How has your thinking about inclusion and PLN evolved?

My thinking towards PLNs has evolved as I have learned more about it and as I have grown. Both the reading from Shelley Moore and Leyton Schnellert and the interview with Shelley Moore have great insights around this topic. Traditionally, inclusion stems from assimilation. There was a conscious effort to amalgamate diverse individuals from diverse backgrounds into a system. Unlike now where inclusion involves inviting diversity into a variety of spaces.

Social Media, Inclusion, and Diversity in a Professional Setting

In a professional setting inclusion can be very difficult unless there is conscious effort. Social media can be helpful in showcasing to others how the business or organization is committed to inclusion. It can also be used to create opportunities to learn more about inclusion and diversity. An example of a professional setting where these tactics can be used is in healthcare.

Within healthcare organizations inclusion is very important and there are training modules centred around inclusivity for different communities. In recent times, awareness towards indigenous communities is increasing. There have been initiatives and campaigns to spread information about ensuring equal care to indigenous individuals. I believe that through social media we can create spaces to share about how we aim to increase diversity and inclusion for all. This is important because it allows other organizations to see this effort and make changes in their own organizational culture. Additionally, there can also be efforts to support workshops to learn more about these topics. Most of the time the lack of knowledge is the barrier to change so by increasing awareness we can try to create more positive change. We can also connect with diverse voices in our communities. Social media allows us to reach audiences that we are otherwise unable to through traditional means. Thus, these are the ways social media can help create and include more diversity in professional settings.