I'm feeling particularly at a loss as to what to write here for my final reflection. Do I examine the injustices of institutions visited upon people and countries a la IMB/WB, Monsanto, etc? Or the resourcefulness exhibited by the people of Cuba when facing economic collapse? My readings this quarter, "Economic Apartheid in America" and "The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid" were depressing and aggravating, respectively. The former painted a bleak picture of wealth disparity in our nation, and the former was a overhyped puffed up piece that essentially promoted the exploitation of the poor as a new source of profits for multi-national corporations. Both of these left me with little to reflect on.
A true gem however did appear on the Channel - Alex's publicized self-debate and outreach in his forced dealings with a homeless man. This conversation triggered significant discussion between my wife and I as we talked about best practices and strategies for outreach.
So for my last reflection this quarter, I decided to ponder how I can apply my learning from this past quarter to an improved stance on social justice issues as I move forward. Coming into this class I believed wholeheartedly in a 'color blind' scenario. The major shift for me has been seeing that this is not always the best solution - although I still believe strongly in valuing people for their passion, ability, and attitude. Still, I see more clearly now that disenfranchinsement will not be quickly remedied by a generation of color blind individuals - the fact of the matter is that when we are born we are not blank slates. I like to imagine that we are placed on a game board, something like chutes and ladders, and that where we are born and to whom we are born dictate our starting position. I still believe that being "color blind" is the key to enabling fair movement on the game board of life, but I know temper that with the knowledge and understanding that we don't all start out at square one, and that it will be quite some time before that is true.
What are the practical lessons I can take from this? How do I reconcile a beliefe in equality of opportunity while attempting to also make concessions for those who have farther up the ladder to climb? This seems to me to be an underaddressed point of our social justice learning - practical application. But perhaps that's because there is no one correct methodology that can be applied to a number of situations - perhaps each requires its own approach. So if I imagine myself as a business owner in the future, how can I provide social justice to my employees and community, beyond simply being color blind? I believe I could start by identifying the points on which someone may be disadvantaged based on background - experience, connections, wealth, education. These are, however, the prime factors by which most HR departments make hiring decisions! Yet there must be a way to tease apart these issues, or reduce them.
One strategy could be to institute an aggressive interning program, and directing outreach to underserved areas and groups. Another solution could be a more thorough interview process that relies more on the face to face conversations than ink on a paper - it would take more time and be more costly, but the rewards could be substanial - not only could one capture potentially better employees, but would be more equitable to those with a disadvantaged background. Maintaining a salary ratio within the company is something I've always maintained would be a priority, as would assisting with employee wellbeing. Without tackling social justice issues as a primary goal, I would mostly be coming at the issue sideways, but that's certainly better than not hitting it at all. And the ripple effect from a single company's practices can be a powerful influence.
These are just a few ideas of how I might employ social justice in my future business. I look forward to discovering more as I continue to grow and develop better eyesight when it comes to social justice issues.
