Introduction: Social regulation of diversity and equality

Abstract

This article introduces the special issue on diversity and equality. We discuss the development of European Union anti-discrimination legislation, in particular as relates to gender and race/ethnicity, and the ways in which different European countries have implemented equality legislation. We also explore the complexities of the translation of the North American concept of diversity to European contexts. In conclusion we consider the interconnections between law and the ‘voluntary’ initiatives of employers and trade unions, and compare the contributions of the articles that follow.

A cross-national study of gender diversity initiatives in architecture

“…The 'rules' are thus influenced by the different national settings and the variations in employment relations within them. The UK follows a much more liberalised market-driven approach to equality issues (Hyman, Klarsfeld, Ng and Haq, 2012) than either France or Spain however there are also differences in the provision of childcare as well as variance in cultural and religious attitudes towards women's involvement with work. We support the argument from Greed (2006) that it is too big a burden and responsibility for women alone especially as they do not form part of a critical mass and nor are their voices heard.…”

Heterogeneity, Leveling the Playing Field, and Affirmative Action in Contests

“…The literature on leveling the playing field and the debate around the same have been assessed from economic (Holzer and Neumark, 2000;Fryer Jr and Loury, 2005;Fang and Moro, 2011;Mealem and Nitzan, 2016), legal (Sturm and Guinier, 1996;Hyman et al, 2012;Somani, 2012;Schuck, 2014), psychological (Yang et al, 2006), and institutional (Murrell and Jones, 1996;Sowell, 2004;Kalev, Dobbin, and Kelly, 2006) perspectives, though most surveys in disciplines outside of Economics focus exclusively on AA. Murrell and Jones (1996) report existing statistical and literary findings on the impact of AA on employment, education, and business ownership.…”

“…In an attempt to evaluate alternative policies for diversity management in US corporate establishments between 1971-2002, Kalev, Dobbin, and Kelly (2006) find that diversity training is useful only when managers are explicitly made responsible for diversity management. Hyman et al (2012) review institutional attempts towards diversity management under the legislation of the European Union, and Sowell (2004) analyzes the general impact of AA in India, Malaysia, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and the US.…”

Workplace processes and employment opportunities for vulnerable social groups

“…Academic contributions often concentrate on the UK and the USA, where unions increasingly address the needs of vulnerable workers (Alberti and Però, 2018; Fine and Tichenor, 2012; Fitzgerald and Hardy, 2010). However, unions are not the sole actor in this field: they interact with other key actors like employers and vulnerable social groups, and with multiple external factors (Connolly et al, 2014; Hyman et al, 2012; Rodriguez, 2004; Tatli et al, 2012). At the same time, it is still important to understand the context-specific role of unions as key actors.…”