Equity Myth
The university is often regarded as a bastion of liberal democracy where equity and diversity are promoted and racism doesn’t exist. In reality, the university still excludes many people and is a site of racialization that is subtle, complex, and sophisticated. While some studies do point to the persistence of systemic barriers to equity in higher education, in-depth analyses of racism, racialization, and Indigeneity in the academy are more notable for excluding racialized and Indigenous professors.
This book is the first comprehensive, data-based study of racialized and Indigenous faculty members’ experiences in Canadian universities. Challenging the myth of equity in higher education, it brings together leading scholars who scrutinize what universities have done and question the effectiveness of their equity programs. They draw on a rich body of survey data, interviews, and analysis of universities’ stated policies to examine the experiences of racialized faculty members across Canada who – despite diversity initiatives in their respective institutions – have yet to see meaningful changes in everyday working conditions. They also make important recommendations as to how universities can address racialization and fulfill the promise of equity in higher education.
Frances Henry, FRSC, is a professor emerita of anthropology at York University.
Enakshi Dua is the director of the Graduate Program in Gender, Feminist and Women’s Studies at York University.
Carl E. James, FRSC, teaches in the Faculty of Education and in the Graduate Program in Sociology at York University.
Audrey Kobayashi, FRSC, is a professor of geography at Queen’s University, Kingston.
Peter Li, FRSC, is a professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Saskatchewan.
Howard Ramos is the associate dean of research in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and a professor of sociology at Dalhousie University.
Malinda S. Smith is a professor of political science at the University of Alberta.