Building Social Justice-oriented Resilience for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education: Propositions from Hong Kong
Abstract views: 172 / PDF downloads: 58
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/1896Keywords:
diversity, inclusion, ethnicity, higher education, social justice, Hong KongAbstract
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) rhetoric and initiatives are gaining attention in Asian higher education. Yet, these are still underexplored in terms of their potential to bring about cohesive campus climates. As higher education institutions admit students from diverse backgrounds, there is room for examining how DEI might be leveraged to support growing student learning needs, particularly in contexts where cultural diversity is not the norm. Using Hong Kong as an example, this paper probes the genesis of DEI initiatives and sources of deficit thinking in higher education with reference to the experiences of ethnic minority (EM) students. It proposes a conceptualization of resilience theory from a social justice lens to counter deficit thinking and racism, which helps locate DEI initiatives in building culturally inclusive environments.
Downloads
References
Ahn, M. Y., & Davis, H. H. (2020). Four domains of students’ sense of belonging to university. Studies in Higher Education, 45(3), 622–634. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1564902 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1564902
Ali, D. (2017). Safe spaces and brave spaces: Historical context and recommendations for student affairs professionals. https://www.naspa.org/images/uploads/main/Policy_and_Practice_No_2_Safe_Brave_Spaces.pdf
Arat, G., & Kerelian, N. N. (2019). Reshaping the social work education system toward cultural competency: The Hong Kong case. International Social Work, 62(1), 316–329. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872817725133 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872817725133
Baik, C., Larcombe, W., & Brooker, A. (2019). How universities can enhance student mental wellbeing: The student perspective. Higher Education Research & Development, 38(4), 674–687. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2019.1576596 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2019.1576596
Bhowmik, M., & Kennedy, K. J. (2016). ‘Out of school’ ethnic minority young people in Hong Kong. Springer. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0327-1
Bowman, N. A. (2010). College diversity experiences and cognitive development: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 80(1), 4–33. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654309352495 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654309352495
Campbell, N. (2012). Promoting intercultural contact on campus: A project to connect and engage international and host students. Journal of Studies in International Education, 16(3), 205–227. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315311403936 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315311403936
Carmichael, S. (2009). Language rights in education: A study of Hong Kong linguistic minorities (Occasional Paper No. 19). https://ccpl.law.hku.hk/content/uploads/2018/03/Pub/OP/OP%20No%2019%20Carmichael.pdf
Carter, H., & Groopman, J. (2021, December). Diversity, equity, and inclusion in open source: Exploring the challenges and opportunities to create equity and agency across open source ecosystems. https://www.linuxfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/LFResearch_DEISurvey_Report_121321_6.pdf
Caruana, V., Clegg, S., Ploner, J., Stevenson, J., & Wood, R. (2011). Promoting students’ ‘resilient thinking’ in diverse higher education learning environments (C-SAP project 2010/11). The Higher Education Academy. https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/promoting-students-resilient-thinking-diverse-higher-education-learning-environments
Celeste, L., Baysu, G., Phalet, K., Meeussen, L., & Kende, J. (2019). Can school diversity policies reduce belonging and achievement gaps between minority and majority youth? Multiculturalism, colorblindness, and assimilationism assessed. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 45(11), 1603–1618. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167219838577 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167219838577
Census and Statistics Department. (2022). Thematic report: Ethnic minorities. https://www.census2021.gov.hk/doc/pub/21c-ethnic-minorities.pdf
Chang, B. B., & McLaren, P. (2018). Emerging issues of teaching and social justice in Greater China: Neoliberalism and critical pedagogy in Hong Kong. Policy Futures in Education, 16(6), 781–803. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210318767735 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210318767735
Claeys-Kulik, A.-L., & Jørgensen, T. E. (2018). Universities’ strategies and approaches towards diversity, equity and inclusion: Examples from across Europe. European University Association. https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/universities-39-strategies-and-approaches-towards-diversity-equity-and-inclusion.pdf
Denson, N. (2009). Do curricular and cocurricular diversity activities influence racial bias? A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 79(2), 805–838. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654309331551 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654309331551
