For and against diversity in higher education

Abstract

Diversity is generally discussed in terms such as ‘being diverse’, ‘being unlike’, ‘difference’ and ‘variety’. Academics, as expressive writers, try to make their understanding of a concept such as diversity as explicit as possible, as part of their discourse of giving and asking for reasons. As such, diversity may be viewed both positively and negatively. Diversity is usually regarded positively by those who see themselves as democratic, liberal, reasonable and tolerant citizens of institutional, national and, even, global communities. They believe that democracy at its best would aim politically at less suffering and more diversity. However, diversity should be judged negatively if it is presented as an idea that must be accepted by those moral, political or religious authorities who wish to impose their own views of the world. The danger here is that higher education, and society in general, may be led into tolerating the intolerant and the authoritarian.