Essay
Topic:
Evolution of Equality to Equity (Focus on Civil Rights Movement and Education)
Thesis:
Due to the gradual recognition of systemic inequities and awareness of intersectionality, America’s mindset shifted from a focus on equal opportunities to one that supported equal outcomes, highlighting the need for holistic education practices.
Audience:
Parents and Guardians of Elementary School Children
Ideas:
From this analysis, the audience should gain a better understanding of major concepts of equality, equity, intersectionality, and their contemporary relevance. Explaining the distinctions between equality and equity will enable the audience to be more aware of the nuances of such a complicated and interconnected topic, thus improving the social and political climate in the United States of America. Specifically, analyzing the 1950s and the Civil Rights Movement until the present time in the 21st century with the affirmative action ban will provide the best scope of information on this topic. As my mom and great aunt used to be elementary school teachers, and I a tutor, I have personally witnessed the catastrophe of the current education system. I wish to bring attention to the horrific shape of education, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. All too often parents overlook the influence they have over their children and their willingness to learn in a classroom. Parents are a child’s first teachers. Parents can foster a love for learning, language development, and foundational skills in their children. Also, parents should serve as advocates for their children’s educational needs, ensuring that they receive the necessary resources, accommodations, and support.
If parents took the initiative to identify learning challenges at home before their child’s enrollment in school, the education system would be able to efficiently provide the necessary tools for its student’s success. Additionally, parents are presented with multiple options for schooling such as private, charter, or public schools and their choice can significantly impact a child’s educational experience and overall development. Having parents’ support for increased investment in early childhood education means the proper resources will be used to address educational disparities by providing children with a strong educational foundation from an early age. For equity to exist in education, schools must implement tailored education. Tailored education emphasizes the importance of personalized, student-centered learning to address individual needs and provide an equitable education experience that considers each student’s unique background and abilities. While parents are indeed crucial in their child’s education, it is important to recognize that education is a collaborative effort that involves teachers, schools, communities, and other support systems. Ultimately, effective partnerships between parents and educators can create the most positive outcomes for a child’s education.
With the ban on affirmative action in college, it has become apparent that students of the future can no longer rely on policies to promote equity. Children are unable to speak for themselves at such an early age, unlike their parents who are knowledgeable about the larger systemic issues related to education. These adults can actively engage in addressing these inequities and they can become advocates for policy changes, improved school funding, and reduced disparities in access to quality education. Overall, when parents and guardians understand their role in influencing equity in education, they can contribute to a more equitable educational system and help their children achieve their full potential. There is no better time to set their child on the right path than elementary school. This understanding is essential for creating a positive and impactful educational environment.
TED Talk
Topic:
Evolution of Equality to Equity (Focus on Women Empowerment and STEM Fields with Emphasis on Engineering)
Thesis:
Due to the gradual recognition of systemic inequities and awareness of intersectionality, America’s mindset shifted from a focus on equal opportunities to one that supported equal outcomes; however, women should prioritize personal responsibility and self-determination to succeed in STEM careers.
Audience:
Females Feeling Dejected in the Pursuit of an Engineering Career
Ideas:
To fully comprehend the intricacy of the evolution of equality to equity, one must understand the nuances between the two. Equality focuses on treating everyone the same, regardless of their circumstances or needs to promote fairness. In contrast, equity emphasizes fairness through addressing individual and group-specific needs and circumstances. Although difficult to pinpoint a singular event as the cause of this shift, it is undeniable that World War I from 1914 to 1918 sent shockwaves around the world. World War I was one of the first event where women were introduced to the workplace in roles that had been uniformly male, such as bus conductors and bank clerks, window cleaners and gas fitters, and joining the police and fire services. From this event and the Second World War, discussions about women in traditionally male careers gained popularity. These discussions then promoted more social justice movements like the Women’s Suffrage Rights Movement, Rosie the Riveter, the idea of a “glass ceiling,” and research and data analysis exploring the underrepresentation of women in STEM.
Although there is a gap in representation in STEM, many overlook the power of self-determination. It is helpful to analyze the specific challenges women face in STEM careers, such as stereotypes, bias, and a lack of representation, but I also question how far these statics will take women in STEM and even more specifically engineering. I do not want my audience to completely abandon the government and its policies and legislation in promoting gender equity in STEM, but rather use it in addition to their own determination. I want to highlight the significance of mentorship and support systems for women in STEM and how these relationships can foster personal responsibility and self-determination. Additionally, my TED Talk will examine the efforts of corporations and institutions to promote gender equity in STEM and the impact of their policies, diversity programs, and inclusive workplace practices. I want to then pivot to exploring the psychological aspects of personal responsibility and self-determination, discussing how self-confidence and resilience play a crucial role in women’s success in STEM. Essentially, I want to encourage women in STEM to embrace personal responsibility and self-determination while emphasizing the continued importance of equity initiatives.