Diaz, M., Cheng, S., Goodlad, K., Sears, J., Kreniske, P., & Satyanarayana, A. (2021). Turning Collective Digital Stories of the First-year Transition to College into a Web of Belonging. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 5(1), 67-84. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/10793 DOI: https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/10793
Duchek, S., Raetze, S., & Scheuch, I. (2020). The role of diversity in organizational resilience: A theoretical framework. Business Research, 13, 387–423. https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs40685-019-0084-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40685-019-0084-8
Equal Opportunities Commission, & The Centre for Youth Research and Practice. (2020). A study on education and career pathways of ethnic minority youth in Hong Kong. https://www.eoc.org.hk/EOC/upload/ResearchReport/20200619_em.pdf
Forsyth, H., & Cairnduff, A. (2015). A scholarship of social inclusion in higher education: Why we need it and what it should look like. Higher Education Research & Development, 34(1), 219–222. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2014.975902 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2014.975902
Gao, F. (2019). Ethnic minority students’ progression to university in Hong Kong: access and equity. Multicultural Education Review, 11(2), 135-148. https://doi.org/10.1080/2005615X.2019.1615245 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/2005615X.2019.1615245
Gao, F. (2024). Understanding campus-based intercultural social capital for minority university students in Hong Kong. Comparative Education, 60(2), 334–350. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2024.2317070 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2024.2317070
Gao, F., & Liu, H. C. Y. (2021). Guests in someone else’s house? Sense of belonging among ethnic minority students in a Hong Kong university. British Educational Research Journal, 47(4), 1004–1020. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3704 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3704
Gaudette, C. (2023, November 2). Understanding DEI in Asia. Global Diversity Practice. https://globaldiversitypractice.com/understanding-dei-in-asia/
Gertz, S. K. (2018). Saturation, to create a civilized space. In S. K. Gertz, B. Huang, & L. Cyr (Eds.), Diversity and inclusion in higher education and societal contexts: International and interdisciplinary approaches (pp. 1-15). Palgrave Macmillan. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70175-2_1
Gleason, N. W. (2020). Conclusion: Strategic leadership for diversity and inclusion in higher education. In C. S. Sanger & N. W. Gleason (Eds.), Diversity and inclusion in global higher education: Lessons from Asia (pp. 285–304). Palgrave Macmillan. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1628-3_11
Goth, U. S., Bergsli, O., & Johansen, E. M. (2017). Integration of ethnic minorities during group-work for vocational teachers-in-training in health studies. International Journal of Medical Education, 8, 31-36. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.5862.505a DOI: https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.5862.505a
Gube, J., & Burkholder, C. (2019). Unresolved tensions in Hong Kong’s racialized discourse: Rethinking differences in educating about ethnic minorities. In J. Gube & F. Gao (Eds.), Education, ethnicity and equity in the multilingual Asian context (pp. 105-121). Springer. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3125-1_7
Gube, J., & Phillipson, S. (2021). Bordering on sociocultural boundaries and diversity: negotiating Filipino identities in a Hong Kong multi-ethnic school. Identities, 28(3), 380–398. https://doi.org/10.1080/1070289X.2019.1671678 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1070289X.2019.1671678
Guo, S., & Jamal, Z. (2007). Nuturing cultural diversity in higher education: A critical review of selected models. Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 37(3), 27-49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.47678/cjhe.v37i3.529
Hart, A., Gagnon, E., Eryigit-Madzwamuse, S., Cameron, J., Aranda, K., Rathbone, A., & Heaver, B. (2016). Uniting resilience research and practice with an inequalities approach. Sage Open, 6(4), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244016682477 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244016682477
Holdsworth, S., Turner, M., & Scott-Young, C. M. (2018). … Not drowning, waving. Resilience and university: A student perspective. Studies in Higher Education, 43(11), 1837–1853. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2017.1284193 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2017.1284193
Iwasaki, E. (2019). Book review: Gube, J., & Gao, F. (Eds). (2019). Education, ethnicity and equity in the multilingual asian context. FIRE: Forum for International Research in Education, 5(3), 184–186. https://doi.org/10.32865/fire201953213 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32865/fire201953213
Kennedy, K. J. (2012). The ‘no loser’ principle in Hong Kong’s edudcation reform: Does it apply to ethnic minority students? Hong Kong Teachers’ Centre Journal, 11, 1–23.
