I work closely with an individual who shares her experiences with family engagement. As a mother who has lived through addiction and child protective services, she has been invited to participate in numerous meetings and presentations. Initially, she felt flattered by these requests, but over time, she realized that her presence was only sought when her opinions aligned with those of the person extending the invitation. As soon as she started expressing different viewpoints or voicing disagreement, the invitations began to dwindle.
The desire for more voices and diversity should not be conditional upon agreement. Engaging individuals from underrepresented groups simply as tokens is an abuse of power. Unfortunately, this trend is all too common when a single member of an underrepresented group is invited to join. Imagine the intimidation one might feel when entering a new setting and expressing an opinion that contradicts those of everyone else in the room. Even if someone is comfortable challenging privilege and power dynamics, it might not be in their best interest to do so. For instance, if a manager of an organization asks someone to speak to their board about their experiences with services they rely on, they may hesitate to share any negative feedback.
Speaking of power dynamics, are you willing to relinquish some of your power? If you seek someone’s opinion, are you prepared to take action or make necessary changes based on their input? It’s essential to weigh the value of lived expertise and professional expertise equally. Paternalism often pervades social services, perpetuating imbalances of power.
Let’s face the truth. Some individuals benefit from the existing status quo and, whether consciously or unconsciously, resist disruption. As a person in a position of power, you might have established strong relationships with your board of directors, who consistently praise your performance and grant you regular pay increases. It can be difficult to envision a format where your employees and clients evaluate your performance and determine your pay.
Moreover, there is often a general lack of awareness. You may believe that the individuals already at your figurative table represent diverse perspectives. If your immediate response is to defend the presence of occasional disagreements or claim that other professionals represent various subgroups, it is crucial to delve deeper and continue exploring and engaging in this work.
Additionally, resources can pose obstacles. Building relationships, a crucial aspect of this work, requires time. Organizations often prioritize efficiency and may perceive taking the necessary time to genuinely listen and learn from those closest to the issues as wasteful in terms of both time and money.
It is imperative to move beyond the mere rhetoric of inclusion and actively embrace diverse perspectives. True inclusion requires introspection, openness to uncomfortable conversations, and a commitment to challenging the existing power structures. By creating space for all voices, valuing lived expertise, and dismantling tokenism, we can foster environments where everyone truly has a seat at the table and where meaningful change can occur.
By acknowledging the importance of every perspective and challenging ourselves to do the hard work, we can create a more inclusive and equitable future for all. It is also important to know that this sort of inclusion takes capability building – not typically for the underrepresented people but for those who have the dominant voice. Outcomes trump good intentions, so it is not fair to invite people who have been marginalized without being fully prepared to be welcoming however that also does not give you permission to continue to postpone doing the right thing. Do the work. There are lots of good resources and people who can set everyone up for success.