CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2024
| Author | Chinwongmuang, Parich |
|---|---|
| Title | Tokenism or Genuine: A Case Study of Harvard University's DEI Policies |
| Summary | In this thesis, I discuss the effects and legitimacy of Harvard University’s DEI policies following the 2023 United States Supreme Court decision that canceled affirmative action in college admissions throughout America. The study employs double methods; content and discourse analysis methodologies to carefully and critically examine Harvard’s DEI initiatives, focusing on whether these policies are genuinely inclusive or merely tokenistic (only perform to include). The analysis reveals complex results: While Harvard University has made commendable efforts in the diversity of the student body concerning socio-economic status, geographical distribution, and admissions and support, there remains a problem of window dressing diversity; that is inclusivity without the full integration of the minorities. These findings imply that Harvard needs to ensure that small groups of students not only participate in the decision-making process but also have significant capacity in such a process. The paper sums up with suggestions on how Harvard University could potentially further enhance its DEI policies and practices to deliver a better diverse, equitable, and inclusive student community. This thesis was done in the hope of being able to contribute to the ongoing research to stop the conflict on diversity to achieve true transformation in higher education and to analyse the opportunities and challenges for diversification toward authentic integration after the era of affirmative action. |
| Supervisor | Qiong Miranda Wu |
| Department | Undergraduate Studies BA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2024/chinwongmuang_parich.pdf |
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