The language of diversity: A guide to navigating inclusion

Language is powerful, a mechanism that fulfils a human need to communicate.  It connects and unites us, promoting love and compassion. It adds nuance to a blunt statement, paints a picture where none exists, and evokes emotion in a way that's hard to replicate. 

It also divides us, sometimes unintentionally through misuse or misunderstanding, and other times deliberately as a tool for manipulation by those in power (such as in politics). This can significantly change the direction of a discussion or its outcome, with significant consequences. 

Language is shaped over time by societies to express thoughts, emotions, and shared realities, and inevitably translates into behaviour. Historically or etymologically, language has carried lasting biases, seen in male-assumed job roles of chairman, workman, businessman, fireman, postman, salesman, craftsman – the list is endless. Ask young people to name prominent leaders or famous scientists and the majority will be male, even today.  

Addressing embedded bias: the challenge 

It is biases like these that have led to the need for equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policies across all organisations. However, intentions that are meant to initiate and celebrate uniqueness can potentially result in the opposite. By singling out disadvantaged or unrepresented groups we often end up creating yet more division. International Women’s Week events continue to draw mainly female audiences. In a similar vein, although Black History Month has a long-established history, the death of George Floyd in 2020 brought a renewed urgency to initiatives aimed at addressing racial inequality and celebrating communities of colour. But are these motivations engaging everyone? Those who are self-aware and passionate about inclusion will always engage in the ongoing debates around diversity and inclusivity, but it is those who don't believe there's a problem, or don't see it as their problem that we really need to reach if we are to create significant and lasting change to celebrate inclusivity for all.  

There are other dimensions to this too. Uncertainty can breed fear, fuelling divisive rhetoric and reinforcing biases – especially in politics through social media. With the influence of social media, narratives are also spreading much faster than ever before. Once again, we find language being used for divisive purposes, encouraging the biases we are trying so hard to eradicate, with invisible forces creating the potential for yet more division. 

Ensuring language unifies rather than divides 

So we are fighting not only historical, cultural and social norms, but a growing narrative that is designed to further divide us. How do we counter this? 

1. We must address these biases through our education system. Creating early touch-points with children to use language to unite rather than divide can promote compassion and community. This can shape the next generation with a different mindset, guided by what we call ACT: awareness, consideration and taking action. 

2. To quote Henry Ford: "If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got". The defaults in both language and process need to change if we are going to create a new mindset. The real-world application of this framework has been instrumental in shaping culture and inclusion at Imperial Business School. 

3. We must reframe EDI to focus on inclusion for everyone. We need to appreciate what makes us all unique – that we are individuals, with different learning styles, motivations and passions. We need to dispense with "additional needs" and concentrate on "individual needs". Recruitment and admissions processes should aim to identify every candidate's individual needs (to achieve their own version of success), without any reference to what is "normal". Only then can we ensure that everyone's needs are met without creating specific "disadvantaged" groups. 

4. We need to measure progress in inclusivity without relying on checkboxes. A renewed focus on intersectionality is essential if we are to move beyond initiatives that, by isolating specific groups, risk entrenching the divisions they seek to overcome. Can a student with Indian heritage who grew up in Africa apply for a bursary for African students? How can individuals truly embrace their identity when they are still expected to fit into predefined categories? 

5. In the United Kingdom, there is definite progress to make organisations become truly inclusive. The recommendations of the UK’s Governments Inclusion at Work Panel must be turned into actionable change; working beyond theory towards actionable processes that bring meaningful impact in the near future, for everyone. 

6. The Equality Act, which serves as the foundation for several UK policies, is now 15 years old and overdue an update. Should it evolve into a more modern Inclusivity Act? What would such an act look like in today's world—one shaped by shifting demographics, digital transformation, and AI—where narratives and meanings spread faster than ever? 

7. Global organisations like the AACSB have amended their accreditation scheme to adapt to a changing narrative around EDI. It will be interesting to follow how it brings together the conflicting narratives from around the world, particularly from the US. Importantly, do mixed signals help unify or divide everyone? 

Bias and division can hurt us all, so it is in our interests to understand, promote and expect inclusivity throughout our lives. This will require changing the defaults, celebrating individuality and using language to unite rather than divide.