Trump has sneezed, will we catch a cold?

The ferocity with which the Trump administration has dismantled federal Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives in the United States and demonised it as, “A discriminatory policy…. that undermines traditional values of hard work and individual achievement,” has left me in no doubt that he wants to return to a time when power and opportunity firmly resided in the lap of straight White men.

It was inevitable that some in the private sector would follow suit and so it has come to pass with major US corporations such McDonald’s scaling back their initiatives.

At a time when EDI budgets in the UK are already under the spotlight, it interests me whether the trend to pit EDI as the antithesis of fairness will cross the Atlantic and affect UK workplaces.?

A survey conducted by Occupational Health Assessment revealed that 69% of UK professionals believe the rapid decline of diversity and inclusion projects in the United States is likely to impact British workplaces and existing EDI policies.? Despite companies like Asos, the online fashion retailer, making a notable change by removing diversity targets from its criteria for directors' bonuses, I am optimistic that many UK companies will hold their nerve.? We have greater protections against discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 on this side of the Atlantic and numerous companies have embedded EDI into their Environmental, Social and Governance frameworks so I do not foresee a knee-jerk reaction.?

The Meritocracy Myth

What does unnerve me is the resurgence in public discourse of The Meritocracy Myth - that we live in a meritocracy where success is determined by an individual’s talent and effort, irrespective of their background and identity.?

The belief in meritocracy justifies existing inequalities by framing them as natural outcomes of individual shortcomings rather than systemic issues.? This narrative overlooks how factors like your socio-economic status or sexism limit opportunities. It also renders marginalised groups invisible in policy discussions.? When I heard someone espousing the fairness of colour-blind policy making last week I shuddered!? From our work with our students, we know how belittling such an approach to decision making can be.? If you don’t see someone’s differences, your assumption is that everyone is like you and therefore you make no effort to empathise with their lived reality.? You are literally choosing not to see them for who they really are.?

This ‘paradox of meritocracy,’? where merit-based systems are emphasised at the expense of recognising the barriers faced by some groups in society reinforces biases - for both of the perpetrators and the marginalised.? It is not by accident that Imposter Syndrome is experienced more frequently by women and ethnic minorities.? When we don’t see others like us in certain spaces and we’re told that the system is fair, it’s little wonder that we are left pondering how come we made it through.?

The allure of meritocracy is deeply embedded in British culture.? Consider how it is revered when we talk about achieving social mobility.? The tale of hard work transforming lives is seductive - it speaks to individuals being able to script their own destiny.? In this respect, it has parallels with the American dream.? However, while meritocracy offers an appealing vision of fairness, its uncritical acceptance perpetuates systemic inequalities by obscuring barriers such as educational inequality, regional disparities, poverty, socio-economic status and the, ‘phobias’ and ‘isms’ faced by those that are marginalised.??

To create a truly equitable society, we must never lose sight of that.? To do so, either inadvertently or by consciously diminishing EDI initiatives, will limit our progress towards a society where success is genuinely accessible to all and not just those who already hold structural advantages.?