21105 - DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
Department of Law
Course taught in English
Go to class group/s: 49
Course Director:
DAMIANO CANALE
DAMIANO CANALE
Mission & Content Summary
MISSION
In recent public discourse, measures to improve fairness, collaboration, innovation, and belonging in groups and organizations have been criticized, if not opposed. At its core, this resistance, often called the anti-DEI agenda, stems from a clash between those who believe DEI undermines individual achievement and those who argue it is the only way to dismantle the systemic biases protecting dominant groups.
This course explores Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) by examining the foundations of modern liberal individualism through equality and freedom. Students will engage with critical views on liberal individualism that highlight tensions between nature and culture, freedom and power, and the interplay between universality and exclusion.
Central to the course is deep dive into the material and symbolic dimensions of inequality. This includes analysis of how sex, race, and class intersect with marginalization, powerlessness and violence. By distinguishing equality and difference, the course traces the shift from traditional notions of equality to equal opportunities. In current frameworks, the course investigates procedural and distributive justice, including affirmative action. It provides a comprehensive DEI framework integrating economic, legal, and ethical views to understand how these values function in society. Finally, the program introduces the "vulnerability approach" and places these debates in the global context, addressing the current backlash against DEI.
CONTENT SUMMARY
- Equality and freedom: theoretical foundations of modern liberal individualism
- Nature and culture: critical views on liberal individualism I
- Universality and exclusion: critical views on liberal individualism II
- Equality vs. Inequality; Equality vs. Difference
- Material dimensions of inequality: sex, race, class
- Symbolic dimensions of inequality: marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, violence.
- DEI in perspective: from equality to equal opportunities
- Equal opportunities and procedural justice
- Affirmative action and distributive justice
- Diversity, equity and inclusion: conceptual framework
- Multidimensional aspects of DEI:
- economy
- justice
- ethics
- The “Vulnerability approach”
- The current context and the "backlash"
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
After successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- understand and the theoretical foundations of modern liberal individualism and identify their influence on contemporary legal and political frameworks.
- understand the conceptual and political dimensions of the critical approaches to liberal individualism in relation to the development of DEI
- understand the reasons at the core of equal opportunity, affirmative action, anti-discrimination, and DEI policies and identify their differences.
- recognize in recent case-studies the contradictions and dilemmas of DEI frameworks and policies.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
After successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- situate historically and conceptually the knowledge acquired, in order to relate it to contemporary contexts.
- apply the skills acquired to be able to autonomously deal with issues related to DEI in different contexts (social, political, corporate).
- suggest DEI policies and/or frameworks by taking into account notions of ‘backlash’ and anti-DEI agendas
- demonstrate the ability to fluently explain and communicate with appropriate vocabulary the notions acquired.
Teaching methods
- Lectures
- Individual works / Assignments
DETAILS
The course will be based on face-to-face lectures and interactive discussion. In-class oral presentations (optional) on specific aspects of the course are welcome.
Because of the course’s set up, the need to discuss in class, as well as the need to learn how to solve hypothetical dilemmas related to DEI policies, a committed and pro-active attendance is highly recommended.
Assessment methods
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ATTENDING STUDENTS
For attending students (minimum attendance: 75% of lectures), the written final exam consists of five open ended questions (six points each). The questions have the aim of examining the theoretical knowledge acquired on the main issues and the ability to address controversial elements regarding DEI. Anyone who, in addition to successfully attending, also gives a presentation in class, complying with the indications given by the class instructor, will receive up to three additional points.
NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
For non-attending students, the written final exam consists of five open ended questions (six points each). The questions have the aim of examining the theoretical knowledge acquired on the main issues and the ability to address controversial elements regarding DEI.
Teaching materials
ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
Teaching materials will be communicated at the beginning of the course.
Last change 23/05/2026 16:49