Diversity and Equity: Theoretical Perspectives

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Diversity and Equity Theoretical Perspectives
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The Identity Argument

• The basic claim of the identity argument is that
  race, ethnicity, and culture are central to
  decision making (moral, political, social)
• Premise 1 Ones ability to act freely (make
  free and independent decisions) depends (at least
  in part) on ones identity
• Classical liberals (followers of classical
  liberalism) disagree with premise 1. They would
  argue that ones ability to act as a free agent
  is purely a matter of the persons ability to act
  rationally (not influenced by emotions or/and
  subjective desires).
• Supporters of premise 1 of the Identity Argument
  point to special obligations characteristic of
  particular cultures and ethnicities, e.g.,
  placing a high value on family commitments.
• Premise 2 Ones race (or ethnicity, or culture)
  is central to ones identity as an acting agent
  (member of a group)
• In order to evaluate this premise, we first must
  ask What exactly do we mean by race, ethnicity,
  and culture?
• Conclusion From premises 12, it follows that
  what is right (based on political, moral, social
  values) depends (at least in part) on the
  persons race, ethnicity, or culture.

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Race, Ethnicity, and Culture

• Race Racial categories appear biological, but
  their significance is social.
• This term has dubious descriptive value. Whereas
  it was for some time common to divide humanity
  into four main races (Caucasoid, Negroid,
  Mongoloid and sometimes Australoid), modern
  genetics tends not to speak of races.
• Racism builds on the assumption that personality
  is somehow linked with hereditary characteristics
  that differ systematically between races, and
  in this way race may assume sociological
  importance even if it has no objective
  existence.
• Ethnicity is an aspect of social relationship
  between agents who consider themselves as being
  culturally distinctive from members of other
  groups with whom they interact. Ethnicity is
  generally more concerned with the identification
  of us, while racism is more oriented to the
  categorisation of them.
• Ethnic identity can be formed by certain external
  events (e.g., slavery, persecution,
  discrimination) or by certain shared experiences
  (i.e., race, culture, and community membership).
• Culture Set of beliefs, values and practices
  that define a groups identity
• To identity characteristics (race, ethnicity,
  and culture) we may add gender, social class,
  economic ability, etc.

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Responses to the Identity Argument

• Separatism - seeks to preserve identity by
  maintaining a separate existence.
• May be partial or Complete
• Examples Amish and Mennonites, Orthodox Jews,
  Acoma Pueblo
• Supremacist - seeks power and superiority over
  all other groups (see Jim Crow laws in the United
  States, which tried to retain white supremacy).
• Assimilationist and Integrationist - seeks a
  common identity, the melting pot.
• Pluralist - preserves particularity in a shared
  framework, the crazy quilt.
• Rejects ideals of impartiality (e.g.,
  meritocracy, etc.)
• Seeks to preserve and strengthen group identity

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Pluralism and Multiculturalism

• Principle of Understanding
• We seek to understand other cultures before we
  pass judgment on them.
• Principle of Tolerance
• We recognize that there are important areas in
  which intelligent people of good character will
  in fact differ.
• Principle of Standing Up for Justice
• We recognize that at some points we must stand up
  against evil, even when it is outside of our own
  borders.
• Principle of Fallibility
• We recognize that, even with the best of
  intentions, our judgments may be flawed and
  mistaken.

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Kymlickas Argument for Minority Rights

• Liberalism, Community, and Culture (1989) and
  Multicultural Citizenship (1995)
• Thesis liberalism entails minority rights
• Following Rawls, Kymlicka argues that the ability
  to develop and pursue a life plan is a very
  important good
• Ones own culture is necessary for achieving that
  good
• Many minority cultures need special protection if
  they are to continue to exist
• Thus minority cultures must be given special
  protection so that all members of society have an
  equal opportunity to pursue a life plan.

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The Rights of Indigenous Peoples

• Compensatory Justice
• Backward-looking
• Redress past harms
• Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• Language
• Religion
• Land
• Self-determination

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Rights of Formerly Enslaved Peoples

• Do we owe a special debt to those who have been
  forcibly brought to our shores and enslaved?
• To their descendants?
• How is such a debt measured? Repaid?
• One way of providing special protection to groups
  that have been the object of persecution is to
  provide special legal sanctions against
  persecutory acts--in other words, against hate
  crimes.

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The Rights of Immigrant Minorities

• What special rights, if any, do immigrant
  minorities have if they have freely come to the
  United States in search of a better life?
• Language
• Support

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Virtues of the Diverse Society

• Lawrence Blum indicates there are three virtues
  necessary for living well in a diverse society
• Opposition to racism
• Multiculturalism
• Sense of community, connection, or common humanity