Law, K.-Y., & Lee, K.-M. (2012). The myth of multiculturalism in ‘Asia’s world city’: Incomprehensive policies for ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. Journal of Asian Public Policy, 5(1), 117–134. https://doi.org/10.1080/17516234.2012.662353 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17516234.2012.662353
Legislative Council. (2022). Replies to initial written questions raised by Finance Committee members in examining the estimates of expenditure 2021-22. https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/about-edb/press/legco/replies-to-fc/21-22-w-edb-e.pdf
Lewis, J. E. (2017). Cross-cultural leader development in a university club: An autoethnography. Educational Process: International Journal, 6(3), 7–17. https://doi.org/10.22521/edupij.2017.63.1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22521/edupij.2017.63.1
Li, L. C., Kwan, C. K., Or, N., Mo, P. L. L., Kwok, K., & Chung, J. (2023). “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” labor force’s impact on Hong Kong’s innovation, competitiveness and sustainable development (Policy Paper 20). https://www.cityu.edu.hk/cshk/files/PolicyPapers/CSHKPP20_ENG.pdf
Manning, K. D., & Yuen, C. Y. M. (2023). Inclusivity of the Hong Kong higher education system: A critical policy analysis. Asia Pacific Journal of Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2023.2251709 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2023.2251709
McNair, L. D. (2019). Advancing our vision: Breadth, depth, and impact of diversity and inclusion work. Liberal Education, 105(2), 14–19.
Miremadi, D. (2013). Strong racial identity can boost academic resilience. Women in Higher Education, 22(7), 22–23. https://doi.org/10.1002/whe.10481 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/whe.10481
Motti-Stefanidi, F. (2015). Risks and resilience in immigrant youth adaptation: Who succeeds in the Greek school context and why? European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 12(3), 261–274. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2015.1020787 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2015.1020787
Motti-Stefanidi, F. (2018). Resilience among immigrant youth: The role of culture, development and acculturation. Developmental Review, 50(Part A), 99–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2018.04.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2018.04.002
Motti-Stefanidi, F., & Masten, A. S. (2013). School success and school engagement of immigrant children and adolescents: A risk and resilience developmental perspective. European Psychologist, 18(2), 126–135. https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000139 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000139
Murray, G., Wilson, R., & Clarke, B. (2019). Engaging for belonging. In B. Tynan, T. McLaughlin, A. Chester, C. Hall-van den Elsen, & B. Kennedy (Eds.), Transformations in tertiary education: The scholarship of engagement at RMIT university (pp. 3–10). Springer.
