Media Analysis Proposal: The Good Doctor Season 2

Introduction

The employment environment is changing drastically. The introduction of diversity in the workplace and it being advocated by human right activities has been a significant contribution to this subject. However, when it comes to actual employment, there are chances that most people with disabilities, be it mental, or physical are discriminated against and denied the opportunity to work in specific jobs. This is a breach of the call for a diverse workplace. The people tend to be discriminated against with the employer thinking that they will not do the job as accepted. This paper will argue that there is discrimination in the work environment based on disabilities and prove that it is necessary to address it. To demonstrate this, the article will use the 16th episode of “The Good Doctor season 2” tv series. The paper will focus on the current issue in the workplace and how they are affecting the work output. It will also consider the aspect and importance of a diverse workforce.

Episode summary.

The episode summary focused on the central theme of the paper shows Shaun Murphy, an autistic surgeon resident leaving for work. Since the new chief o surgeon was appointed to the hospital, his treatment to doctor murphy remained negative. He believes that due to murphy’s condition, he should not interact with patients (Schwartz, 2019). A patient is presented to doctor Lim with a situation which he, doctor Lim, thinks is cancer and after a brain scan confirms it. However, Shaun believes that this is the wrong diagnosis and wants to get more information on the case before he can conclude the condition of the patient. However, he is denied access to reaching the patient. At home, Shaun is profoundly affected by this behavior and treatment form doctor Lim that he has to try and work out his compulsion. He recognizes the kitchen, which makes his roommate call Shaun’s mentor, doctor Glassman (Schwartz, 2019). Shaun wants doctor Glassman to speak for him, but doctor Glassman encourages Shaun to stand for himself. On the next day, Shaun sneaks into the patient’s room and starts searching into her purse, and he is caught by doctor Lim who calls him into his office and quarrels him. However, Shaun states his belief in the case and believes that the patient does not have a brain tumor but might have consumed a fish parasite (Schwartz, 2019). This is later confirmed, and Shaun’s reputation as a surgeon is affirmed.

Analysis

Doctor Murphy has autism, which makes it an issue with communication and interaction with other people, including patients. However, he is a competent surgeon, and his work is exemplary as a doctor. The main issue that the chief surgeon has is that doctor Murphy cannot interact in the usual way with patients and cannot make conclusions Easily without gathering as much information as he needs. This Lim it’s the chance that the new medical chief of the surgeon would perceive him as a competent doctor. Due to his condition doctor, Lim denies Shaun from interacting with patients and reassigns him into the lab section of the hospital. The first form of discrimination is seen in the sense that doctor Lim believes Shaun for being autistic cannot interact with the patients and be able to do his work as a competent surgeon. Doctor Lim is a biased employer and bases his bias on the fact that doctor murphy has autism. On the issue of his disability affecting his competency in work, this episode proves that it is through his disability that he can work as a doctor and do good work. The episode, therefore, affirms the call for diversity in the workplace. It gives and proves the discussed benefits a diverse workplace include the chances of having more ideas and approaches on how to solve the everyday challenges at the workplace.

Disability discrimination in the form of discrimination occurs when an employer treats professional or qualified personnel differently based on them having any form of od disability. It can also happen when an employer treats the professional unfavorably due to them having a disability (Graham, McMahon, Kim, Simpson, & McMahon, 2019). While it is against the law to treat people differently based on their abilities or disabilities, it has become a norm to perceive the Limitation of some people as a hindrance to their ability to do the work they are qualified for. The disabilities act in the united states requires an employer to provide the necessary accommodation to an employee or applicant who has a disability. The equality act of 2010 has the same stipulation in that regardless of one’s disability, and they are supposed to be treated in the same ways. However, it is not unlawful to treat people with disabilities favorably than non-disabled people.

