Reimagining Diversity: Moving from A Multicultural Perspective to An Ecological Perspective

Abstract

In this article, I contend that the multicultural view of diversity found in management diversity literature and diversity training programs diminishes our understanding of diversity. It reduces diversity to differences and assumes that the goal should be including, bridging, accommodating, and managing these supposed differences. Diversity is psychologized, depoliticized, and biopoliticized. It becomes merely a means to an end. The end being superior organizational outcomes in terms of utility and functionality. I contend that an ecological perspective makes for a more constructive and expansive view of human diversity. I discuss the contours of this emergent perspective and the many ways in which it expands our understanding of human diversity. Ultimately, I contend looking at diversity from an ecological perspective makes for a richer understanding of the relationship between diversity and the human experience.