Mushonga, D. R., & Henneberger, A. K. (2020). Protective factors associated with positive mental health in traditional and nontraditional black students. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 90, 147–160. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000409 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000409
Nagy, S. R. (2014). Politics of multiculturalism in East Asia: Reinterpreting multiculturalism. Ethnicities, 14(1), 160–176. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468796813498078 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1468796813498078
O’Connor, P. (2018). Ethnic minorities and ethnicity in Hong Kong. In T.-l. Lui, S. W. K. Chiu, & R. Yep (Eds.), Routledge handbook of contemporary Hong Kong (pp. 259–274). Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315660530-16
OECD. (2023). PISA 2022 Results (Volume I): The state of learning and equity in education. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/content/publication/53f23881-en DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/53f23881-en
Otten, M. (2003). Intercultural learning and diversity in higher education. Journal of Studies in International Education, 7(1), 12–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315302250177 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315302250177
Park, J. Z. (2012). Racial insularity and ethnic faith: The emerging Korean american religious elite. In C. Chen & R. Jeung (Eds.), Sustaining faith traditions: Race, ethnicity, and religion among the Latino and Asian American second generation (pp. 135–155). New York University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18574/nyu/9780814717356.003.0007
Pascarella, E., Martin, G. L., Hanson, J. M., Trolian, T. L., Gillig, B., & Blaich, C. (2014). Effects of diversity experiences on critical thinking skills over 4 years of college. Journal of College Student Development, 55(1), 86–92. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2014.0009 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2014.0009
Pidgeon, A. M., Rowe, N. F., Stapleton, P., Magyar, H. B., & Lo, B. C. Y. (2014). Examining characteristics of resilience among university students: An international study. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 2(11), 14–22. https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2014.211003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2014.211003
Price, S. (2020). Strategies for success: Inclusion and diversity best practices for working with the Asia Pacific region. https://forumworkplaceinclusion.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/SuzannePrice_S1-E.pdf
PricewaterhouseCoopers. (2019). Gender diversity in the Hong Kong financial services sector: Moving from conversation to action. https://www.pwchk.com/en/financial-services/publications/gender-diversity-in-the-hong-kong-financial-services-sector.pdf
Resolve. (2018, February 25). Hong Kong is diverse, but far from inclusive; here’s how we change that. Hong Kong Free Press. https://hongkongfp.com/2018/02/25/hong-kong-diverse-far-inclusive-heres-can-change/
Roksa, J., Kilgo, C. A., Trolian, T. L., Pascarella, E. T., Blaich, C., & Wise, K. S. (2017). Engaging with diversity: How positive and negative diversity interactions influence students’ cognitive outcomes. The Journal of Higher Education, 88(3), 297–322. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2016.1271690 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2016.1271690
Rutter, M. (1995). Psychosocial adversity: Risk, resilience and recovery. Southern African Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 7(2), 75–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/16826108.1995.9632442 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/16826108.1995.9632442
Saltmarsh, S. (2022). Diversity as a condition of cultures: Querying assumptions of mainstream and minorities in education policy and curriculum. ECNU Review of Education, 5(2), 338–344. https://doi.org/10.1177/20965311221092452 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/20965311221092452
Sanger, C. S. (2020a). Diversity, inclusion, and context in Asian higher education. In C. S. Sanger & N. W. Gleason (Eds.), Diversity and inclusion in global higher education: Lessons from across Asia (pp. 1–30). Palgrave Macmillan. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1628-3_1
Sanger, C. S. (2020b). Inclusive pedagogy and universal design approaches for diverse learning environments. In C. S. Sanger & N. W. Gleason (Eds.), Diversity and inclusion in global higher education: Lessons from across Asia (pp. 31–71). Palgrave Macmillan. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1628-3_2
Sanger, C. S., & Gleason, N. W. (Eds.). (2020). Diversity and inclusion in global higher education: Lessons from across Asia. Palgrave Macmillan. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1628-3
Shaeffer, S. (2022). Equity and inclusion in education in Asia and the Pacific: Building back better and more equal. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000382646
Shepard, C., & Rose, H. (2023). English medium higher education in Hong Kong: Linguistic challenges of local and non-local students. Language and Education, 37(6), 788–805. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2023.2240571 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2023.2240571
