Global Studies Literature Review - No. 8, January 2018

Comparative Approaches to Diversity and Inclusion in Global Higher Education

This issue of NAFSA’s Global Studies Literature Review (GSLR) recognizes that the challenges of diversity and inclusion extend well beyond our field of international education. The field as a whole is grappling with problems of supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds, promoting a culture of inclusion, and breaking down long-standing barriers of access. Yet, the challenges of diversity and inclusion are also deeply embedded in U.S. history; indeed, they are part and parcel of world history. Legacies of slavery, oppression, and scientific racism reverberate into the twenty-first century and signs of a disturbing return to tribalism and nationalism abound. Science itself is under the microscope; anthropologist Jonathan Marks recently asked the question: “Is Science Racist?”

To address these challenges, we asked contributors to consider “diversity and inclusion” broadly—to address not just racial barriers but the construction of racial identities, not just diversity on campuses but “diversity” as a construct, not just free speech but the very idea of free speech, not just science but philosophy. Our hope is that the field continues to strive toward interpretive approaches.

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