I am not a rock, I am not an island
I'm applying for a job that asks I write a diversity statement that explains my personal experience with diversity, my past contributions, and my future goals that will help achieve the university's commitment to diversity. My first draft was just me spitballing, my second was culled from all kinds of diversity documents, and my third (still draft) hopefully is getting a little bit better. I don't know for sure though.
I don't know for sure that I've done a good job because I can point out my own privilege, can explain that I'm cis-gendered, and predominately heterosexual, I'm pretty firmly middle class, from a small homogenous town, and the closest thing I've got to an ethnic identity is the stories of Minnesotan Norwegian farmers from Prairie Home Companion I'd listen to with my dad when we drove back and forth from Sacramento to my mom's house every week. But am I committed to diversity? Looking back on my life, have I done things that help others? To be inclusive? To open conversations?
Of course this is why they give us the opportunity to talk about how we'd address this stuff in the future...but I want to figure out honest answers to that too.
Oh well, tomorrow is another day, and hopefully I'll be able to figure out how to say it all tomorrow. And to draft a research statement. And to rewrite my first chapter. All before October 31. Because I'm a planner that way.
also posted to katekat on dreamwidth | you can reply here or there
I don't know for sure that I've done a good job because I can point out my own privilege, can explain that I'm cis-gendered, and predominately heterosexual, I'm pretty firmly middle class, from a small homogenous town, and the closest thing I've got to an ethnic identity is the stories of Minnesotan Norwegian farmers from Prairie Home Companion I'd listen to with my dad when we drove back and forth from Sacramento to my mom's house every week. But am I committed to diversity? Looking back on my life, have I done things that help others? To be inclusive? To open conversations?
Of course this is why they give us the opportunity to talk about how we'd address this stuff in the future...but I want to figure out honest answers to that too.
Oh well, tomorrow is another day, and hopefully I'll be able to figure out how to say it all tomorrow. And to draft a research statement. And to rewrite my first chapter. All before October 31. Because I'm a planner that way.
also posted to katekat on dreamwidth | you can reply here or there