Diversity

The term diversity, initially associated with the field of anthropology, refers to cultural, human, and social differences. Popularized beginning in the 1960s as a result of the civil rights movement, diversity has become an umbrella term for people of various backgrounds who have faced exclusion and discrimination—both from individuals and from institutions—for political, economic, and social reasons and/or because of stereotypes and biases about their particular group. Originally used to refer principally to people of color and women, more recently the term has been broadened to include ethnicity, national origin, native language, sexual orientation, social class, religion, cognitive and physical ability, age, and other differences. Remedies for discrimination and exclusion have ranged from affirmative action in recruitment and hiring, to special programs to educate the ...