Tuesday, December 4, 2012; 3:30pm to 5:00 pm in 1030 CB
Second Humanitas lecture of Fall 2012, co-sponsored by The Department of Literature, Philosophy, and the Arts and the "Building Engagement Across Difference" series of Women's and Gender Studies
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
3:30pm to 5:00 pm
Rm. 1030 CB
"Diversity Fatigue: How to think more critically about inclusion"
by Prof. Maureen Linker (Philosophy)
I use the term 'Diversity Fatigue' to refer to the skepticism many people have regarding institutional diversity and inclusion initiatives. I argue that this skepticism may arise in part because the categories of social identity that serve as the foundation for most initiatives are oversimplified and reductive. Further, because personal happiness or unhappiness is often equivocated with social privilege and disadvantage, individuals may fail to see their own experiences in diversity rhetoric. Finally, given the recent evolution from 'diversity' to 'inclusion', some of the more challenging aspects of diversity work have given way to ‘feel good’ models of 'let’s all get along', which undermine the credibility of diversity advocates. I propose some strategies for more effectively promoting diversity by addressing the fatigue and embracing the challenges.
Maureen Linker received her Ph.D. in philosophy in from the City University of New York, Graduate Center. She is currently an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Michigan – Dearborn. Maureen’s teaching and research interests focus on how reason and knowledge are conceptualized in science, law, and philosophy. She has published in a variety of journals and has a forthcoming book with University of Michigan Press on Critical Thinking and Social Justice. Maureen is currently the faculty director for the Honors Transfer Innovators Program at UM-D.