From Affirmative Action to Diversity: Toward a Critical Diversity Perspective

Abstract

This article provides an overview of changes in the discourse about inclusion as it has evolved from debates about affirmative action to various notions of diversity. The article seeks movement away from 'colorblind diversity' and 'segregated diversity' toward a 'critical diversity' that examines all forms of social inequality, oppression, and stratification that revolve around issues of difference. It lays out concrete strategies for doing so: (1) target goods and resources to excluded people; (2) advocate an expansive notion of diversity, but seek out distributive justice that will serve to assist 'disprivileged' groups; (3) shift resources away from privileged groups, especially when invoking the rhetoric of diversity; (4) reconnect diversity to affirmative action and the need to offset historical and ongoing racial and gender discrimination, segregation, and bias; (5) remind people that diversity is consistent with legal compliance; and (6) demonstrate to organizational members that diversity is institutionally beneficial.

Gender in academic STEM: A focus on men faculty

“…What some scholars term ‘diversity rhetoric’ is deeply integrated into the institutional policies and practices in the United States especially in higher education (see Berrey, ; Herring & Henderson, ). Accordingly, our study design was based on the assumption that our participants were at least broadly aware of debates about the challenges facing women and minorities in higher education, and STEM in particular.…”

‘Same old story, just a different policy’: race and policy making in higher education in the UK

“…Mandatory policy making to promote diversity which is linked directly to funding has been shown to be effective in advancing equality outcomes (Herring and Henderson 2012;Phillips 2014). For example the Athena SWAN charter since its introduction in 2005 has been influential in advancing women's position in STEMM subjects (Ovseiko et al 2017).…”

It's Not Just Counting the Women: Gender Diversity and Systems Engineering

“…According to Herring (2009: 209), "diversity aims to create an inclusive culture that values and uses talents of all would-be members". While gender and race often are the focal points within diversity policies, diversity may include all kinds of individual differences, whether it comes to personal, demographic or organizational characteristics (Herring, 2009;Herring and Henderson, 2011).…”