The Exploratory Essay & Your DEI Project

An Exploratory Essay
• Exploratory essays are very different from argumentative essays.
In fact, an exploratory essay is likely different from any other
essay you’ve written. Instead of writing to convince an audience
of the validity of a thesis, you will be writing to find out about a
problem and perhaps to form some preliminary conclusions about
how it might be solved.
• Gives the writer an opportunity to contemplate and address ideas
for a solution. We are not problem solving. Only exploring ideas.
• An exploratory essay is, in essence, a retrospective of your
writing and thinking process as you work through a problem.
 Organizing Your Essay

Title
• Your paper should contain a
creative title, an introductory
thesis paragraph, three or Introduction w/ Thesis
more body paragraphs, a
conclusion paragraph, and
works cited page.
Body Paragraphs

Conclusion & Works Cited

Your Introduction

• The introduction should outline the problem you

explored and why it’s important. In addition, you should
briefly discuss 1) some of the problem’s possible
causes; 2) the institutions and people involved with the
problem; 3) some of the possible solutions to the
problem. A brief overview of the types of sources you
researched during your inquiry.
Body Paragraphs

• Body paragraphs should discuss the inquiry process you followed to research
your problem. These paragraphs should include the following:
• Introduction of source (title, author, type of media, publisher, publication date,
etc.) and why you chose to use it in your exploration
• Important information you found in the source regarding your problem
• Why the information is important and dependable in relation to the problem
• Some personal introspection on how the source helped you, allowed you to
think differently about the problem, or even fell short of your expectations and
led you in a new direction in your research, which forms a transition into your
next source.
Conclusion

• The conclusion should restate the problem you

explored, outline some of its possible causes, review the
institutions and people involved, and highlight some
possible solutions. If you still have any questions about
the problem (and it’s ok to have some), you will discuss
them here. Talk about why you think you still have
questions regarding the problem you explored, where
you might look to answer these questions, and what
other forms of research you would have to do.
Exploring the Issue

• Recent surveys of corporate leaders show that 93% agreed that

DEI initiatives are a top priority but only 34% believed it’s a
strength in their workplace. Among HR professionals, 80% felt
that companies were only going through the motions.
• DEI stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion. These three
concepts acknowledge the various differences between people in
our workplace. These differences may be racial, sexual, gender,
religious, age, culture, and many others. The different
components of DEI work to embrace, support, and value the
differences among us to strengthen the power of an organization.
Diversity
• Diversity – acknowledges all the different ways that
people differ. These could be culture, race, gender,
socio-economics, language, political perspectives,
education and many other factors. When diversity is
upheld as a value within an organization, differing
viewpoints and perspectives are allowed into the
conversation strengthening the overall culture. Careful
attention is made to acknowledge differences that have
been marginalized or under-represented in the larger
society as well as specific Industries.
Equity & Inclusion

• Equity – allocates resources to ensure everyone not only has

equal opportunity but can achieve similar outcomes. Equity seeks
to ensure that processes and programs within the work
environment are impartial and fair.

• Inclusion – is diversity in practice. It is the act of supporting,

valuing, and respecting all individual contributors regardless of
their differences. An inclusive organization will give every person
a sense of belonging in the workplace. Various viewpoints are
welcomed to participate in decision-making and the growth of the
organization.
DISCUSSION

Why is DEI
important in the
workplace?
• To redress inequality of opportunity – Statistics among
underrepresented groups in the workplace have made
progress, but there is more work that needs to be done.
People of color are under-represented among white
color jobs and leadership roles. However, they are over-
represented in lower-paying jobs. Asian Americans are the
least likely to be promoted to management and executive
levels in places like Silicon Valley high-tech jobs compared
to other groups.
• Employees of color consistently report less positive
experiences at work. These inequalities aren’t only specific
to racial and ethnic differences, but similar disparities are
seen among women and older adults.
• Create psychological safety and high-
performing teams – This is the Cornerstone of
any high-performing team. It allows people to
take risks and not fear they will be judged or
punished. They can speak out and not be
criticized personally. They can admit they don’t
know the answer to a challenge but are still
learning and seeking solutions. It’s about 1 in 4 people left
mutual respect.
their jobs in 2022
• When people feel valued and included, due to mental
regardless of differences, they will bring their
full selves into the workplace. Until every health challenges.
employee feels safe to contribute within the
workplace, their talents will be underutilized.
As every member of an organization begins to
understand their context and the context of
their fellow team members, collaboration will
grow. Unfortunately, this is not always the case
for many workers.
The DEI Project
• ASSIGNMENT: In MLA format, write a one-thousand-word essay on the scenario below. Your
essay should include at least one peer-reviewed scholarly article source written within the
last five years. Your article can be about anything related to your chosen topic. For example,
you may want to research the importance of inclusion, the history of DEI, the history of
gender bias, how workplaces have changed their policies over the years, etc. The goal is to
familiarize yourself with researching topics, and to increase your skills in searching databases
for information. Use the AB TECH Library to search for journal articles. You may also use other
sources, such as JSTOR, Google Scholar, Project Muse, etc. Remember to cite your sources
and to use in-text citations when applicable.
• Imagine you are the Executive Director for a company that plans to create DEI trainings to
raise awareness on the importance of workplace equality and diversity. Find two DEI topics
that matter most to you. (EX: ethnic equality, equal access for people with disabilities,
gender equality). Why is it important to train your employees to be more understanding
about diversity? What would you call your trainings, and how could they be implemented at
your company? What impact could changes in workforce sensitivity have on society in
general?
• ROUGH DRAFT DUE: 9/25 11:59 pm