This document discusses approaches to diversity in the 21st century United States. It notes that the U.S. population is highly diverse, with the largest ethnic groups being non-Hispanic whites, Latinos, African Americans, and Asians. In higher education, 64.4% of students are white with the remaining being various minority groups. The document advocates moving beyond a numerical definition of diversity to a contextual approach that considers power structures and marginalization. It argues for recognizing how differences are socially constructed rather than natural in order to implement meaningful diversity initiatives.

1. Thinking Through Diversity in the
21st Century: A Situational Approach
john a. powell
Executive Director, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and
Ethnicity
Williams Chair in Civil Rights & Civil Liberties, Moritz College of
Law

2. Diversity in the United States
 2010 Population Estimates:
 242 million non-Hispanic whites
 47 million Latino
 40 million Black or African American
 16 million Asian
 5 million Muslim
 4 million Native American
 3 million Arab Americans
 The United States is richly diverse place.
 Melting Pot or Framed Mosaic?
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3. In 2007, the percentage distribution of
students enrolled in degree-granting
institutions, by race/ethnicity were as
follows:
Percentage
Race/Ethnicity Distribution
White 64.4
Total Minority 32.2
Black 13.1
Hispanic 11.4
Asian or Pacific Islander 6.7
American Indian & Alaskan Native 1
Nonresidential Alien 3.4
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education
Statistics. (2009). Digest of Education Statistics, 2008 (NCES 2009-020), Table
226

4. African American v. Immigrant Black
 College enrollment rates of immigrant blacks (75.1%) are
higher than those for native blacks (60.2%).
 Black immigrants are more likely than are native blacks to
enroll in institutions of higher education, regardless of type
(e.g., four-year college, non-HBCU four-year college,
selective four-college).
 According to some research, SES may account for much,
although not all, of the differences in college matriculation
between immigrant and native black
Bennett, Pamela R. and Amy Lutz. 2009. “How African American is the
Net Black Advantage? Differences in College Attendance between Whites,
Immigrant and Native Blacks.” Sociology of Education 82:70-100.

5. The Logic of Diversity
Origins and Rationale

6. Regents Diversity emerged out of the struggle
against racism, and specifically Bakke.
v. Bakke JUSTICE POWELL
-Race-conscious measures must be “precisely
tailored to serve a compelling governmental
interest”
-Rejects societal discrimination as a rationale
because it’s too “amorphous”
- Diversity is identified as a compelling interest
- Using race as a plus-factor is okay, but quotas
and set-asides aren’t
Source: Dan Tokaji 6

7. The Logic of Diversity
Diversity of
Identity, Diverse Better
Beliefs, Perspectives Outcomes
Experiences
Source: Scott Page, “A Logic of Diversity II” (available online) 7

8. Logic of Diversity
 “Most of the time the diverse group outperforms the group
of the ‘most talented’ individuals by a substantial margin”
Whether in a laboratory or a democracy, diversity benefits
everyone
Source: Lu Hong and Scott Page, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2002)
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9. Toolbox View
ABC ABD ACD AHK FD AEG
BCD ADE BCD EZ BCD IL
Alpha Group Diverse Group
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10. Multidisciplinary View
Econ Econ Econ Math Hist Polisci
Econ Econ Econ Soc Econ Bio
Alpha Group Diverse Group
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11. View
Five Jim Phelps vs. MI Task Force

12. Defining Diversity
“Dialogue is necessary and possible. If we were just the same, dialogue
would not be necessary. If we were totally different, dialogue
wouldn’t be possible.”

13. What do we mean by diversity?
 There is a lack of conceptual rigor regarding diversity
 Socially constructed
 Current divisions not natural
 Since they are socially constructed, they require deliberate,
targeted interventions
 Not numerically alone (although important) Pursuing
Transformative Diversity.
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14. Diversity is Fluid
 Neither possible to have complete homogeneity, nor
desirable.
 Diversity is underspecified
 a continuum of diversity from absolute heterogeneity
(randomness) to absolute homogeneity.
 Just valuing diversity as diversity doesn’t tell us what kind of
diversity matters and why.

15. Contextual Diversity

16. Diversity as Cousin to Colorblindness
 Diversity is de-contextual. Without context, we all have
equal standing in a claim for diversity.
 Diversity doesn’t tell us which differences we should value
and why.
 Diversity doesn’t tell us anything about the construction of
difference, which is a relational/dialectical process.

17. Diversity is Top-Down
 Diversity is often elite sponsored, and serves a legitimating
function. See Grutter:
• Citing the dominance of lawyers in leadership positions in the
national and state capitols, Justice O’Connor argued that the
law school’s affirmative action policy ensured that the
pathways to leadership remain visibly “inclusive of talented and
qualified individuals of every race and ethnicity.”
• Otherwise, she cautioned, our democratic leaders might lack
“legitimacy in the eyes of the citizenry,” and the institutions of
higher education that provide this training might lose public
confidence in their “openness and integrity.”

18. Situatedness/Contextual Diversity
 We need to shift away from formal diversity to contextual
diversity.
 If we look at systems and structures and situatedness, then
we capture power.
 Contextual diversity suggests sensitivity to marginalization,
exclusion/inclusion, and separateness.

19. Contextual Approach
Power
Implicit Bias / Structures/
Mind Science Institutional
Arrangements
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