1 Inclusive Excellence, Diversity, and Multicultural Education By Paul C. Gorski August 2009

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Inclusive Excellence, Inclusive Excellence, Diversity, and Multicultural Diversity, and Multicultural

Education Education By Paul C. Gorski By Paul C. Gorski

August 2009August 2009

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I. Introduction: Who We AreI. Introduction: Who We Are

1. Who is in the room?

2. My background and lenses

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I. Introduction: Primary I. Introduction: Primary ArgumentsArguments

1. At its heart, inclusive excellence is about creating equitable and just learning and working environments for all members of a community

2. Much of what we do in the name of equity and justice is inequitable and unjust

3. Being more authentically equitable and just requires attention to several core principles

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I. Introduction: AgendaI. Introduction: Agenda

1. Introductory Stuff

2. Moving Toward “Inclusive Excellence”

3. Key Concepts

4. Key Principles

5. What We Can Do

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II. Moving Toward II. Moving Toward “Inclusive Excellence”“Inclusive Excellence”

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Campus Approaches Campus Approaches to Multicultural Educationto Multicultural Education

1. Celebrating Diversity

2. Cultural Competence

3. Human Relations

4. Equity and Justice

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1. Celebrating Diversity1. Celebrating Diversity

Characterized by:

• Surface-level cultural activities and programming (fashion shows, food fairs)

• Stereotypical minimalizations of “cultures” (Taco Night)

• Institutional resistance to addressing diversity concerns in ways that don’t feel good to most privileged groups

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2. Cultural Competence2. Cultural Competence

Characterized by:• Focus on learning about cultures, often in ways

that minimize or essentialize cultures (“Native American culture”; “African American culture”)

• Focus exclusively on those in the “minority” while ignoring systemic power and privilege

• An expectation that those in disenfranchised groups will “teach” those in privileged groups about their “culture”

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3. Human Relations3. Human Relations

Characterized by:

• Structured opportunities for community members to come together across differences to hear each other’s experiences (Mix It Up Lunch; intergroup dialogue)

• Interpersonal focus rather than institutional focus

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4. Equity and Justice4. Equity and Justice

Characterized by:• Institutional commitment to creating an

anti-racist, anti-sexist, etc., campus through policy and practice

• Continual institutional assessment of the extent to which equity and justice or present

• Full cultural, social, political, and other access by all community members

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Part IIIPart III

Key ConceptsKey Concepts

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Concept 1: InclusiveConcept 1: Inclusive

• Physical inclusiveness is not the same as social or cultural inclusiveness

• An organization is only as inclusive as its most excluded member experiences it to be

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Concept 2: Equity v. EqualityConcept 2: Equity v. Equality

• The difference

• Building policy for equity rather than equality

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Concept 3: Implicit CultureConcept 3: Implicit Culture

• Sometimes called “hidden curriculum”

• What are the underlying values and hidden messages that form the culture of UW-Superior? Who benefits from these and who do they hurt?

* * *

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IV. Key Principles for an IV. Key Principles for an Equitable and Just Equitable and Just

CampusCampus

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PrinciplesPrinciples

• Authentic “inclusion” and equity cannot be achieved through cultural programming

• Resources committed to equity and diversity should not be used for “celebrating diversity,” but instead for eliminating inequities

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• Inclusive excellence begins with creating an equitable and just environment for all members of a community, which means we must be against all inequity and injustice

• Racism, classism, sexism, heterosexism/homphobia, and so on…

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• Exclusion is not just an interpersonal issue. It’s a systemic issue, often buried in “tradition” or “just the way things are”

• This is why it’s so important to understand the implicit culture and who it serves

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• Acting in support of inclusive excellence requires that we spend our “institutional likeability”

• Must be willing to upset people and the institution

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• Inclusion and equity require a comprehensive assessment and approach

• So we can’t simply add this or that program or class to an otherwise inequitable campus– Must think about the curriculum, co-curriculum,

policies, hiring, leadership, and so on

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• In order for a campus to move authentically toward inclusive excellence, leadership must be actively and authentically involved

• It never works without a combination of shifts in (1) expectations, (2) policy, (3) accountability, all from leadership

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• Equity advocates on campus must be empowered to fight the fight

• Too often, the biggest advocates are marginalized within a university, but the real shift comes when those who support inequity are marginalized

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• Diversity is not about validating all perspectives

• Appreciating diversity doesn’t mean respecting somebody’s homophobia; it means eliminating homophobia

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• Equity requires us to prioritize justice, not peace

• Peace or conflict resolution without justice is injustice and privileges those already in power

* * *

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V. What I Can DoV. What I Can Do

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What I Can DoWhat I Can Do

Know and work to eliminate my own biases.

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Teach and learn about racism, poverty, homophobia, and other atrocities.

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Challenge each other. Strengthen “the choir.”

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See and work at intersections:

• Racism and sexism

• Sexism and heterosexism

• Heterosexism and classism

• Classism and environmental destruction

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Organize

• Build coalitions among your colleagues or classmates when you see change that needs to happen

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Move Beyond the Dialogue

• Dialogue helps us educate and organize ourselves, but dialogue, in and of itself, never creates change

* * *

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Final Thought:

The Two Corridors

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Thank you.Thank you.

Paul C. GorskiPaul C. Gorski

[email protected]@edchange.org

http://www.edchange.orghttp://www.edchange.org

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1 Inclusive Excellence, Diversity, and Multicultural Education By Paul C. Gorski August 2009