On Different Grounds

Whether it is in the workplace or in higher education being able to think about situations in their context enables professionals to make commitments to help other groups or individuals.  An example of this attention to people was displayed in a Tyson plant in Shelbyville, Tenn.

With a large majority of its workers being of Islamic faith, it was granted that Labor Day not be scheduled off but that last day of Ramadan which is October 1. Out of 1,200 workers, 700 of them are Islam.  But this was not religious based decision but was a "contractual agreement".  This means that the majority of people wanted for this to happen.  Tensions have risen though because of the division of religion as a personal matter.  This particular Tyson plant even has a prayer room for Muslims to pray.  One worker commented that "We don't have one for Christians". Another went as far as saying "..you're in America, I think that they should go with our holidays" (Associated Press, 2008).

How does this relate to my voice or higher education?  It goes back to the question on what it means to be an American in this country and I believe the lack of concern for diversity.  In higher education, the very nature of a liberal arts education is to broaden the knowledge base of the individual.  Dialogue is one of the most important components in creating visibility for issues from the Bad Butter Rebellion to the Jena 6 protests, each had students voice their opinions on campus. One of the programs that I have encountered is the inter-group relations program at the University of Michigan.  It is not a debate of who is wrong or right but rather an open forum where facilitators help guide dialogue into new and interesting areas.  The purpose is to promote understanding and I believe that without this visibility, students may not be as proactive until large situations arise.  With more dialogue would these non-Muslim workers be more happy?  The world may never know, but what they may have done if dialogue happened would be a chance to empathize and more importantly, have an awareness of other cultures and their customs.  The two keys terms of opportunity and awareness can create programs that have impacts on cultural groups so that the majority does not lose sight of the issues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GoHooTg5Do

Resources:

Associated Press. (2008, August). Drops Labor Day for Muslim Holiday. Nashville News. Retrieved August 4, 2008, from http://www.wsmv.com/news/17063986/detail.html#-

(2008). Tyson replaces labor with Muslim Holiday [Video]. Retrieved August 1, 2008 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GoHooTg5D0