[GSC-Diversity-All] Fwd: Talk on Diversity and Inequality

Elizabeth Margarette Clay eclay at MIT.EDU
Fri Oct 20 13:18:28 EDT 2006


This looks really interesting- I plan to attend. Pass this on to others as well!

Have a great weekend,
Liz

----- Forwarded message from poulomi at MIT.EDU -----
    Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 13:07:23 -0400
    From: Poulomi Chakrabarti <poulomi at MIT.EDU>
Reply-To: Poulomi Chakrabarti <poulomi at MIT.EDU>
 Subject: Talk on Diversity and Inequality
      To: mcp2 at MIT.EDU


Some of you might find this interesting:
http://harvard.com/events/press_release.php?id=1725

WALTER BENN MICHAELS discusses The Trouble with Diversity: How We Learned to
Love Identity and Ignore Inequality
DATE: 	Wednesday, November 1st
TIME: 	7:30 PM
LOCATION:  First Parish Church
           3 Church Street, Cambridge

"If there?s one thing Americans agree on, it?s the value of diversity. Our
corporations vie for slots in the Diversity Top 50, our universities brag about
minority recruiting, and every month is Somebody?s History Month. But in his
provocative new book, Walter Benn Michaels argues that our enthusiastic
celebration of ?difference? masks our neglect of America?s vast and
growing economic divide. Affirmative action in schools has not made them more
open, it?s just guaranteed that the rich kids come in the appropriate colors.
Diversity training in the workplace has not raised anybody?s salary (except
maybe the diversity trainers?) but it has guaranteed that when your job is
outsourced, your culture will be treated with respect.

Michaels takes on the many manifestations of our devotion to diversity, from
companies apologizing for slavery, to a college president explaining why there
aren?t more women math professors, to the codes of conduct in the new
?humane corporations.? Looking at the books we read, the TV shows we watch,
and the lawsuits we bring, Michaels shows that diversity has become everyone?s
sacred cow precisely because it offers a false vision of social justice, one
that conveniently costs us nothing. The Trouble with Diversity urges us to
start thinking about real justice, about equality instead of diversity."

poulomi

--------------------------------------
Candidate, Master in City Planning 2007
International Development Group
Department of Urban Studies and Planning
Massachusetts Institute of Technology


----- End forwarded message -----


Master of City Planning Candidate, 2007
Department of Urban Studies and Planning

Co-Chair, Diversity Committee, GSC
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

617.699.1514 (Mobile)



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