Shum, M., Gao, F., & Ki, W. W. (2016). School desegregation in Hong Kong: Non-Chinese linguistic minority students’ challenges to learning Chinese in mainstream schools. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 36(4), 533–544. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2015.1005048 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2015.1005048
Smit, R. (2012). Towards a clearer understanding of student disadvantage in higher education: Problematising deficit thinking. Higher Education Research & Development, 31(3), 369–380. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2011.634383 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2011.634383
Smith, D. G. (2014). Introduction: The national, international, and institutional context for diversity. In D. G. Smith (Ed.), Diversity and inclusion in higher education: Emerging perspectives on institutional transformation (pp. 1–6). Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315797885-1
Spiteri, D. (2015). Student interactions at a college canteen: A critical perspective. Ethnography and Education, 10(1), 28–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/17457823.2014.924860 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17457823.2014.924860
Strayhorn, T. L. (2019). College students’ sense of belonging: A key to educational success for all students. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315297293
Tate, E. (2017, March 13). Diving into diversity and safe spaces. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/03/13/ace-panel-discusses-diversity-and-safe-spaces-campus
The Government of the Hong Kong SAR. (2020, October 22). International study ranks Hong Kong students among world’s best in global competence. https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202010/22/P2020102200520.htm
Turner, M., Scott-Young, C. M., & Holdsworth, S. (2017). Promoting wellbeing at university: The role of resilience for students of the built environment. Construction Management and Economics, 35(11–12), 707–718. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2017.1353698 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2017.1353698
Twum-Antwi, A., Jefferies, P., & Ungar, M. (2019). Promoting child and youth resilience by strengthening home and school environment: A literature review. International Journal of School & Educational Psychology, 8(2), 78–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683603.2019.1660284 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21683603.2019.1660284
U.S. Department of Education. (2016). Advancing diversity and inclusion in higher education: Key data highlights focusing on race and ethnicity and promising practices. https://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/advancing-diversity-inclusion.pdf
UNESCO. (2017). A guide for ensuring inclusion and equity in education. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/in/documentViewer.xhtml?v=2.1.196&id=p::usmarcdef_0000248254&file=/in/rest/annotationSVC/DownloadWatermarkedAttachment/attach_import_c2277483-1124-428a-9cc4-222792f56dd1%3F_%3D248254eng.pdf&locale=en&multi=true&ark=/ark:/48223/pf0000248254/PDF/248254eng.pdf#305_17%20Ensuring%20Inclusion_int_21_28_en.indd%3A.162125%3A624
Ungar, M. (2012). The social ecology of resilience: A handbook of theory and practice. Springer. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0586-3
Ungar, M., & Liebenberg, L. (2011). Assessing resilience across cultures using mixed methods: Construction of the child and youth resilience measure. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 5(2), 126–149. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689811400607 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689811400607
University Grants Committee. (2010). Aspirations for the higher education system in Hong Kong. https://www.ugc.edu.hk/doc/eng/ugc/publication/report/her2010/her2010-rpt.pdf
Valbrun, M. (2024, January 22). News report documents conservatives’ plan to undermine DEI in higher ed. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/01/22/conservatives-organized-undermine-dei-efforts-higher-ed
van Bommel, H. M., Hubers, F., & Maas, K. E. H. (2023). Prominent themes and blind spots in diversity and inclusion literature: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Business Ethics. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-023-05522-w DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-023-05522-w
Wilkinson, R. G., & Pickett, K. (2009). The spirit level: Why more equal socieities almost always do better. Allen Lane.
Wright, S., & Lander, D. (2003). Collaborative group interactions of students from two ethnic backgrounds. Higher Education Research & Development, 22(3), 237–251. https://doi.org/10.1080/0729436032000145121 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0729436032000145121
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
By submitting a manuscript to JECS, authors agree to transfer without charge the following rights to JECS upon acceptance of the manuscript: first worldwide publication rights and the right for JECS to grant permissions as JECS editors judge appropriate for the redistribution of the article, its abstract, and its metadata in professional indexing and reference services. Any revenues from such redistribution are used solely to support the continued publication and distribution of articles.
Accepted 2024-09-13
Published 2024-11-06