Siúil a Rúin
when the colors fade
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2007
- Messages
- 14,186
- MBTI Type
- ISFP
- Enneagram
- 496
- Instinctual Variant
- sp/sx
I was thinking of starting a thread about Equity vs. Equality. It is an important discussion that I want to explore more and get my head around. I am aware now that the term "equity" is associated with Karl Marx and communism and that it seeks equal outcomes, but I’m curious to explore it more broadly to see effective applications of both “equity” and “equality”.
It occurred to me that one positive example of equity would be handicapped parking. Individual's with disabilities are allowed to park closer to the building to produce the same outcome that "everyone can enter the building safely and in a timely manner".
I noticed one problem in the values of "equal outcome". The problem is to assume that there isn't worth and merit in varying levels of success. My own field of music is a good example. There is an important role that a world class concert pianist plays in the world to inspire and explore the edge of human potential. But a school accompanist also serves an important role enabling children to perform a musical and enhance their development as people. Or the local piano teacher like myself contributes in an important unique way that is not a subset of the concert pianist who could likely become impatient hearing beginners play all day. I think we need to celebrate and respect a variety of outcomes. The problem with equity producing the same outcome is primarily an issue when we only value one outcome and force everyone into it.
I would like to explore this topic further with the intelligent folks here to get my head around it. I'm not interested as much in devolving into a discussion only of communism, but more variety of applications of these concepts and examples of contexts where the different approaches produce optimal outcomes.
It occurred to me that one positive example of equity would be handicapped parking. Individual's with disabilities are allowed to park closer to the building to produce the same outcome that "everyone can enter the building safely and in a timely manner".
I noticed one problem in the values of "equal outcome". The problem is to assume that there isn't worth and merit in varying levels of success. My own field of music is a good example. There is an important role that a world class concert pianist plays in the world to inspire and explore the edge of human potential. But a school accompanist also serves an important role enabling children to perform a musical and enhance their development as people. Or the local piano teacher like myself contributes in an important unique way that is not a subset of the concert pianist who could likely become impatient hearing beginners play all day. I think we need to celebrate and respect a variety of outcomes. The problem with equity producing the same outcome is primarily an issue when we only value one outcome and force everyone into it.
I would like to explore this topic further with the intelligent folks here to get my head around it. I'm not interested as much in devolving into a discussion only of communism, but more variety of applications of these concepts and examples of contexts where the different approaches produce optimal outcomes.
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