Abstract
In recent years, diversity has become a buzzword in anthropology and wider academia but what does it mean to really do “diversity work”? Who does diversity work? And what does diversity work have to do with reimagining anthropology? Drawing on the rich and nourishing work of women of colour across disciplines, this article offers a personal intervention on the topic of diversity and reimagining anthropology, calling not just for a passive reimagining of the discipline but a radical remaking of it. Diversity is exhausting work, work that marginalized people are frequently expected to do. Rather than repeating the answers and solutions already offered by feminists of colour, readers are provided a set of exercises which creatively capture personal moments of a student of anthropology and are asked to “work” with these moments: to think about them, sit with the discomfort, use them to pay attention to how diversity is at play within their departments and institutions, to do something with them. Such moments call for action to radically remake anthropology whilst also calls out to other marginalised people within the discipline.
Highlights
When I was invited to contribute to this special issue of Teaching Anthropology, I jumped at the chance
Since I came out as transgender at the age of 17, I had sat on recruitment panels for third sector organisations as well as on the founding committee for the first trans sexual health clinic in the UK; consulted on diversity, accessibility and inclusion; attended many, many meetings on diversity; delivered training sessions; and spoke on panels at fan conventions about being disabled, trans, queer and working class. Alongside all of this “diversity work” (Ahmed, 2012; Ahmed 2017), I had experienced life as an intersectionally marginalized person and felt proud to be invited to contribute a piece to this special issue and be recognized as someone who would have a lot to say on the topic of reimagining diversity
When I sat down to write something, I felt nothing but exhaustion
Summary
When I was invited to contribute to this special issue of Teaching Anthropology, I jumped at the chance. As a first year PhD student I was excited to be invited to write my first piece of published work especially on a topic which I was incredibly passionate about – reimagining diversity.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callSimilar Papers
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
