3 ms·

> Oakland is a city of great social and economic diversity... Ok, here's an honest question. These days we often are told that increasing diversity is the res

> Oakland is a city of great social and economic diversity... Ok, here's an honest question. These days we often are told that increasing diversity is the responsibility of all successful healthy organizations, end-of-discussion (see: GitHub). Under what conditions would increasing _economic_ diversity be seen as a good outcome?

notahacker 10y ago
Few people complain when rich and middle class people start moving into historically low income areas (at least until the poor can't afford to live there) When it applies to companies, I think it's pretty universally suggested that hiring people from poor backgrounds who've worked very hard to get close to the hiring thresholds and are probably being overlooked by other companies is usually a good decision. You don't get any additional "diversity benefit" from paying them less though...
- morgante 10y ago
  > Few people complain when rich and middle class people start moving into historically low income areas (at least until the poor can't afford to live there) You must not be following the news much. If you even begin to move into a historically poor area, people will cry gentrification and start throwing rocks.
  - jrochkind1 10y ago
    > If you even begin to move into a historically poor area, people will cry gentrification and start throwing ro Nah, when it's just one upper-middle-class you by yourself (how do you "begin to" move somewhere, anyway? either you move or you don't, the 'beginning' of moving is invisible to anyone but yourself), local people are confused or bemused or pleased or at most slightly annoyed. When a couple friends follow, and then all your peers follow because it seems safe and/or exciting now, and the people who lived there before realize that the neighborhood is finally getting safer and more amenities but _they aren't for them_, the amenities are things they still can't afford and the safer neighborhood is one they soon won't be able to afford -- that's when they start throwing rocks. Mostly metaphorically so far, but I'd expect literal physical rock throwing to pick up.
snowwrestler 10y ago
Economically diverse areas have workers and capital living close together. It makes it easier to find employees, and easier to find customers. Poor and middle-class people don't have to commute as far to work, and middle class and rich people don't have to drive as far to access services--or pay for services to come out to them. Cities are generally economically diverse areas. Suburbs, rural areas, and slums are not. Not coincidentally, economies tend to be most stable and dynamic in cities. > These days we often are told that increasing diversity is the responsibility of all successful healthy organizations, end-of-discussion (see: GitHub). The goal is not to increase diversity, but to better represent in a company's staff, the diversity of the society in which that company operates. You can't increase total diversity, but you can change how it is distributed.

notahacker 10y ago

Few people complain when rich and middle class people start moving into historically low income areas (at least until the poor can't afford to live there) When it applies to companies, I think it's pretty universally suggested that hiring people from poor backgrounds who've worked very hard to get close to the hiring thresholds and are probably being overlooked by other companies is usually a good decision. You don't get any additional "diversity benefit" from paying them less though...

morgante 10y ago
> Few people complain when rich and middle class people start moving into historically low income areas (at least until the poor can't afford to live there) You must not be following the news much. If you even begin to move into a historically poor area, people will cry gentrification and start throwing rocks.
- jrochkind1 10y ago
  > If you even begin to move into a historically poor area, people will cry gentrification and start throwing ro Nah, when it's just one upper-middle-class you by yourself (how do you "begin to" move somewhere, anyway? either you move or you don't, the 'beginning' of moving is invisible to anyone but yourself), local people are confused or bemused or pleased or at most slightly annoyed. When a couple friends follow, and then all your peers follow because it seems safe and/or exciting now, and the people who lived there before realize that the neighborhood is finally getting safer and more amenities but _they aren't for them_, the amenities are things they still can't afford and the safer neighborhood is one they soon won't be able to afford -- that's when they start throwing rocks. Mostly metaphorically so far, but I'd expect literal physical rock throwing to pick up.

snowwrestler 10y ago

Economically diverse areas have workers and capital living close together. It makes it easier to find employees, and easier to find customers. Poor and middle-class people don't have to commute as far to work, and middle class and rich people don't have to drive as far to access services--or pay for services to come out to them. Cities are generally economically diverse areas. Suburbs, rural areas, and slums are not. Not coincidentally, economies tend to be most stable and dynamic in cities. > These days we often are told that increasing diversity is the responsibility of all successful healthy organizations, end-of-discussion (see: GitHub). The goal is not to increase diversity, but to better represent in a company's staff, the diversity of the society in which that company operates. You can't increase total diversity, but you can change how it is distributed.