In the world of STEM, where women are underrepresented and face unique challenges, personal responsibility, self-determination, self-confidence, and resilience are critical psychological factors for success. Women who prioritize these aspects can not only excel in STEM but also contribute to a more inclusive and diverse STEM community. Encouraging and fostering these qualities in women pursuing STEM careers is essential for achieving gender equity in these fields.
Sources
Love, Alexandria. “When Did We Add the ‘Equity’ to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion?” Berrett-Koehler Publisher, 15 Apr. 2020, https://ideas.bkconnection.com/when-did-we-add-the-equity-to-diversity-equity-and-inclusion
The main point of this article is to acknowledge the diverse global society we live in so we can properly face our equitable, inclusive future, which means taking a comprehensive look at the history of the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Diversity education started in the 1960s as a result of the civil rights movement, a multiracial coalition made up of African Americans, Latinx and Chicano/a Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans. I plan to use this article to provide some background information on the idea of equality and equity in education.
Davenport, David. “Whatever Happened to Equality of Opportunity?” Hoover Institution, 16 June 2023, www.hoover.org/research/whatever-happened-equality-opportunity.
The thesis for this article is Americans used to believe in equal opportunity rather than in equal results, however, there are suggestions that it be scrapped and replaced with newer ideas such as equity over equality of outcome. Additionally, the article addresses the political state of the United States of America by describing how political division makes government intervention difficult. The evolving idea of equality in America needs to be appreciated for being a point of aspiration, and it would be unreasonable to expect a set of policies or government programs to aid in the implantation of these changing ideals, thus supporting my idea of encouraging parents and guardians taking initiative to support their child’s education.
Hankinson, Simon. “How Discriminatory DEI Ideology Replicates Itself in the Federal Bureaucracy | the Heritage Foundation.” The Heritage Foundation, 17 Oct. 2023, www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/how-discriminatory-dei-ideology-replicates-itself-the-federal-bureaucracy.
Hankinson argues that the military and federal government are increasingly rewarding adherence, and requiring declarations of fealty, to the divisive, discriminatory ideology of DEI. Although not as heavily related to my topic, this article brings an interesting point to the idea of establishing boundaries on the effectiveness of equity. I could use this article to help develop the idea of relying on self-motivation instead of solely on policies.
Silkin, Lewis. “Women in Work: A Brief History of Women in the Workplace.” Futureofworkhub, 6 July 2021, www.futureofworkhub.info/comment/2021/7/6/women-in-work-a-brief-history-of-women-in-the-workplace.
In this article, Lewis Silkin explores the history of women in waged work through the ages and both the historic and current challenges faced by women in the workplace. I plan to use this article to provide some background information on the idea of equality and equity in the workplace as an overarching idea.
Burling, James. “Moving From Equality to Equity Is Unconstitutional and Hurts Minorities.” Pacific Legal Foundation, 20 May 2021, https://pacificlegal.org/moving-from-equality-to-equity-unconstitutional-hurts-minorities/.
The thesis statement of this article is centered on the shift from a focus on equality to equity, particularly in the context of government policies and programs, is problematic, potentially unconstitutional, and has negative consequences for minority groups. The article argues that policies promoting equity often led to unfair treatment and undermined the principles of individual rights and equal protection under the law. In the context of my topic, this article would further my point of needing to adopt other methods of supporting equity in education and STEM fields.
Dreher, Rod. “‘Equity’ Is Not ‘Equality,’ Comrade.” The American Conservative, 19 Aug. 2020, www.theamericanconservative.com/equity-equality-woke-revolution-gospel-in-the-factories-stage-live-not-by-lies.
The thesis statement of the article argues that the emphasis on equity over equality in contemporary social and political discourse, particularly within the context of the “woke” movement, is causing a shift towards ideological conformity and suppression of dissent, potentially eroding fundamental freedoms and the diversity of perspectives in society. The article contends that this shift towards equity can lead to conformity and manipulation rather than fostering genuine fairness and diversity of thought. As a call to action in my TED Talk, it would be interesting to implement this idea to create boundaries and limitations on how the government is not the solution to ensuring equity.
