson
of resignation here. How does a lesson like this, and the one that follows from
St. Theresa fit with a professional, secular, sociological perspective on diversity?
I saw that all the flowers [God] has created are lovely.
The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little
violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. I realized that if
every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness and
there would be no wild flowers to make the meadows gay.It is the same in the world of souls–which is the
garden of Jesus. He has created the great saints who are like the lilies and
the roses, but He has also created much lesser saints and they must be content
to be the daisies or the violets which rejoice His eyes whenever He glances
down. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being that which He wants
us to be. (qtd. in Simon, 24).
It may just be me, but I see the secular/professional and Christian views of
"diversity" pointing in somewhat different directions. In the secular/professional
view, I think there’s an implicit command to "overlook" or not "weigh"
diversity once it’s understood–our diversities enrich our understanding
of one another, but the larger goal seems kinda to move beyond the ways we are
different, in order to find out how everyone is EQUALLY great, despite
differences–through differences, beyond differences…. The Christian
view, on the other hand seems openly accepting of the principle of hierarchy;
some will be "greater" than others, but all are beautiful and useful
and needed. Perfection lies in acceptance of the “reality” of us, and in a commitment to discovering how that reality might best serve God’s will.
And then, aside from the principles of hierarchy and duty, I wonder how comfortable my
students would feel in including theology-tinged notions of diversity in and
around the professional, academic conceptions of the topic? What is the role
of religious notions of diversity in a professional, academic milieu? Much to
ponder here.