After completing this course, you will:

• have knowledge about the most important concepts, debates and strategies regarding gender & diversity in public and private organizations;
• be able to recognize and analyse organizational processes that reproduce (gender, ethnic, age, sexual) inequality in organizations.
• understand the challenges in implementing diversity management in companies;
• understand the interplay between organizational cultures and practices that lead to more (or less) diversity in an organization;
• understand the role of organizational politics in organizational change processes;
• review various conceptions of effective and successful practices in diversity management.

As the labor force becomes increasingly diverse, a strong emphasis is being placed on diversity-related issues of all kinds in the workplace. Diversity in the workplace may result from differences in individual characteristics such as gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, and physical ability/disability. Organizations need to address diversity issues in some manner if they are to compete effectively in a global economy. By using a combination of insights and concept from organization studies, gender & diversity studies, sociology and anthropology, students will gain insight in how organizations deal with the increasing socio-demographic diversity in society. First, we explore how social inequality in terms of gender, ethnicity, age, sexuality, ability is (re)produced in organizations. The course will offer several analytical frameworks to map complex processes that underlie the reproduction of inequality in organizations. Secondly, students will learn about the different strategies that organizations use to increase diversity and to create a culture of inclusiveness.
This course discusses how diversity work can be organized and positioned within the organization. We study what kind of programs have been proposed, and implemented, and to what extent they have shown to be effective. Third, we delve into the micropolitics of diversity work; implementing sensitive diversity policies is a complex change process that often evokes resistance.

For exchange students and students who take this course as an elective: participation is only possible if sufficient places are available.