A BETTER SOCIETY DIVERSITY, A USER’S GUIDE

Media, advertisements, company charters, public policies... It is a word found everywhere, often in the plural. But what are we actually talking about when we talk about diversity? What does this term mean, considering that it is sometimes used in all sorts of ways? Is the planet increasingly respectful of diversity or are we, on the contrary, faced with a movement of withdrawal, far from the rhetoric that is displayed? Mohamed Chtatou, teacher and researcher in linguistic and cultural anthropology at the University of Rabat, takes stock of the situation.

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE DIVERSITY OR RATHER DIVERSITIES?

In the anthropological sense, diversity refers to the fact that there are different ways of living together in any society. These differences can be extremely varied, ranging from ethnic origin to religion, cultural traditions or education. In the modern world, diversity means allowing these thousand ways of being and living to coexist in the same space. Western countries in general, and France in particular, are good examples of this: people of all religions, cultures and origins live together in peace.

ARE HUMAN BEINGS NATURALLY GIFTED FOR DIVERSITY OR IS THIS ACCEPTANCE OF THE OTHER A HISTORICAL ACHIEVEMENT?

Both! The history of mankind is one of constant migration of peoples, ethnicities and groups of people, each with its own traditions, customs and culture. In many ways, these movements were easier in the past than today. Borders, visas or passports are a rather recent invention for the human race... However, we should be careful not to idealise the past: these movements were not without clashes and armed conflicts, often triggered by religious or cultural issues, when one human group or another was convinced that its culture or religion was the best. When the Roman Empire expanded throughout the Mediterranean, it was with the conviction that the Roman civilisation was the only one worthy of being established. For Rome, everything outside the Empire was barbaric and therefore inferior and had to be civilised by the Roman language, culture, religion and law, even if it meant using force. This is no longer the case in democratic societies, where acceptance of the other is guaranteed by law.

AND YET, RACISM PERSISTED IN THOSE DEMOCRACIES:

Yes, but nowadays it is illegal. The law of the Greek cities, especially Athens, institutionalised the difference between citizens and mixed races. Today, the law guarantees equality between citizens of all faiths and origins. There are mosques, synagogues and Hindu temples in France.

GLOBALISATION IS OFTEN ACCUSED OF ERASING DIFFERENCES AND THREATENING A FORM OF STANDARDISATION OF CULTURES. IS THIS JUSTIFIED?

Globalisation tends to erase certain differences in language, culture, architectural or gastronomic traditions and, more generally, our way of life, with the risk of a certain uniformity in our daily lives. The way in which certain holidays such as Halloween have gradually become established throughout the world is a striking example of this, but it also affects certain social and commercial practices such as Black Friday. I personally see this as a real danger to diversity. By gradually imposing itself as a universal idiom, the American language is encouraging the disappearance of dozens of local and regional languages, a phenomenon that UNESCO regularly deplores. We must guard against this silent domination, which also takes place in music, cinema and junk food. Resistance exists, but this opposition is not without danger when it has recourse to a form of exacerbated nationalism, which has been particularly marked in Europe in recent years. This can take the form of cultural fascism, which sees diversity and multiculturalism as a threat to a country’s own culture.

HOW IS DIVERSITY EXPRESSED TODAY IN A COUNTRY LIKE MOROCCO, OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE «KINGDOM OF A THOUSAND KINGDOMS»?

Over the centuries, the entire history of Morocco has been marked by the successive arrival of peoples with very different traditions and cultures, from the Hebrews to the Phoenicians or the Romans, via the Visigoths, the Berbers, the French or the Spanish. In fact, the 2011 Constitution refers in its preamble to ‘African, Andalusian, Hebrew and Mediterranean tributaries’ who have converged with Arab-Islamic, Amazigh and Saharan components to produce unity. This diversity can be found everywhere in its population, but also in its cuisine or in its music that is particularly varied. Morocco is a gateway between Africa and Europe, and vice versa.

53 %

OF FRENCH EMPLOYEES BELIEVE THAT MOVEMENTS SUCH AS #METOO OR #BALANCETONPORC HAVE HAD AN IMPACT IN THEIR COMPANY, BUT ONLY A THIRD OF WOMEN FEEL COMFORTABLE RAISING THE SUBJECT IN THE WORKPLACE. (CEGOS, 2022)

STILL TOO MANY EMPLOYEES ARE VICTIMS OF DISCRIMINATION.

Conducted in spring 2022, the latest international survey by CEGOS, a professional training organisation, shows that there is still a long way to go in the professional world in terms of diversity and inclusion. Conducted in seven countries (France, Germany, Brazil, Italy, Great Britain, Spain and Portugal), it shows that discrimination is still a daily occurrence among working people: 82% of employees questioned (74% in France) say they have witnessed it at least once and 63% (54% in France) say they have been victims. In addition to physical appearance, gender, origin, disability or state of health, age is the main reason cited - including among the youngest: 40% of 18-24 years old said they had experienced this type of discrimination. But things could change: not only do 82% of working people (77% in France and 90% amongst 18-24 years old) advocate the deployment of a diversity policy within their company, but inclusion is becoming a crucial factor in the brand image of employers: 84% of employees surveyed make it a determining factor when choosing a new employer, an index that rises to… 100% among 18-24 years old.