More on Inclusion

I have spoken about the idea of inclusion a lot before. I love to see diversity celebrated in the arts. I strongly believe in encouraging as many different people and groups with as many different visions as possible. But I want to reiterate that no one group or institution should expect to fulfill all roles by itself. It is not in any group's best interests to even desire to do so. It is possible for a group or institution to take the idea of inclusiveness too far.

How so? Well, groups and institutions benefit from having focus. Obviously said focus should differ from organization to organization so that each one can fulfill a different need. But the focus is important because it bespeaks a commitment to a specific vision. As a result, the members and supporters of that organization will be aware of, value and want to promote that vision (otherwise they would not have become members). However, if an institution tries too hard to encompass everyone's needs and wants then, for all that the membership may be huge, those involved are likely to grow more and more apathetic due to the fact that the group isn't playing any specific role.

I personally find this true of philosophical and ideological pursuits as well. When an ideal or vision is interpreted to be too encompassing it can become diluted because it doesn't entirely speak for those who would embrace it fully. It merely encompasses a multitude of visions and ideals without really giving a strong and vibrant voice to any one. Granted, no one ideal should be too limited or to be so strict as to be impossible to adhere to. But by combining and fusing too many ideologies into one all-encompassing vision, those people who follow any particular set of ideals may find that they are not as passionate about that vision because it doesn't really speak to and for them.

I like the idea of wholeness and of things being all-encompassing, but we as humans tend to see the specificities first. We have thrived in part due to our abilities to connect with specifics and to categorize things so that we don't have to "rediscover the wheel" on an ongoing basis. But as a result, when we try to include too many views in any one ideology, we can actually alienate those who hold said views because they don't see or embrace the same "big picture".