The Challenge
It’s been said that encouraging creative artists and community interests to collaborate successfully and inclusively is more difficult than herding cats.
But then again, a pride of lions on the hunt is a force to be reckoned with.
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The Challenge of True Inclusion
Why does saying we value inclusion often seem easier than truly embracing it?
Several interconnected factors contribute to this:
Social Desirability: In today's world, inclusivity is widely seen as a positive and morally correct stance. Expressing support for it aligns with social norms and avoids potential criticism or being labeled as prejudiced. It's a way to signal virtue without necessarily requiring deep personal commitment or action.
Superficial Understanding: Sometimes, the concept of inclusion remains at a surface level. People might understand the basic definition but not fully grasp the nuances, the systemic barriers that exist, or the effort required to dismantle them. This lack of deep understanding can lead to well-intentioned but ultimately ineffective gestures.
Cognitive Biases: Our brains are wired in ways that can inadvertently hinder inclusive practices. For example, the "in-group bias" makes us naturally favour people similar to ourselves. This can lead to unconscious preferences in hiring, promotions, or social interactions, even when we consciously believe in fairness.
Lack of Accountability and Measurement: Without clear metrics and accountability mechanisms, it's easy for inclusion to become a buzzword without tangible outcomes. If there are no consequences for a lack of inclusive behavior or no way to measure progress, the incentive to move beyond lip service diminishes.
Fear of Discomfort or Change: True inclusion often requires challenging existing power structures, norms, and comfort zones. This can be uncomfortable for individuals and organizations. Paying lip service can feel like a less disruptive and less challenging alternative to genuine change.
Performative Allyship: Sometimes, expressing support for inclusion can become a performance, aimed at gaining social capital or appearing progressive without undertaking meaningful action. This can involve sharing articles, attending events, or using certain language without truly engaging with the lived experiences of marginalised groups or advocating for systemic change.
The Complexity of Implementation: Putting inclusion into practice is complex and requires ongoing effort, self-reflection, and a willingness to learn and adapt. It involves difficult conversations, addressing historical inequalities, and making sometimes uncomfortable decisions. The sheer complexity can make the abstract concept of inclusion feel easier to embrace than its practical application.
Ultimately, while the widespread verbal support for inclusion is a positive starting point, the gap between rhetoric and reality highlights the need for deeper understanding, conscious effort, and systemic changes to truly foster inclusive environments.
As Blake famously puts it...
We shall not cease from mental fight
Nor shall our swords sleep in our hands
In England's green and pleasant land
Or Thomas Paine…
in The Age of Reason, argued, "He who denies to another this right [of opinion] makes a slave of himself to his present opinion, because he precludes himself the right of changing it." This highlights his understanding that suppressing the opinions of others ultimately stifles one's own intellectual growth and freedom.
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