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Diversity, as an issue in the workplace, is a relatively new phenomenon. Although the Industrial Revolution, which led to the modern industrial era, began in 1760, it was not until the early part of the nineteenth century that the interests of workers became a consideration in how work was organized. And it wasn't until much later-the 1950s and '60s-that the make-up of the work force was acknowledged as a significant component of organizational and industrial effectiveness.
For the past thirty years, considerations of diversity in the workplace have acknowledged an environment that is inhabited by whites and African Americans (and other people of color), and by women and men. Those considerations have slowly evolved to include "all kinds of difference"-every conceivable individual characteristic that might have some implications for how individuals might be perceived or responded to in the workplace. The list has now grown so long that we may wonder how we will ever be able to create a workplace that is sensitive to the needs of all, and is still productive.
In my view, the answer to the dilemma lies in an understanding of oppression and how it functions in society and the world of work. It is not difference that is a problem-the problem is that some groups and individuals are oppressed because they are different. If we can bring an end to oppression, we will find that the need to concentrate on diversity will vanish. As Elsie Cross said, "We must address issues of oppression through actions that will eliminate racism, sexism, heterosexism, classism, ableism and other forms of discrimination at the individual, identity group, and systems levels. The promise of diversity and the struggle against oppression in organizations call for redefining, reexamining, rethinking and restructuring many aspects of our institutions and our lives."1
Recognizing the "new" oppression
I know that using the word "oppression" in the context of diversity causes anxiety for many people. It is therefore important to be clear about what the term means. Oppression in its worst form is slavery and abuse of human rights, as in Nazism, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and the oppression through economic second-class citizenship of white women, people of color, and others who are traditionally not a part of the workplace. These...