Diversity Language as System Maintenance: Toward Alternative Frameworks for Addressing Racism at Predominantly White Institutions
This theoretical essay explores the ways predominantly White institutions (PWIs) "speak" about race and diversity as providing frameworks through which the campus racial environment is perceived and enacted. The major premise is that diversity language functions to conceal operations of sy...
| Authors: | ; |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis
2019
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| In: |
Christian higher education
Year: 2019, Volume: 18, Issue: 5, Pages: 343-355 |
| IxTheo Classification: | CF Christianity and Science FD Contextual theology KBQ North America NBE Anthropology |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This theoretical essay explores the ways predominantly White institutions (PWIs) "speak" about race and diversity as providing frameworks through which the campus racial environment is perceived and enacted. The major premise is that diversity language functions to conceal operations of systemic racism on campuses, producing inaction and/or "cosmetic" action that does not threaten whiteness as a position of privilege and power. White racial comfort goes unchallenged, with White students, faculty, and staff not having to recognize their complicity in campus racism or engage with racism or themselves as raced persons in a critical way. Longstanding policies and practices that secure whiteness at the expense of students of color go unchanged, as diversity language easily fits within existing organizational frameworks. After examining the various psychological and organizational mechanisms by which diversity language works to maintain universities as "White spaces", we explore alternative languages that can highlight operations of racism that diversity language conceals and thus provide more critical frameworks to guide anti-racist action. We conclude by sharing the implications of alternative languages for practitioners and institutions and suggest future paths for researching the effects of diversity language and ways to produce recognizable change. The analysis and recommendations are applied to PWIs broadly, which includes Christian colleges and universities. However, throughout the paper we integrate unique ways Christian institutions might use White Christian logic and scripture to produce the same effects of concealment and inaction. |
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| ISSN: | 1539-4107 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Christian higher education
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/15363759.2018.1517621 |