6 Key excerpts on "Demographic Diversity"

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  eBook - ePub

  An Introduction to Population Geographies

  Lives Across Space

  • Holly R. Barcus, Keith Halfacree(Authors)
  • 2017(Publication Date)
  • Routledge

    (Publisher)

  There is a clear prima facie case for the discipline of Demography : “the scientific study of the size, composition, and distribution of human populations and their changes resulting from fertility, mortality, and migration” (Poston and Bouvier 2010: 3). Births, deaths and human migrations between locations across the globe certainly require measurement, presentation and discussion, and future trends predicted. But whilst Demography also involves itself with the causes of the patterns, trends and magnitudes it identifies—“the factors that affect these components” (Poston and Bouvier 2010: 3)—a more dedicated emphasis on their contextualized spatial expression has become the focus of Population Geography. 1.2.2 … across real places Population Geography can be defined initially as the study of “the geographical organization of population and how and why this matters to society” (Bailey 2005: 1). An immediate illustration of how such a spatial lens is both significant and important comes, once again, via some simple demographic facts about the state of the world today (developed more fully in Chapter 3). Consider infant mortality rates (10.3.1) in a small selection of countries in Asia and Europe, shown in Table 1.1. First, even across these ten countries there is a considerable range of values. This is true even within the same continent, such as the contrast between Romania and Norway in Europe. Second, although there is a general trend towards declining infant mortality, countries such as Mongolia and India retain extremely high rates. Furthermore, many countries affected by civil strife, such as Afghanistan, Congo or Iraq, are understandably unable to provide data. Thus, Table 1.1 is biased in favor of countries experiencing relative political stability

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  Demographics

  A Guide to Methods and Data Sources for Media, Business, and Government

  • Steven H. Murdock, Chris Kelley, Jeffrey L. Jordan, Beverly Pecotte, Alvin Luedke(Authors)
  • 2015(Publication Date)
  • Routledge

    (Publisher)

  Chapter 2 Basic Concepts, Definitions, and Geography of Demography As with any area of study, it is essential in demography to understand its basic concepts and the definitions of its key terms and to become familiar with the types of geographic areas for which demographic data are generally available. Knowing the jargon of demography and knowing the types of areas for which data can be obtained are essential first steps in knowing how to effectively use its data. In this chapter, we provide an overview of key concepts and definitions and examine the geographic bases used in demography and its applications. Basic Dimensions and Processes Given the definition of demography as the study of population size, distribution, and composition and of the processes that determine these, a logical place to begin in understanding demographic factors is to understand (1) what is meant by a population; (2) the three key dimensions of population–size, distribution, and composition; and (3) the three basic processes that determine population change–fertility, mortality, and migration. A population refers to the persons living in a specific area at a specific point in time. It refers to the aggregate, the group of people as a whole, in an area. As such, it has characteristics that are unique to an aggregate and are not just the sum of individuals’ traits or characteristics. For example, a population can have a death rate, birth rate, etc., but individuals are either alive or dead, have or have not been born. There is no death or birth “rate” for an individual

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  Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations

  A Reference Handbook

  • Kathryn A. Agard(Author)
  • 2010(Publication Date)
  • SAGE Publications, Inc

    (Publisher)

  diversity is used quite frequently, but what do we really mean when we say diversity? How are we to know when we have achieved diversity? One way to define diversity is to divide it into demographic and functional diversity. Demographic Diversity refers to composition, such as having equal numbers of men and women or having populations from ethnic groups proportional to the served community. Functional diversity, on the other hand, is having a variety of voices and perspectives in the policy-making processes. Thus, one could be functionally diverse by accounting for multiple communities’ concerns without being demographically diverse; ideally the organization should have both types (Daley & Angulo, 1994).

  Another way to categorize diversity is by observable attributes and underlying attributes. Observable attributes are those that can usually be easily detected, such as race, gender, and age, whereas examples of underlying attributes are attitudes, values, and socioeconomic status (Brown, 2002). In a similar vein, one can assess diversity via primary versus secondary characteristics. Primary dimensions are associated with prominent identity factors including age, ethnicity, gender, mental/physical characteristics, race, and sexual orientation. In comparison, secondary dimensions can be education, family status, military experience, organizational role and level, religion, first language, geographic location, income, work experience, and work style (Frusti, Niesen, & Campion, 2003).

  Another type of diversity is cognitive diversity, which is evaluation of one’s educational experience. Consideration is given to nontraditional education, the continual practice of education in and outside of a person’s job field, and varied backgrounds in both for-profit and nonprofit organizations (Glasrud, 2003). Sometimes, a specific definition of diversity is not desired, but rather a general focus on diversity as difference is used. Difference can involve ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, class and economic status, parental status, or having a physical or mental challenge. Yet other differences can include private identities that vary such as recovering alcoholic or incest survivor (Delphi Consulting Group, 2007; Gitin, 2001).

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  Culture and Diversity in the United States

  So Many Ways to Be American

  • Jack David Eller(Author)
  • 2015(Publication Date)
  • Routledge

    (Publisher)

  Source: US Census Bureau. Geography Division

  Note: The full colour version of this map can be found on the companion website, www.routledge.com/cw/eller .

