In the dawn of 21st-century US society we are fixated, many would claim, with the words “diversity” and “inclusion.” These ubiquitous terms saturate many of our institutions—business, military, legal, government, media, all levels of education, etc—and our everyday lives. We are told, and led to believe, that diversity and inclusion are foundational, necessary, and the hallmarks of equity and equality. When not dangled in front of us across a variety of forums, we witness these words become center stage as they are used in reaction to racial, gender, or other fissures of inequality that hold our attention in a world we believe to be beyond such social ills. For instance, universities and colleges are quick to proclaim their mission and obligation to diversity and inclusion, particularly when confronted with issues of inequality on their campuses. They claim they are advocates for diversity and will not tolerate any individuals whose actions promote divisiveness, hate, or intolerance. Yet, for all its feelgood aura or “happy talk,”diversity and inclusion are mostly empty rhetoric. Diversity ideology (see Embrick, 2011; Mayorga-Gallo, 2019) promotes ambiguity; it allows for individuals and institutions to proclaim a progressive agenda centered on equity and equality, while in reality promoting the status quo.

The aim of the Sociology of Diversity series is to interrogate the contradictions of diversity and inclusion as they are currently manifested in our social institutions and everyday lives. That is, it is my hope that research in this series will allow for peeks into everyday racism, sexism, classism, ableism, or other persistent inequalities that plague our society, yet are often swept under the rug by diversity and/or diversity ideology. By peeking behind closed doors, as the famous social scientist W.I. Thomas once described sociology, or peeking behind the curtain, to use a metaphor from the classic story of The Wizard of Oz, we can get a better sense of the world around us. In doing so, we can better understand how, despite our best efforts, nothing really changes—or worse, existing inequalities actually seem to get worse.