TY - JOUR
T1 - Interest convergence and the maintenance of racial advantage
T2 - The case of diversity in higher education
AU - Starck, Jordan G.
AU - Hurd, Kyneshawau
AU - Perez, Michael J.
AU - Marshburn, Christopher K.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.
PY - 2024/3
Y1 - 2024/3
N2 - One of the major tenets of Critical Race Theory, the interest convergence hypothesis postulates that policies promising improvements for Black Americans are enacted only to the extent they advance White Americans’ interests. We elaborate and update Bell's argument by demonstrating that current diversity commitments in higher education are another example of interest convergence. First, we present empirical and theoretical evidence that ubiquitous approaches to diversity serve the psychological interests of White Americans more than those of Black Americans. Second, we advance a systemic framework for how social psychological processes intersect with normative ideologies in the law and in universities’ operations to facilitate the prioritization of White over Black interests. In so doing, our goal is to illuminate the primacy of White identity and power as fundamental to shaping American society's collective embrace of diversity.
AB - One of the major tenets of Critical Race Theory, the interest convergence hypothesis postulates that policies promising improvements for Black Americans are enacted only to the extent they advance White Americans’ interests. We elaborate and update Bell's argument by demonstrating that current diversity commitments in higher education are another example of interest convergence. First, we present empirical and theoretical evidence that ubiquitous approaches to diversity serve the psychological interests of White Americans more than those of Black Americans. Second, we advance a systemic framework for how social psychological processes intersect with normative ideologies in the law and in universities’ operations to facilitate the prioritization of White over Black interests. In so doing, our goal is to illuminate the primacy of White identity and power as fundamental to shaping American society's collective embrace of diversity.
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U2 - 10.1111/josi.12606
DO - 10.1111/josi.12606
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85187883221
SN - 0022-4537
VL - 80
SP - 272
EP - 307
JO - Journal of Social Issues
JF - Journal of Social Issues
IS - 1
ER -