Inclusion and Exclusion: How Educational Organizations Deal with Diversity (Part III)

Thursday, 10 July 2025: 09:00-10:45
Location: FSE001 (Faculty of Education Sciences (FSE))
RC17 Sociology of Organization (host committee)

Language: English

Organizations, as important societal structures, both create and address social inequities. They regulate inclusion and exclusion processes, shaping individuals' access to opportunities and resources, thereby influencing the construction and understanding of dis/ability, gender, ethnicity, age.

This stream examines how organizational practices affect the lives of people who are put into disadvantaged categories – e.g., people with disabilities, people of color, people of non cis-male gender. Organizations such as schools, businesses, political entities, sports associations, and mass media shape social inclusion and exclusion, producing inequalities. These inequalities manifest through differentiated educational outcomes, employment disparities, political representation, competitive success, and media visibility. Exclusion from these organizations often translates to exclusion from societal participation, impacting individuals' access to education, employment, sports, and other social spheres –resulting in inequity.

This stream´s objective is to identify stakeholders affected by these organizational dynamics, especially in educational organizations, and assess the implications for understanding the production of inequity based on social categorizations such as dis/ability, gender, ethnicity, and age. By examining how organizations perpetuate inequalities through inclusion and exclusion mechanisms, we aim to uncover the barriers faced by people put in disadvantaged categories and explore opportunities for creating a more inclusive society.

This session asks questions like:

  • Who is affected by exclusionary practices in educational organizations like kindergardens, preschools, daycare centers, schools, universities, colleges, and other education centers and programs?
  • How are educational stakeholders affected by exclusionary practices?
  • How do exclusionary practices look like and how do they perpetuate?
  • Which solutions against exclusionary practices can be identified?
Session Organizer:
Svenja HAMMER, NTNU, Norway