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- DictionaryIn·clu·sion/inˈklo͞oZH(ə)n/
noun
- 1. the action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure: "federal legislation now mandates the inclusion of students who are English language learners"
- 2. the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or intellectual disabilities and members of other minority groups: "we value and promote diversity and inclusion in every aspect of our business"
Learn the various meanings and uses of the word inclusion, from the act of including to a mathematical relation. See examples, synonyms, etymology, and related phrases.
Learn the meaning of inclusion as the act of including someone or something in a group, list, etc., or as a social idea of equality and fairness. See how to use inclusion in different contexts and domains with examples from various sources.
- Overview
- Defining Inclusion
- What Inclusion Looks Like In Different Environments
- What Organizing Inclusion Means
- Does Digital Technology Fail at Inclusion of Seniors?
- Folx With Disabilities Deserve Inclusion
- Understanding the Need For Inclusion
- Gathering and Incorporating Feedback From Marginalized Groups
- What You Can Do to Promote Inclusion
- A Word From Verywell
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In light of the current racial climate, many settings are becoming increasingly aware of their lack of diversity and representation. Such organizations have failed to represent folx of all backgrounds, genders, etc. This has left the most oppressed folx feeling undervalued, ignored, erased, etc.
This article will discuss what inclusion means (and how it differs from diversity), why it matters, and what inclusion looks like in various environments.
Furthermore, we'll look at ways in which you can help promote and support inclusivity efforts in your daily life as doing so will facilitate a sense of belonging in the groups that have been systematically oppressed and excluded.
Inclusion refers to "the act or practice of including and accommodating people who have historically been excluded (because of their race, gender, sexuality, or ability)."
While many organizations pride themselves on inclusion efforts, the reality is that the most oppressed folx are often the ones with the greatest awareness of how much more work needs to be done in this regard. In fact, the most marginalized folx can help to show just how much an organization may lack inclusion and diversity.
Inclusivity In the Workplace
In their 2014 book, Diversity at Work, Bernardo M. Ferdman and Barbara R. Deane describe the practice of inclusion as key to investing in diversity at work. Ferdman and Deane have engaged in education, writing, and speaking on diversity and inclusion, especially as it pertains to leadership within organizations. These authors define inclusion efforts as: "Creating, fostering, and sustaining practices and conditions that encourage and allow each of us to be fully ourselves—with our differences from and similarities to those around us—as we work together." As with most important initiatives, inclusion requires a great deal of investment to come to fruition.
Examples of Workplace Inclusivity
Inclusion in the workplace may look like: Fostering community Anti-bias training Universal design
Inclusivity In Educational Systems
A 2019 journal article provides a discussion of inclusion in English language teaching with the recognition that it is not a new practice but asserts that it may require more transformational approaches than earlier small-scale changes to educational strategies. In other words, it can be helpful to understand how educational systems were designed with the needs of the dominant groups in mind (i.e., those who are cisgender, straight, able-bodied, etc.) so they may need to be revolutionized. It means thinking critically about the ways in which learning spaces may fail to meet the needs of folx who are BlPOC, LGBTQPIAP+, etc.
From the preface of their 2020 book, Organizing Inclusion: Moving Diversity From Demographics To Communication Processes, authors Doerfel and Gibbs name the institutional biases of white supremacy, sexism, settler colonialism, homophobia, etc. which have contributed to inequitable outcomes within groups, organizations, and society itself.
In doing so, they make the case for why organizations must communicate differently if they are invested in inclusion efforts given how much of the status quo poses barriers.
According to a 2015 journal article based on a couple of focus groups with 17 older adults, both the challenges and benefits of digital technology for seniors were explored, alongside its policy implications. It demonstrated how some individuals who were once included required additional outreach efforts to ensure accessibility as all seniors did not necessarily learn how to make use of technology advances.
In this way, it is easy to see how a group may require additional considerations to maintain inclusion as they age while technology evolves beyond their typical use.
A 2020 journal article highlighted how inclusion efforts often fail to focus on folx with disabilities despite their underrepresentation in the workforce and outlined how the following approaches were effective at addressing this equity gap: "diversity and inclusion statements, employee resource groups, supplier diversity initiatives, and targeted hiring and recruitment plans."
With such evidence-based actions for the inclusion of folx with disabilities, organizations can take tangible steps to diversify their workforce.
For far too long, folx with disabilities have had to bear the burden of ableism at all levels of society.
If organizations are interested in inclusion, they could learn a great deal from BIPOC disability justice activists like Alice Wong, Vilissa Thompson, Imani Barbarin, and Sarah Jama.
While it can feel daunting to become more aware of all the ways in which society fails at inclusion of the most oppressed groups, that ability to recognize such gaps can be a big part of taking action.
Just as the problematic status quo was developed over a long period of time, investing in inclusion will take a great deal of work, but it is well worth the effort.
When it comes to inclusion work, folx often do not yet know what they do not know. It is common for folx who come from backgrounds of privilege to have had a limited understanding of the ways in which systems that may have worked effectively for them have actually been rigged against communities that are BIPOC, LGBTQIAP+, disabled, undocumented, etc.
Upon coming to better understand the problematic status quo though, is when folx who are able to promote inclusion have a responsibility to do so. When embarking on that journey, it is crucial for those in power to take feedback from marginalized groups seriously as they work at inclusion, or they may run the risk of escalating harm to these communities even further.
In fact, it may be well worth assuming that your initial efforts at inclusion may not go as planned, and yet failed attempts only require accountability and greater investment.
All too often, the appearance of progress is prioritized over actual strides with inclusion work.
Here's some ways in which you can help to promote inclusion in your daily life:
•Ask yourself which marginalized folx may not feel welcome in a space, and make an effort to change that.
•Identify the barriers to inclusion to those in leadership positions when it is safe to do so to address them.
•Assess how much privilege you have and how much space you hold and amplify more oppressed voices.
As you have probably gathered, it would be impossible to explain all that inclusion is in one article, but hopefully, these insights have helped to inform your understanding of this practice, as well as the need for it.
Every setting you encounter may be one in which you have an opportunity to promote inclusion. If you have the capacity to do so, that effort could benefit the lives of folx who may not otherwise have access to those spaces.
7 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
1.Inclusion. In: Merriam-Webster.
2.Ferdman B, Deane B. Diversity At Work. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass; 2014.
Learn the meaning of inclusion as the act of including someone or something as part of a group, list, etc., or a person or thing that is included. See how to use inclusion in different contexts and domains, such as education, social science, and business.
Inclusion is the act of including or the state of being included in something. It can also refer to the policy of integrating people and groups in various contexts, such as education, politics, or business.
Learn the meaning of 'inclusion' as a noun in different contexts, such as social policy, geology, biology, and logic. See examples, synonyms, pronunciation, and word origin of 'inclusion'.
Inclusion is the act of including someone in something, like a school, club, or team. If you are familiar with the word include — meaning to make someone or something a part of something larger — then inclusion should make sense.
