ABSTRACT
In this conceptual review, we explore when diversity mediates a recognition of “learning to be a culturally heterogeneous process of engagement in repertoires of practices” (Nasir et al., 2006, p. 699), and when it is wielded as a weapon of normativity. We begin with an inquiry into ways that diversity has been conceptualized as representation and how this conception yields particular forms of reproduction when responding to difference in learning contexts. We then engage a critical interrogation of diversity projects as a mirror for making hegemonic forces more legible. To bring these dialogues to life, we examine school discipline as a case for recognizing the impacts of reductive approaches to diversity. We argue that theories of learning must explicitly identify how power is inscribed in learning contexts (Esmonde & Booker, 2016) in order to effectively sever difference from hegemonic conceptions of diversity and normativity. We conclude by emancipating difference from normativity through moves toward solidarity using intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989) and Disability Critical Race Theory (Annamma, Connor, & Ferri, 2013). Each reveals vulnerability alongside repertoires of resistance that produce ingenuity. Ultimately, this review explores what happens when intersectional theory disrupts typical discussions of learning and identity that essentialize difference or avoid explicit articulations of power.
