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<p>As the Trump administration, MAGA-aligned actors, and right-wing organizations increasingly frame diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as a catchall term for failing progressive initiatives, assessing liberal perspectives on DEI becomes critical, particularly in higher education where DEI programs face mounting political pressure. Grounded in institutional theory, Critical Race Theory and Critical Whiteness Studies, this paper moves beyond the partisan culture war binary to analyze fracturing liberal support for DEI. Methodologically, it uses Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to examine how readers of the <i>New York Times</i> (<i>The Times</i>) debated DEI’s goals and implementation in response to an August 2024 opinion piece on college DEI. Treating reader comments as a liberal-coded discursive site linked to higher education’s cultural legitimacy, the analysis reveals ambivalent liberal support for DEI. While 13% of commenters support DEI goals and implementation and 34% oppose both, a 53% majority supports DEI aims while critiquing its effectiveness, implementation, perceived dogmatism, and ideological homogeneity. By analyzing this ambivalence, this paper argues that DEI’s future depends on two key actions: resisting external political attacks <i>and</i> addressing internal concerns within the liberal base.</p>

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“D.E.I. Is Not Working on College Campuses”: An Analysis of Liberal Opinions on DEI Initiatives

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月13日

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  • Gabriel Le Espiritu

摘要

As the Trump administration, MAGA-aligned actors, and right-wing organizations increasingly frame diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as a catchall term for failing progressive initiatives, assessing liberal perspectives on DEI becomes critical, particularly in higher education where DEI programs face mounting political pressure. Grounded in institutional theory, Critical Race Theory and Critical Whiteness Studies, this paper moves beyond the partisan culture war binary to analyze fracturing liberal support for DEI. Methodologically, it uses Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to examine how readers of the New York Times (The Times) debated DEI’s goals and implementation in response to an August 2024 opinion piece on college DEI. Treating reader comments as a liberal-coded discursive site linked to higher education’s cultural legitimacy, the analysis reveals ambivalent liberal support for DEI. While 13% of commenters support DEI goals and implementation and 34% oppose both, a 53% majority supports DEI aims while critiquing its effectiveness, implementation, perceived dogmatism, and ideological homogeneity. By analyzing this ambivalence, this paper argues that DEI’s future depends on two key actions: resisting external political attacks and addressing internal concerns within the liberal base.