Political Polarization and Institutional Betrayal A Narrative Analysis of Diversity Professionals and Anti-DEI Attacks

• In Event: Meeting the Moment: A Panel on Researching the Impact of Anti-DEI Action in Higher Education (Division J Vice Presidential Session)

Abstract

States are implementing restrictive legislation against diversity, equity, and inclusion, dismantling vital programs, offices, funding, and staff efforts. This erasure significantly hampers racial progress, as administrators preemptively comply with legislation, causing severe consequences for those who champion diversity, particularly diversity professionals. In this study, I utilize the institutional betrayal framework alongside a critical event narrative analysis approach to illuminate the experiences of 31 diversity professionals. Narratives reveal the troubling tendency of administrators to downplay the harm faced by diversity professionals in today's political landscape. Furthermore, administrators fail to challenge discriminatory legislation, engaging in overcompliance that exceeds legal requirements. This study’s implications demonstrate how crucial it is for administrators to shift their approach from fostering institutional betrayal to demonstrating institutional courage.
The increasing partisan divide surrounding perspectives on higher education highlights a concerning lack of confidence in U.S. institutions. Our politically polarized climate reflects differing ideologies regarding which programs, initiatives, and offices should be present on college campuses. These deep-rooted divisions are connected to systematic attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion principles, which are being pursued through numerous national and state efforts. Such actions threaten to undermine the democratic foundations that educational institutions are built upon. Furthermore, the spread of misinformation about diversity, equity, and inclusion has fueled alarming anti-democratic movements within higher education, particularly impacting diversity professionals who are dedicated to upholding the missions, visions, and values of equity and inclusion. Using a critical narrative approach, I documented the experiences of 31 diversity professionals regarding how these assaults on diversity, equity, and inclusion principles influence universities and broader democratic societies. The findings indicate that these attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion are seen not only as threats to institutional values but also as broader threats to democracy and the democratization of knowledge. Participants emphasized that the escalating political polarization in the United States has led to significant divisions in public opinion about higher education, obscuring its fundamental mission. The implications of this research reaffirm the value of higher education within the current sociopolitical context and highlight the democratic divide among higher education leaders.

Author

• Kaleb L. Briscoe, University of Oklahoma