Diversity Discomfort: From Barrier to Resource for Inclusion

In everyday encounters at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Netherlands, we experience that diversity discomfort forms a significant challenge: it often results in actions that hamper the creation of inclusive environments. Diversity discomfort concerns the unease that can arise from engaging with diverse people and perspectives. It can result in and from, for example, microaggressions that remain unchallenged, a lack of diversity among staff and students, and the reproduction of skewed power relations. At the same time, we believe genuine organizational transformation towards greater equity will be possible if participants in HEIs are encouraged and equipped to engage with diversity discomfort, transforming it into a constructive resource for teaching and learning. How can we transform diversity discomfort in HEIs from a barrier to a resource for inclusion?