The Diversity of Diversity

A View from Northern Ireland

Anne BastenCentral Services Agency, Belfast

(1) Social & Cultural Contexts of Diversity in Northern Ireland

Presentation Outline

(2) The Statutory Framework of Diversity in Northern Ireland

(3) From Frameworks to Practices

(4) Pitfalls & Risks of Underestimating the Diversity of Diversity

(7) Where to?

(5) Not Just a Challenge for the RCN

(6) Not Just an Issue Between Countries

Social & Cultural Contexts of Diversity in Northern Ireland (1)

• demographics

• key differences in the make-up of the population vis-à-vis England (ethnic, religious, age profile)

• history & politics

• the diversity of identities

• a history of conflict (past and present?)

• geography

• the forces of segregation, neutrality and integration

Social & Cultural Contexts of Diversity in Northern Ireland (2)

• awareness/perceptions

• flags & emblems

• colours

• names

• understandings of diversity

• public perceptions

• the politics of diversity

the diversity of understandings of diversity

Social & Cultural Contexts of Diversity in Northern Ireland (3)

The Statutory Framework of Diversity in Northern Ireland (1)

• key differences in anti-discrimination legislation

• Northern Ireland Regulations/Orders/Acts

• similar pieces of legislation but with key variations(e.g. sexual orientation legislation for access to

goods/facilities/services)

• additional pieces of legislation(e.g. religion/politics legislation for employment

&access to goods/facilities/services)

• Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998)

• key additional piece of equality legislation

• positive duty (promoting equality of opportunity & good relations)

• comprehensive coverage (total of 9 groupings/strands)

• introduces new statutory procedures (screening & Equality Impact Assessments)

• applies only to public sector

• no legal redress

The Statutory Framework of Diversity in Northern Ireland (2)

the diversity of diversity legislation

The Statutory Framework of Diversity in Northern Ireland (3)

From Frameworks to Practices (1)

• neutral working environment

• Fair Employment Code of Practice:employers should promote a good and harmonious working environment in which no worker feels under threat/intimidated because of his/her religious belief or political opinion e.g. prohibit the display of flags (…)

• Section 75:promote good relations

should staff be encouraged to express and discuss their identities???

• monitoring

• employers must report to Equality Commission on religion & gender of workforce

• 20 years of monitoring duty - monitoring is not an alien concept to the public

• Section 75 requires monitoring along all 9 strands

• recent expansion of employment monitoring

• service monitoring lags behind

From Frameworks to Practices (2)

the diversity of practices of diversity

From Frameworks to Practices (3)

Pitfalls of Underestimatingthe Diversity of Diversity

• the corporate diversity agenda is too narrow

• the corporate diversity agenda is skewed

• services don’t meet the needs of members

• resources are not expended in an optimum way

Risks

• confusion

• frustration

• alienation

• isolation

• exclusion

• irritation

• offence

negative impacts on

(1) membership

(2) ownership

Not Just a Challenge for the RCN“BBC journalists accused of London bias: Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales 'ignored‘” (Owen Gibson, The Guardian, 12 June 2008)“A damning report commissioned by the BBC Trust yesterday accused the corporation of failing licence fee payers around the UK by reporting the news through a London-centric prism. (…)

The trust chairman, Sir Michael Lyons (…) warned that the failure to serve audiences in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and to report issues affecting them to the rest of the UK, could ultimately undermine universal support for the licence fee.

(…) Lyons said it would become even more important for the BBC to fulfil its charter obligation to represent "the UK, its nations, regions and communities".

(…) of 136 reports on health and education issues, none mentioned the fact that they referred to England alone (…) during 50 editions of Panorama aired in 2007, none made explicit reference to devolution; the same was true of 29 editions of Radio 4's File on 4.

(…) Lyons added that the problem was about "clarity, precision and the balance of reporting from around the UK".

(…) Richard Tait, a former ITN editor in chief and now a BBC trustee, said he did not believe the answer lay in structural change but in greater awareness among BBC journalists.

(…) Separate research carried out by the BBC Trust last year found that the further away from London people lived, the less they felt the BBC was relevant to them.”

45% of people in Scotland feel BBC reports are often not relevant to them.

36% of people in England feel BBC reports are often not relevant to where they live.

45% of people in the north of England feel BBC news programmes do not relate to them.

20% of people feel BBC coverage is of interest "almost exclusively to posh people who live in London"

83% feel it is important the nations and regions are accurately represented to the rest of the UK.

· Source: BMRB Media

Not Just an Issue between Countries

• also within countries

• e.g. between regions within England

• e.g. between areas within NI

• also within the sector

• e.g. NI Health & Social Care

• e.g. NI Boards/Trusts/Agencies

‘centrism’ is a common phenomenon

Where to ? (1)

• acknowledge and explore the diversity of diversity across and within countries/regions

• build on corporate commitment to connect & communicate with members

• reference country/region-specific differences

• take full advantage of the diversity of diversity

• draw on learning from the ‘margins’

• diversity proofing of all decision-making processes

Where to ? (2)

• trade union representation

• meeting the diverse needs of representatives

• developing and supporting representatives in meeting the diverse needs of members (case work & policy work)

• developing and supporting members in meeting the diverse needs of patients