Diversity - Is it going too far?

[JamesWales]

Re: Diversity - Is it going too far?

That's not the question

The question is where is your evidence that stories about diversity are deliberately promoted over other stories ?

I have asked 4 times now

The evidence is there for all to see Sludge.

Even tonight, pop onto the BBC website and there's a story about The Rock and some random Waxwork and the story is about his skin colour.

Stories like this are very often amplified. Is this really a top story for the UKs main news website?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-67193578

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Diversity - Is it going too far?

The evidence is there for all to see Sludge.

Even tonight, pop onto the BBC website and there's a story about The Rock and some random Waxwork and the story is about his skin colour.

Stories like this are very often amplified. Is this really a top story for the UKs main news website?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-67193578

Judging by its position on the BBC main news page currently, they hardly regard it as a “top story”.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news

There’s two ways of looking at this for me. First, using City as an example, I can remember noting that there often wasn’t a black player in the City team at the start of the 21/22 when Mick McCarthy was manager (Curtis Nelson was in the squad, but he didn’t always feature). Was there anything sinister in this? I don’t think so, within a year our squad had the biggest black representation I can ever remember. If now looks purely coincidental and anyone making an issue about our “all white” team at the time would have been barking up the wrong tree.

On the other hand, we’re talking about a squad photo of twenty odd players here and, when you think that you’d probably have to g o back to the early seventies to see a picture of an Arsenalmens squad without a black player in it, the photo of the current women’s squad does raise questions- as Arsenal have acknowledged themselves.

[lardy]

Re: Diversity - Is it going too far?

Because sometimes that will happen. Arsenal's men's team has a real lack of white English players. That will also happen. Cardiff City doesn't represent the city of Cardiff at all.

The Great Britain men's basketnball team has no white players.

You can't go around scrutinizing these things too much. Or you can, and you can dog whistle about racism but as I say, I think you'll be contributing towards driving society apart more and merely emphasising that race and skin colour is all that matters.

Arsenal's squad has three white English guys and four black English guys.

[lardy]

Re: Diversity - Is it going too far?

For a sports team, pick the best players. As long as there's no bias in the recruitment I don't get the problem.

Of course in other organisations diversity can be enormously valuable and important to have.

It does suggest that there's something wrong somewhere along the line; whether it's subconscious bias in recruitment, or opportunities to play and train are not the same for everyone, or something else.

It doesn't mean that people at the top are cruel racists and this was done deliberately, but there must be a kink in the system somewhere.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Diversity - Is it going too far?

I would be very surprised if Arsenal ladies recruited from the local community , white , black or whatever minority

They probably get the best players from all over the country

I would imagine these players are more likely to be from Hampshire than Harlesden

I would think that is correct, football has previously been enjoyed by the type of ladies shown in the photo, it seems mostly white with blonde hair in a ponytail. I think that has probably already changed due to the women's World Cup, and little girls from all backgrounds will replace those ladies and over the next ten years, the photo would look completely different while still recruiting the best players for each position.

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Diversity - Is it going too far?

More importantly, should they get paid as much as professional men's football?

[lardy]

Re: Diversity - Is it going too far?

More importantly, should they get paid as much as professional men's football?

For what, as a salary from the club? Is there anyone who thinks that?

[The Bloop]

Re: Diversity - Is it going too far?

Looking at the club website, the squad consists of just 5 English players, 1 Scottish and the remainder from countries such as Austria, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Ireland and Australia. All fairly well established womens footballing nations. Maybe as the game develops further afield, there'll be more African nations producing more talented players.
It was only really after Italia 90 and the success of Cameroon, that clubs started tapping into other African nations as a source for quality (and cheaper) players.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Diversity - Is it going too far?

I would think that is correct, football has previously been enjoyed by the type of ladies shown in the photo, it seems mostly white with blonde hair in a ponytail. I think that has probably already changed due to the women's World Cup, and little girls from all backgrounds will replace those ladies and over the next ten years, the photo would look completely different while still recruiting the best players for each position.

