Non-performativity of university and subjectification of students: the question of equality and diversity in UK universities

Abstract

AbstractUniversities in the United Kingdom have experienced a transformation in the context of the government's initiatives to widen participation and rapid socio-economic changes locally and globally. With more diverse students entering higher education, universities need to consider how they can create an inclusive environment. Indeed, in order to stress their openness and (international) excellence, many universities proclaim their 'commitment' to diversity and difference. However, as Sara Ahmed suggests, institutional speech acts, such as a claim to promote equality and diversity, do not go beyond pluralist understandings of diversity and are non-performative. Through the examination of policies and practices concerning issues of equality and diversity in English universities, this article, firstly, considers whether universities are successful in promoting equality amongst different (ethnic) groups. Then, through a case study of a university, it examines how students become raced, classed, gendered, or nationed subjects, while they struggle to form their own agency.Keywords: equality and diversityuniversity(non-)performativityrace and ethnicitystudentssubjectification AcknowledgementsThe author would like to thank all participants who agreed to be interviewed for this European Social Fund funded project and colleagues who put in a considerable effort in completing it.Notes1. The project 'Ethnicity, Education and Employment' was funded by the European Social Fund between 2004 and 2006. It aimed to explore stakeholders' perception of effectiveness of HE institutions' strategies to support black and minority ethnic students.2. However, mixed views on the implications of the White Paper on widening participation have been expressed (The Times Higher Educational Supplement 2011; Swain, Citation2011).3. The discussion on equality and diversity in this article primarily engages with the RRAA 2000, partly because this was the existing legislation at the start of the project, but also because, as Ahmed (Citation2012) points out, it introduced 'a 'new equality regime' that states 'equality as a positive duty'. This is followed by succeeding Equality Acts (Ahmed 2012, 8).4. The university currently operates under a new equality scheme (XX University Equality Scheme 2009–2012). Reference to XX University here does not imply that these institutional policies have particular problems or flaws. The university has been chosen merely as an example, as this is the institution with which the author currently has an institutional affiliation, and only to illustrate the remarkable resemblance of the Race Equality and Equality and Diversity Policies across the sector. Similarly, institutional policies from other institutions, although most are anonymised, are presented only to illuminate a broader concern about and a general institutional approach to the issue of diversity and equality in HE, and not to criticise individual institutions.5. The types of institutions involved were; two pre-1992 universities, two post-1992 universities and one 2004 university; four urban universities; two institutions in London and Yorkshire, and one in North West England.6. The name of the institution has been anonymised.7. Ahmed (Citation2007) states that examples she uses 'are randomly chosen' and also suggests that 'these documents do follow a similar form' (Citation2007, 600).8. This also suggests that students tend to see the problem of the system in general as an obstacle to their successful study experience rather than considering racism or other discrimination as a barrier. This point is also raised in Basit et al. (Citation2007).9. Parker (Citation2007) also refers to an 'imposter syndrome' of students who construct themselves as not 'The Real Thing'.10. In reference to a broader context of educational studies, Gillborn (Citation2006) also argues the importance of the awareness of Critical Race Theory.