Just over six months after Harvard Business School professors published a guest essay in The New York Times arguing that DEI works, Stanford University professors also published a guest essay in The New York Times acknowledging that DEI does not work.
Over time, dissenting articles seem to suggest that not all supporters of the academic left are happy with the results of the diversity, equity, and inclusion quota.
The first headline was, “DEI Critics Forget It Works.” In contrast, the second headline concluded, “DEI isn't working on college campuses. A new approach is needed.”
While her January guest essay argued that DEI programs are worth pursuing, her August guest essay acknowledged that some programs are “too ideological” and “exacerbate the very problems they are trying to solve.”
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In January, the outlet published a guest essay by a Harvard professor arguing that DEI efforts are good for educational institutions, and in August it published an essay by a Stanford scholar who argued that DEI “isn't working.” (Bloomberg/Contributor)
of First WorkWritten by Harvard professors Dr. Caroline Elkins and Dr. Frances Frye, and author Anne Morris, “The Benefits of DEI Initiatives” touts the benefits of these DEI initiatives that companies, schools, and other institutions are adopting to reward and benefit individuals based on their racial and gender identity.
The essay argues that “inclusion, as we define it, creates an environment where everyone can thrive, where our differences as diverse, multifaceted people are not only tolerated but valued. With the benefits of DEI — a willingness to pursue the full inclusion and fair treatment of all team members — the whole organization becomes greater than the sum of its parts.”
The Harvard professors urged DEI advocates not to be discouraged by the challenges of making such efforts.
“At a time when some organizations are at risk of abandoning DEI objectives as they feel the political ramifications of the repeal of affirmative action, our experience suggests that doing so would be bad for individuals, organizations, and American society as a whole,” they wrote.
But Paul Brest, former dean of Stanford Law School, and Emily J. Levin, associate professor of education and history at Stanford University, Guest Essay for August 30th He said DEI isn't working and argued that better ways of accommodating diverse student groups should be explored.
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Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have been the subject of fierce commentary, both praised and criticized. (Adobe Stock)
“While some of these programs likely serve an important purpose in ensuring that all students are valued and active participants in the academic community, we worry that many others are too ideological, exacerbate the very problems they are intended to solve, and are at odds with higher education's long-standing mission of cultivating critical thinking,” they wrote.
The authors recommended a revised approach in which, rather than institutions manipulating institutional conditions based on students’ diverse identities, they provide students with cues about how to navigate a politically and socially diverse world.
“We offer an alternative: a pluralism-based approach to DEI that equips students with the confidence, mindset, and skills to engage with difficult social and political issues.”
Later in the essay, Brest and Levin point out that diversity training on campuses can actually lead to more hatred between groups.
“Rather than challenging stereotypes, diversity training too often reinforces them, creates resentment and stunts students' social development. An excessive focus on identity can be just as harmful as pretending that identity doesn't matter,” they said.
“Collectively, these programs may instill a sense of victimization and pit students against each other, undermining the very groups they are intended to support,” the researchers added.
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