EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND DIVERSITY
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GENDER
RACE
DISABILITY
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
RELIGIOUS BELIEF
AGE
CONTENTS – EO&D
1. Statistical Evidence of Disadvantage
2. What do we mean by EO&D? Theoretical
Approaches, and Ideologies
3. The History, Politics and Economics
4. The Legislation
5. The Policy Process
6. The European Union: Influence and Effects on UK
EO&D
7. Cross-national Comparative Approaches to EO&D in
other EU member states
8. Future Agenda
Multiple Disadvantage
Multiple Disadvantage
 crude idea of ‘adding up’ disadvantages 
more sophisticated level
 Disadvantages not cumulative but
interactional
 Effect runs more than one way
 Racism is infected & changed by sexism for
black women
 Sexism they encounter is infected and
changed by racism
Intersectionality
Intersectionality
 Chapter 1 - methodological tool to analyse
and expose complex nature of both
homogeneity and heterogeneity of
disadvantage between & within social groups
 Chapter 2 - theory to further understand
concept of EO&D.
 Chapter 5 tests usefulness as a policy making
tool
 Chapter 6 examines consequences of
intersectional discourse in EU policy making
Chapter 1
 examination statistical evidence - extent & nature
of advantage & disadvantage on grounds of
gender, race, disability, religion & belief, sexual
orientation & age
 identifies continuing and consistent
disadvantage, particularly in social differentiation
of gender
 examination of interaction & amplification of
disadvantage across & within different social
categories using intersectional approach, e.g.
gender & race, gender & disability, etc.
Questions for Discussion
 Does racial discrimination amplify sex
discrimination?
 How far is racial discrimination tempered by
religion?
 How many social divisions and which ones
should be incorporated into an intersectional
analysis of disadvantage?
 Should it concern us that the list may be
boundless?
Chapter 2
 explores myths & realties behind concept of
EO&D
 examines concepts of prejudice & discrimination
& gives examples of prejudice that still exists in
Britain today, including racism, sexism, disablism,
homophobia, Islamophobia and ageism
 discusses & analyses definitions of EO&D
 considers some theories and ideologies linked to
EO&D
 examines concepts of individual and institutional
discrimination
 investigates concept of social justice
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
 Should we treat everyone the same?
 What is the most convincing case for
EO&D?
 What does Diversity add to the concept of
Equal Opportunities?
 What would your definition of EO&D look
like?
Chapter 3
 sets out & examines historical
development of EO&D policies &
legislation in context of major driving
forces and catalysts
 within this analysis considers ideological
background
 highlights politics of EO&D by charting &
exploring development in the UK
through five distinct eras
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
 Which has been the most effective era
for EO&D?
 Would EO&D policies have developed
without social movements’ campaigns?
 What will be the main drivers for change
in EO&D in the future?
 Are we moving into a new ‘era’ for
EO&D?
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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examines most significant Acts in both GB &
Northern Ireland
directly relevant legislation - major antidiscrimination Acts, and duties in the devolved
legislatures (NI, Scotland, Wales)
Indirect legislation (family-friendly policies,
Human Rights Act, immigration & asylum
legislation)
compares & contrasts approaches of ‘equal
treatment’, ‘positive action’, and ‘positive
discrimination’
interrogates ‘same treatment’ versus ‘different
treatment’ approach
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
 Who should be the targets of EO&D
legislation & why?
 Who else could be the targets of EO&D
legislation & why?
 Legislation, eliminating overt discrimination,
encourage covert & more subtle forms of
discrimination, harder to uncover and
eliminate, how can this be avoided?
 How could EO&D legislation take into account
multiple discrimination and an intersectional
approach?
Chapter 5
 examines UK enforcement agencies at
national and devolved level; ‘institutional
architecture’
 analyses single Equality and Human
Rights Commission its implications for
EO&D project
 examines potential for NI approach to
‘Equality Diversity Mainstreaming’ as
model combined with an Intersectional
approach to policy making.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
 What potential effect will single EHRC have
for EO&D development?
 Can we successfully take EO&D legislation
out of its separate boxes?
 Can EO&D policies successfully take into
account multiple discrimination?
 Can we expand gender mainstreaming to
EO&D mainstreaming?
 Is it practical to have an intersectional
framework for analysis of the EO&D policy
process?
Chapter 6
 analyses contribution of EU to EO&D policies
in UK
 sets this analysis in the context of changes in
national governments and their differing
attitudes to the EU, from the 1970s to the
present day
 examines EU Equal Opportunities Year for
All, 2007
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
 Why did EU concentrate on EO&D in area of
gender?
 Has this inhibited development in other areas
of EO&D in the UK?
 Will EU continue to have an impact on EO&D
and in what ways?
Chapter 7
 cross-national & comparative examination of
some EU member states & their interpretation
& implementation of EU Directives
 interrogates possibility of categorising differing
approaches across member states into ideal
types
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
 What type of ‘gender culture’ persists
in the UK?
 How is this reinforced by UK EO&D
policies?
Chapter 8
 critiques EO&D as limited liberal concept
 examines where EO&D legislation and policies likely
to go in future
 investigates how relevant concepts of EO&D are likely
to remain in social policy & where the main issues are
likely to arise
 takes deeper look at how terrain of EO&D is changing
 considers future of EO&D in the context of important
questions of how a balance is to be struck between
need to treat people equally, need to treat people
differently, need to maintain shared values & social
cohesion, & how to handle negotiations over
contested issues
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
 Main weakness in EO&D legislation arises from
conceptualisation of equality as treating people the
same?
 The race & sex discrimination legislation embody a
symmetrical approach to an asymmetrical social
problem (i.e. men and white people not discriminated
against to extent that women and minority ethnic
workers are, yet equally protected). Should this be
so?
 Are some disadvantages more substantial than
others?
 What is the best way to resolve contentious issues of
conflicting interests?