Abstract

This handbook provides practical tools and concepts forged from international best practice, and sharpened in the context of post-apartheid South Africa, that can be used to build critical diversity literate organizations. Organizations the world over – from nonprofits to large corporations, and secondary schools to massive intergovernmental institutions – increasingly tip into crisis as they fail to meet the challenges of diverse and complex societies. Their durability is tested by how they deal with difference, and whether they break out of dominant ways of thinking about culture, merit, and success. This book is thus designed to contribute to the ongoing conversation between the strategic imperatives of organizational leaders, and the day-management of diversity interventions by diversity practitioners and human resources specialists. The authors present the CDL model in an easily understandable and practically implementable format that is grounded as much in rigorous academic research as it is in thousands of hours of industry experience. Six prominent, active critical diversity literacy practitioners offer concrete advice and insights into addressing racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, and other oppressive dynamics. The text offers guidance on: • Analyzing what has changed in the local and global environment of the contemporary organization, and how to ‘read’ these challenges; • Identifying the warning signs of crisis, and addressing issues before they arise by building a responsive and flexible style of leadership; • Using the Critical Diversity Literacy framework to secure organizational alignment; • Theorizing how change happens within organizations; • Meeting and overcoming resistance from entrenched power interests; • Designing training and organizational development interventions.