Except Alex Scott and Rachel Yankey, to name two who sprang into my mind straight away, were playing for Arsenal every week a decade ago.

[Tuerto]

Re: Diversity - Is it going too far?

Something to consider is that Girls organized football is pretty new. It could be that in the initial stages of the game in the UK that the girls who started out getting involved in the game were, are predominantly white lower middle class bracket with parents who have a little bit more money, time, social mobility etc. The men's game was predominantly white until the late eighties, so look how long men's football took to evolve.

When something new kicks in like female football at an organized level, then it's always almost going to be kids from more affluent backgrounds who carry on in the game as they generally have a better support network.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Re: Diversity - Is it going too far?

Fair enough, i'm not going to argue over it. In the latest census it says that those Cardiff's population consists of 3.8% Black population in an overall population of 362,000 people. That would include those who are African. Whoever is closest, i don't consider it a large number.

Well Cardiff clearly doesn't have a Caribbean population like some boroughs in London or Birmingham but what do you consider significant or large etc ?

If it didn't have a sizeable Caribbean community why would it have afro Caribbean barbers and hairdressers and restaurants ?

The difference between Cardiffs Caribbean community is that it doesn't have a noticeable core like St Paul's or Handsworth

That's because the demolition of the Butetown area led to the community being spread all over Cardiff to Ely , Splott , Llanrumney etc

[lardy]

Re: Diversity - Is it going too far?

Something to consider is that Girls organized football is pretty new. It could be that in the initial stages of the game in the UK that the girls who started out getting involved in the game were, are predominantly white lower middle class bracket with parents who have a little bit more money, time, social mobility etc. The men's game was predominantly white until the late eighties, so look how long men's football took to evolve.

When something new kicks in like female football at an organized level, then it's always almost going to be kids from more affluent backgrounds who carry on in the game as they generally have a better support network.

Yeah this is what I was trying to get at when I said about opportunities above, but you've explained it much better.

If England wants to be the best they can, they need to have as big a pool as possible, which means reaching all the potential talent. The photo suggests either they're not doing that, or all the talent happens to be white. That's what I conclude when I saw the photo, not that arsenal must be racist and hate black women. There's clearly something stopping them from being there.

[Tuerto]

Re: Diversity - Is it going too far?

Well Cardiff clearly doesn't have a Caribbean population like some boroughs in London or Birmingham but what do you consider significant or large etc ?

If it didn't have a sizeable Caribbean community why would it have afro Caribbean barbers and hairdressers and restaurants ?

The difference between Cardiffs Caribbean community is that it doesn't have a noticeable core like St Paul's or Handsworth

That's because the demolition of the Butetown area led to the community being spread all over Cardiff to Ely , Splott , Llanrumney etc

According to statistics that are readily available to read online, there's around 5000 people in Cardiff of Afro Caribbean heritage, and that includes 2nd 3rd generation. I have worked the areas you have highlighted every day for 6 years, sometimes visiting up to 12 properties per day. The three you mention are predominantly white. Splott, Adamsdown, Clifton st area is/has quite a strong African community developing. There are more people from African heritage than there is Caribbean in Cardiff.

[Feedback]

Re: Diversity - Is it going too far?

I agree, many do. But I think the BBC is one of the worst culprits and they have a broader responsibility. They routinely promote these stories at the expense of other things and as I say, I think it's driving wedges between people and creating an image of a society in constant racial conflict, which I don't think is true. I think it's making society more divided

bollocks.

the BBC are reporting a story that may be considered newsworthy. They've not offered an opinion, nor do they ever.

In 2021 it was estimated that the proportion of black, Asian and minority players in the Women's Super League was between 10 and 15%.

No I have no idea what the UK stat is for non white, but I'd hazard a guess its not an order of magnitude different from what we see in the league.

[Feedback]

Re: Diversity - Is it going too far?

i would say that it's a good thing that people are wondering why there are no black faces in a team photo of a huge football club situated in arguably one of the most diverse boroughs in the most diverse City on Earth.

fixed your post