When Values Are Reduced to Tools
Published:
To defend inclusiveness, diversity, and equity, some often point to their broader benefits. For example, they argue that diverse teams are more productive and perform better. I remember that in one seminar, the speaker made this point and suggested that research groups should promote diversity because it enhances performance and outcomes.
While arguments like these may be supported by evidence, I find them deeply troubling. When we justify these values only because they are useful, we reduce them to tools, something to keep if they work and discard if they don't. If we treat inclusiveness, diversity, and equity as valuable only when they boost productivity, it becomes far too easy to abandon them whenever a more efficient alternative comes along, even if it excludes or marginalizes people. This way of thinking not only weakens these values but also makes them optional. And they should never be optional.
Inclusiveness, diversity, and equity are not just ways to work better; they are the foundation of the kind of world we want to build. They are both the goal and the process. They shape how we move forward and remind us that our work is not just about outcomes but about who we include, support, and stand with along the way. They lead us toward something far more meaningful than performance: co-liberation and the collective effort to build a more just and caring world.
While arguments like these may be supported by evidence, I find them deeply troubling. When we justify these values only because they are useful, we reduce them to tools, something to keep if they work and discard if they don't. If we treat inclusiveness, diversity, and equity as valuable only when they boost productivity, it becomes far too easy to abandon them whenever a more efficient alternative comes along, even if it excludes or marginalizes people. This way of thinking not only weakens these values but also makes them optional. And they should never be optional.
Inclusiveness, diversity, and equity are not just ways to work better; they are the foundation of the kind of world we want to build. They are both the goal and the process. They shape how we move forward and remind us that our work is not just about outcomes but about who we include, support, and stand with along the way. They lead us toward something far more meaningful than performance: co-liberation and the collective effort to build a more just and caring world.