The labor of diversity in the 2020–2021 U.S. communication job market

Abstract

Following George Floyd’s murder in 2020, academia pursued a policy of diversity, noticeable in the job advertisements for the following academic year. This article analyzes 77 tenure-track positions for the 2020–2021 academic year advertised on the National Communication Association’s COMMNotes. With a focus on the job market and labor, the authors explain the assumptions of applying for tenure-track positions. The analysis shows how diversity transforms from concept into practice. However, within the context of the U.S.-based communication studies’ economic conditions, the authors ask if labor is outside the conceptualization of diversity.