Reclaiming Diversity: Advancing the Next Generation of Diversity Research Toward Racial Equity

Abstract

As a general concept, diversity is part of educational and mainstream discourse. It is common to hear about its value in K–12 and postsecondary education, in the workplace, and in society at large. In the case of higher education, it is considered central to an institution’s capacity to thrive in an increasingly multiracial and pluralistic society (Gurin, Dey, Hurtado, & Gurin, 2002; Page, 2007; Smith, 2015). For some, its worthiness as a goal in and of itself is simply taken for granted. At the same time, however, many perceive it as an elusive agenda that has missed its mark. Some of this tension derives from disagreement about what we mean when we say “diversity.” Are we talking about simple numerical representation or something more meaningful? In this chapter, we address this question as we describe how a notion that emerged as an avenue for upholding Civil Rights-era policies to address racial discrimination and exclusion has more recently come to include a broad range of social identities and experiential differences. We connect the evolution of diver- sity research to the outcomes of key U.S. Supreme Court cases over the last four decades, and we describe current conversations about the concept—conversations that are not necessarily tied to advancing racial justice in access, opportunities, and matriculation (Ahmed, 2012; Berrey, 2015b; Warikoo, 2016). This contradiction highlights a significant and pressing question: Is diversity still a useful concept for advancing social and racial equity, particularly in the context of postsecondary education?