tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3171291793264659096.post8044859481932999662..comments2023-11-21T05:17:54.342-05:00Comments on From the Annals of Anthroman: Is Diversity a Dirty Word in the Academy?John L. Jackson, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05994353364710886605noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3171291793264659096.post-62595091578288733532009-11-19T14:15:09.318-05:002009-11-19T14:15:09.318-05:00In his polemic The Trouble With Diversity, Walter ...In his polemic The Trouble With Diversity, Walter Benn Michaels offers another critique of the concept of diversity - and 'identity politics' in general - arguing that it is fully compatible with neoliberalization, and fails to address the (re)production of drastic social and class inequaliteis. He suggests that neoliberalism is only concerned with the color (and quantity) of people's money and that as such discrimination on the lines of race, gender, sexuality are figured as market inefficiencies. He writes that identities become opportunities for niche marketing, that all forms of difference (including class difference) become culturalized, identified, and celebrated, and that the class system is simply reproduced with a different color scheme in each layer. This is obviously a different critique to Santorum's and there is, I think, something to it. The trouble with The Trouble With Diversity, is that it insists that because race isn't biological, it isn't real, and that political energies as such should be expended elsewhere. I'd be interested to hear your take on Benn Michaels' book (or the nugget of the argument that can be found here: http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?articleId=11864) that uses the university as a running example.jacobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09702884479663084802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3171291793264659096.post-87700993303710401692009-11-19T14:13:36.137-05:002009-11-19T14:13:36.137-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.jacobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09702884479663084802noreply@blogger.com