An Historical Perspective on Diversity Ideologies in the US: Reflections on HRM Research & Practice

Abstract

What is the future of diversity research and practice in HRM? In this paper, we examine diversity ideologies in the United States across four distinct eras: white supremacy and sanctioned exclusion of racioethnic minorities before the 1960s, the equal opportunity-Civil Rights era of the 1960s, the diversity management/multiculturalism era of the 1980s and 90s, and today's inclusion/post-race era. We argue diversity practices and scholarship can be viewed as enactments of the underlying diversity ideology that dominated in a particular era. Our examination provides insight into how changes in societal beliefs and attitudes about non-dominant racioethnic groups and their status and incorporation into society have influenced the trajectory of diversity practice and research. Knowledge about this historical linkage then allows us to speculate on the future of diversity research and practice. Based on a content analysis of the HRM articles published on diversity from 2000-2011, as well as global demographic and political trends, we speculate on what the next era of diversity in HRM may bring. In sum, this paper reflects upon the critical turns of the 20 th and beginning of the 21st centuries as a means of summarizing the evolution of research and practice on workplace racioethnic diversity.

The historical origins of ethnic (white) privilege in US organizations

“…The suppression of race consciousness and the belief that post-race organizations are raceless meritocracies also denies the legitimacy of racial/ethnic minorities' experiences of discrimination and inequality (Nkomo & Hoobler, 2014). In sum, these beliefs cloak white privilege, or as noted by Reitman (2006), whitewash racial politics while normalizing white advantage.…”

Diversity and Diversity Management in UNISA’s Open Distance Learning Through Bernstein and Foucault’s Lens

“…In the views of Thomas (1990) and Thomas and Ely (1996), "diversity management' is supposed to represent a break from legislated equality concepts such as equal opportunity and affirmative action." Nkomo and Hoobler (2014) opine that "while diversity terminology has changed many times over the years, the issues have not" (p. 31). They conclude that "equality for workers from racio-ethnic minority groups has remained an elusive goal, yet a goal that has not been abandoned essentially because it has not been achieved" (p. 31).…”