The Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) conference will be held in London this Summer, 6/28-6/30. This is an interdisciplinary event that attracts scholars from all over the globe. The conference theme this year is "Borders" (see a more detailed description below).
The conference has 19 stream topics this year. I am currently organizing a stream entitled "Erasing Borders Through Climates for Diversity and Inclusion." I invite authors to submit papers addressing the development of diversity/inclusion climates as applicable to organizations, classrooms, communities, or other contexts. More information on this and other EDI streams can be found here: http://www.edi-conference.org/streams.php
I invite extended abstract (5+ pages) and full paper submissions; the deadline is April 28th. Submit through the registration link (http://www.edi-conference.org/user_details.php?join=join) – note that no payment is required at this point.
Please extend this invitation to your friends and colleagues in other fields, and feel free to email me with questions: akward@vt.edu
Thank you,
A.K. Ward
Assistant Professor of Management
Pamplin College of Business
Virginia Tech
CONFERENCE THEME: BORDERS
During this EDI conference we will discuss borders from a transdisciplinary perspective. We are going through a phase globally where borders are scrutinised, problematised, rebuilt, closed and renegotiated. The nature of such borders can be physical, but also psychological and social.
Economic, social and political instability, war in different parts of the world and the widening gap between haves and have nots have rendered migration a global challenge that brings borders at the national and organisational level under scrutiny. Various countries have reinstated borders as a reaction to large refugee streams over the last couple of years. The incoming US president has pledged to build a wall at the Mexican border, and in the UK some people voted for Brexit in order to get back 'control over their borders'. On the other hand, countries such as Germany have opened their borders to refugees during the last summer, which could be seen as a positive move. However, this is now followed by a backlash, which is currently destabilising German politics. These are just a few examples.
While migration provides one macro issue for us to explore borders, organisations also provide fertile ground for the study of borders in regards to equality, diversity and inclusion. For example, studies on glass ceiling, segregation, discrimination, exclusion and inclusion help us understand border conditions at work.
At the individual level, psychological and social boundaries and levels of comfort with difference and diversity can be framed as micro level borders.
Borders as the conference theme for 2017 provides us a broad lens through which to investigate global, national, organisational and individual challenges for equality, diversity and inclusion.
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of EDI, there will be a special issue under the same topic of the conference in the Journal Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Edited by Prof Eddy NG, Dr Joana Vassilopoulou and Prof Mustafa Ozbilgin.