The role of diversity in work is based on the belief that a diverse workforce can implement or handle the work better than a uniform workforce. A diverse workforce includes different ideas and skills that give the team a perspective different from one formed by an equal group of people (Deering, 2015). A diverse workforce also has more talents and abilities. Skills and expertise to handle different takes are necessary for a team to achieve its goals. By denying a disabled person a chance to be part of a team, it denies the group a valuable source of experience, talent, and skills that would have made the teams work easier to more efficient.  Another benefit of a diverse workforce is that it provides room for innovation. People with different backgrounds and different perspectives in life make a great inspiration for change. Innovational, on the other hand, improves the performances of the team and encourages the business to grow.

Similarly, a talent pool is grown form a diverse workforce. In the case being discussed, another benefit can be seen. An autistic person can provide a better perspective on interacting with people who have autism and or provide a communication channel to them. This breaks the language barrier by providing an excellent and viable option for communicating with the subject, in this case, the patient.

Cases of disability discrimination come in different forms. Direct discrimination is when one is directly treated differently and unfavorably Based on their disabilities. This can be seen in the episode in question. Doctor Lim directly treats Shaun differently based on his autism. This is a case of direct discrimination based on disability. As a result, he nearly uses the wrong procedure in treating the patient who would have complicated things. In the case of doctor murphy, this affects him negatively, including inducing some form of OCD in him. It also limits his abilities to do what he is trained for. An indirect way of discrimination is what doctor Lim tries to establish in the hospital. He is inclined to Limit the type of people who can work in the surgeon’s department by denying the general workforce. He believes that by being autistic, doctors, not only murphy, cannot communicate with patients well, which makes them unable to work as surgeons or doctors. The other forms of discrimination which either apply indirectly or do not apply in this case include harassment, victimization, failing to make the right adjustment to accommodate the disabled people into the facilities and discrimination arising from one’s disability. Discrimination based on disability include the denial of individual facilities or benefit as a result of time wasted by one due to their limitations. In the case of cancer patients, the treatment can take too much time, which can result in the employer denying them bonuses for being away formwork. This is a form of discrimination.

However, addressing the issue of discrimination based on disabilities or abilities has been a significant challenge. In the UK, for instance, the department charged with protecting and advocating for people with disabilities lost 13% of the cases (Sultan, 2020). Of the circumstances, it advocated on most of the victims of discrimination suffered from mental health issues ranging from anxiety disorders to depression. Their employers had resulted in firing them for taking long sick leaves. This, however, was a result of their mental health, and therefore the firing was discrimination based on their mental health disabilities (Sultan, 2020). The same region, UK, has seen a rise in the number of cases on limitations as a result of the abolition of hearing fees. The area also an increased incident of mental health issues, which have contributed to a surge in the employers firing their affected employees.

Conclusion

The issue of discrimination in society has been on the rise. Despite there being minimal cases of racial discrimination in workplaces, there has been an increase in discrimination based on disabilities. The goal of most businesses in getting as much revenue and growth in their industry has resulted in the employers wanting only to have those employees that it perceives as usual. This, therefore, has increased the vice, which is unequal treatment of the employees based on their abilities or disabilities.

References

Deering, S. (2015, October 12). What Are the Benefits of Diversity in the Workplace? Retrieved from Undercover Recruiter: https://theundercoverrecruiter.com/benefits-diversity-workplace/

Graham, K. M., McMahon, B. T., Kim, J. H., Simpson, P., & McMahon, M. C. (2019). Patterns of workplace discrimination across broad categories of disability. Rehabilitation Psychology, 64(2), 194.

Schwartz, R. (2019, February 25). Good Doctor Recap: Will Han Ever Allow Shaun to Return to Surgery? Retrieved from TVLine: https://tvline.com/2019/02/25/the-good-doctor-recap-season-2-episode-16-shaun-han/

Sultan, K. (2020, March 9). Department for Work and Pensions lost more disability discrimination cases than any other UK employer with nearly £1m paid out over three years. Retrieved from The Daily Mail: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8089793/Department-Work-Pensions-lost-disability-discrimination-cases-employer.html