315: Diversity: Where are female deliverypeople? Or research on them?

An article I read about research into diversity asked about levels where different groups felt occupations became "sufficiently diverse." It looked at positions at tech companies, for example.

I support diversity. I came across the article from the newsletter from Heterodox Academy, started by previous guest Jonathan Haidt, which promotes diversity, particularly of viewpoints. I would promote diversity in many places, yet there are many places I don't see diversity promoted or researched.

Living in Manhattan, I see many doormen, building superintendents, building porters, takeout food deliverymen, construction workers, and so on. I know there are many people who work mines, deep sea fishing, and so on. I understand mostly men work these fields. I never see whites or women delivering food in New York by bicycle. Have you?

Maybe I'm ignorant, but where is the push and research for diversity in these fields? I'm not asking rhetorically or to poke holes. I expect diversity in those fields would promote a healthier society for many reasons, including

• Physically dangerous fields dominated by men, when women entered them, became safer
• The more opportunities for whites in fields like delivering food, the more they'll be pulled from other roles and the more the roles where they're underrepresented will change to appeal to executives
• The more people promote equality in dangerous or low-paying fields, the more credibility they'll gain, so they don't just look like they're trying to help themselves only
• They may receive support from groups from whom they don't, like manual laborers who likely feel slighted
• People and society will rethink relationships between different workers and classes

Martin Luther King, jr sought equality between all, not just to help some. Nelson Mandela learned Afrikaans to understand his captors. How much do people today seek equality across the board versus helping some groups but not others?

Here's the first article I read that Heterodox Academy's newsletter linked to and got me thinking

• Diversity: Measuring How and Why Groups See It Differently

The primary research that article referred to

• Drawing the Diversity Line: Numerical Thresholds of Diversity Vary by Group Status, by Felix Danbold and Miguel M. Unzueta

Another article on research by one of them

• Here’s What Happens When You Tell White People America Is Getting Less White

Research by one of the researchers that starts looking into these questions

• Why Aren’t There More Women Firefighters?

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