Diversity Management & Student Diversity
Diversity management
Diversity means variety and simply describes both similarities and differences between people. A distinction is made between visible (e.g. gender, nationality, age, etc.) and non-visible (personality, values, religion, sexual orientation, knowledge and skills in terms of education, languages, socio-economic status, etc.) diversity characteristics. A holistic understanding of diversity implies an intersectional approach. This means that the interrelationships of dimensions in relation to social inequalities are taken into account and not analyzed in isolation from one another (intersections = overlaps, interrelationships).
The "diversity management" approach originates from the corporate landscape and is an organizational concept that originally emerged from the empowerment movements in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s in the USA and appeared in literature and research in Germany in the mid-1990s. It is a management concept in which diversity is not seen as a potential source of conflict, but as a resource. The greatest possible human diversity should be promoted in order to have access to their diverse experiences, skills and potential.
In the field of education in particular, the concept of diversity is closely linked to the idea of inclusion. In the field of education in Germany, inclusion is understood as the facilitation of social participation in a group precisely through the perception and appreciation of diversity and differences. Accordingly, the concept of diversity also implies the idea of inclusion, namely the recognition of social diversity and individuality. The debates surrounding the implementation of inclusion, particularly in the field of education, have led to the term being used to refer exclusively to disability. In principle, however, inclusion is a human right that should apply to everyone. The aim of inclusion is to create structural framework conditions that can compensate for disadvantages and enable participation.
The idea of diversity is anchored as a guiding principle in the mission statement of the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society and the university has set out to implement diversity management as a strategic field of action in everyday university life in order to offer all university members equal opportunities and to be able to exploit all educational resources and potential.
Student diversity
The 2014/2015 survey of new students at the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society shows that student groups differ not only in terms of traditional diversity characteristics. In addition to visible diversity characteristics such as age, gender, social or ethnic origin and physical limitations, non-visible characteristics such as educational goals, motivation, experience, skills, knowledge and lifestyles also play a decisive role in the integration of individuals into the social fabric of the university. This illustrates the complexity of diversity that teachers are confronted with on a daily basis. In order to avoid premature categorization ("stereotyping") and to make optimal use of educational resources, diversity-oriented education and guidance is necessary. The following content and downloads are intended to offer lecturers and university members the opportunity to deal with general facts about prejudices about student groups and in particular with the diversity of students at their own university in order to better understand the background to diversity and its complexity.
Have fun browsing through the profiles of different student groups!
- Professionals
- Professionally qualified
- Pioneering students
- Students with family responsibilities
- Accessibility: Students with disability(ies)/chronic illnesses
- Female students
Diversity Management
