Pushing the Boundaries of Critical Diversity Studies: Discussing the past of Critical Diversity Studies and its possible future research directions

Seminar abstract

Critical diversity studies (CDS) have, from the mid-1990s, questioned the fundamental assumptions behind the notion of diversity and the way it has been studied in management and organization studies. It has been instrumental in developing a more critical research agenda on the topic by questioning essentialist conceptualizations of diversity, challenging individualized understandings of the sources of inequality, and criticizing instrumental approaches to difference. In doing so, CDS has advanced novel ways to understand and theorize inequalities related to, for example, (intersections of) gender, race, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, that continue to plague organizations and labour markets. Despite these advances, there is a need for the field to question itself in order to maintain its relevance in a world where inequalities not only continue to exist but are also amplified and take on novel and evolving forms. For example, labour market inequalities are intensified by flexibilization and the introduction of new technologies that digitalize work, and even minor advances in the field of DEI are challenged by right-wing ideologies, movements and political actors. To live up to its proclaimed ambitions of developing theories that allow us to truly conceptualize and challenge persistent and novel forms of inequalities CDS therefore constantly needs to push its own boundaries. In this seminar, we will reflect on some ways to do so, drawing on recent contributions to the field.

How to attend this seminar

This seminar is free to attend with no need to register in advance

We welcome you to join us online on Friday 29 November 2024 at 1pm.

Speaker bio

Dr Koen van Laer

Koen Van Laer is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Business Economics of Hasselt University (Belgium), where he leads SEIN – Identity, Diversity & Inequality Research. Drawing on critical perspectives, his work focuses on ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and religion at work, on the way workplace experiences and careers are connected to power inequalities, and on the way ‘difference’ is managed and constructed in organizations. His work on diversity, (in)equality and inclusion has appeared in edited volumes as well as in international journals such as Human Relations, Organization, Scandinavian Journal of Management and The International Journal of Human Resource Management. He serves on the editorial boards of Organization and Human Relations, is one of the coordinators of the EGOS Standing Working Group “Pushing the Boundaries of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Theorizing Transformative Change in Organizations” and currently acts as one of the guest editors of a special issue of Organization entitled “Critical Study of Boundaries in and around Organizations”.