  Figure 12.4 Sex ratio (males to females) by county, 2010.

  Source: US Census Bureau. 2010 Census Briefs: Age and Sex Composition

  Note: The full colour version of this map can be found on the companion website, www.routledge.com/cw/eller .

  It has already been noted that the units that we use to examine a geographic region have an influence on the results we get from our examination. At the national level, a certain statistical distribution of categories can be identified; however, at the regional or state or county or census tract level, other patterns appear. Further, as researchers agree, differences exist within areas (states, regions, etc.) just as commonalities link places across areas, and certainly the official or formal (e.g. political) boundaries on maps do not necessarily correspond to the contours of diversity across space.

  Probably the most common way to organize macro-level diversity within the United States is in terms of four geographical regions—Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. We have used this system in previous chapters . This is a very blunt division, though, and the US Energy Information Administration has suggested a subtler division with two or more subregions within each region, as portrayed in Figure 12.5 .

  But social and cultural variables cross-cut these geographic areas too, as the electoral map at the outset of the chapter illustrates, and these social/cultural characteristics do not necessarily respect international borders. This is why Joel Garreau proposed a model of regional diversity that treated all of North America as one great diversity system. “Forget about the borders dividing the United States, Canada, and Mexico, those pale barriers so thoroughly porous to money, immigrants, and ideas,” he wrote (1981: 1). Additionally, forget about “East and West, North and South, faint echoes of glorious pasts that never really existed save in sanitized textbooks” and about “the maze of state and provincial boundaries, those historical accidents and surveyor’s mistakes” (1). Instead, he offered a model of nine “nations” spread across three countries on one continent (see Figure 12.6

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  Running the Numbers: A Practical Guide to Regional Economic and Social Analysis: 2014

  A Practical Guide to Regional Economic and Social Analysis

  • John Quinterno(Author)
  • 2014(Publication Date)
  • Routledge

    (Publisher)

  Source: U.S. Office of Management and Budget, “Update of Statistical Area Definitions and Establishments (OMB Bulletin No. 10–02),” December 1, 2009, h­t­t­p­:­/­/­w­w­w­.w­h­i­t­e­h­o­u­s­e­.g­o­v­/­s­i­t­e­s­/­d­e­f­a­u­l­t­/­f­i­l­e­s­/­o­m­b­/­a­s­s­e­t­s­/­b­u­l­l­e­t­i­n­s­/­b­1­0­-­0­2­.p­d­f­. Map prepared by William High.

  Map 5.1 Principal Cities and Component Counties of Seattle-Tacoma Bellevue, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, 2009 Delineation

  DIFFERENTIATING DEMOGRAPHY AND DEMOGRAPHY

  While used interchangeably, the terms “demography” and “demographics” refer to distinct fields. Demography is the study “of the size, distribution, and composition of populations; the processes determining these—namely fertility, mortality, and migration; and the determinants and consequences of all of the above.”4 Central to the discipline is the use of quantitative methods to analyze populations and their characteristics as aggregate wholes.5 Demography contains two main branches. Formal demography , also called “pure demography” or “mathematical demography,” revolves around technical calculations of population measures. In contrast, social demography , which is synonymous with the terms “applied demography” and “population studies,” investigates the effects of demographic processes on nondemographic variables, like those related to economic life.6

  Despite being rooted in social demography, many regional analyses employ demography not in a strict, social scientific manner but in a broad way aimed at conveying “information and data on the size, geographic distribution, and characteristics of a population that affect its use of, its participation in, and/or its access to specific types of goods and services.”7 This wider, nontechnical approach, known as demographics

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  The SAGE Encyclopedia of Industrial and Organizational Psychology

  • Steven G. Rogelberg(Author)
  • 2016(Publication Date)
  • SAGE Publications, Inc

    (Publisher)

  Consistent with predictions, the 21st-century workforce is typified by more women and employees with diverse ethnic backgrounds, varied lifestyles, and intergenerational differences than in the past. Such trends are projected to continue, as forecasts show that people entering the workforce in the next 20 years will be more diverse than in the current workforce. Driven by economic policy and technological innovation, geographic boundaries have faded, facilitating greater worker mobility and migration. Globalization has given rise to more international labor markets, providing organizations with access to talent characterized by a variety of nationalities, languages, and values. These developments, along with other demographic trends such as aging workforces and rising educational attainment, underscore the importance of understanding and managing the effects of diversity in the workplace.

  The Concept of Diversity

  Although diversity generally refers to any difference among employees in organizations, categorical approaches distinguish between surface-level diversity, or readily seen personal attributes, and deep-level diversity, or less apparent characteristics, such as attitudes, values, and beliefs. Diversity has also been conceptualized as a structural characteristic of organizational work units that represents the distribution of specific characteristics among members of the unit. For example, some researchers have classified differences in member characteristics according to variation in viewpoints, approaches, or status. Given the number of attributes that may be present within a group, other conceptualizations have considered demographic fault lines, or dividing lines that separate the group into subgroups based on the alignment of such attributes. Despite whether a categorical or configural approach is used, diversity attributes are often the stimuli for psychological processes and intergroup interactions. Therefore, the challenge for researchers is to understand how diversity affects individual, group, and organizational outcomes.

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