Since the 1980s, the conceptualization of diversity and inclusion has undergone a significant shift, moving from a so-called "universalist" perspective to an "intersectional" one. This shift raises a central question: how can privilege and power dynamics be critically examined within the literature on diversity and inclusion in organizations?
This analysis is structured into three key sections. First, the societal transformation can be attributed to a decline in focus on economic power structures and an increasing recognition of various other forms of power and, consequently, discrimination. Initially centered on gender, race, sexual orientation, and education in the 1970s, the discourse expanded in the 1990s to include disability, mental health, body size, age, and religion. This diversification of focus necessitates a rethinking of privilege: in any power dynamic, an individual may occupy a dominant position while simultaneously experiencing subjugation in other contexts. Privilege, therefore, is not absolute but situational, shaped by intersecting power relations.
Second, at the organizational level, particularly in workplace and academic settings, diversity and inclusion challenges emerge from the fluid and often ambiguous nature of workplace relationships. Paradoxically, while HR policies continue to promote "best practices" to foster inclusion among colleagues, these strategies may also obscure underlying power imbalances.
Finally, at the individual level, diversity and inclusion manifest in the difficulty of recognizing power dynamics, especially when one benefits from them. These dynamics are often embedded in everyday interactions that may appear innocuous at first glance but nonetheless reinforce structures of privilege and inequality.
This seminar will be presented by Antoine Inglebert-Frydman, Ive David Klinksiek, Diane Detry and Clémentine Colmont
