The Limits of Diversity - by Esther Chan

Book Synopsis

Shows that universities' diversity efforts may inadvertently reproduce inequality

Across universities and colleges, diversity is a purported value, often accompanied with commitments to equity and inclusion. But how do universities' approaches to diversity affect their efforts to make equitable and inclusive environments?

The Limits of Diversity compares perspectives of diversity and inclusion among diversity student leaders, Asian Americans, and LGBTQ+ students at two college campuses, one secular and one evangelical. It argues that secular and religious universities reproduce inequality along multiple lines of social difference through the language and practices of diversity. Though their promotion of diversity may be well-intentioned, in practice their approaches reproduce social inequality. The volume offers empirical research on key flash points around diversity to illuminate how our current understandings of diversity are failing, and how we can improve and help universities to embrace more equitable approaches.

In a post-affirmative action world, scholars and activists are beset with the difficult task of re-imagining diversity and creating alternatives to diversity that can lead to social equity in college settings. Chan shows that approaches to diversity that do not center equity fall short. The student narratives presented in The Limits of Diversity challenge us to think about what diverse, equitable, and inclusive universities can look like.

Review Quotes

"In this empathetic portrayal, Chan shows how student leaders in diversity-related college organizations make sense of diversity and use framing to further their interest in equity on campus. Chan's attention to religious colleges--often overlooked in studies of higher education--is a particularly important contribution."--Natasha Warikoo, author of Race at the Top: Asian Americans and Whites in Pursuit of the American Dream in Suburban Schools.

"Provides an important window into the challenges facing students at Christian and secular universities trying to create and experience more equitable and just campuses by centering on the intertwined realities of race, gender and sexuality, and religion that are infused into the inequality regimes they must navigate daily."--W. Carson Byrd, author of Behind the Diversity Numbers: Achieving Racial Equity on Campus.

"This pathbreaking study masterfully examines the concept of diversity by exploring how student group leaders and university administrators intersect in their stated goals. By addressing the question of diversity along the lines of race, religion, and sexual orientation, Chan argues that programs that focus on difference reproduce inequalities while those that promote equity can be more effective in alleviating unequal opportunities among students. This timely book offers valuable insights on diversity and its challenges for higher education."--Grace Kao, Yale University

About the Author

Esther Chan is Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.