Economics
of Equity

In 1981 the publication now known as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal ¹ was first published under the name Equal Opportunities International. It was and continues to be a peer-reviewed academic journal publishing research on equality, diversity and inclusion and “…offers a platform for critical and rigorous exploration of equal opportunities concerns including gender, ethnicity, class, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, as well as other nascent forms of inequalities in the context of society, organisations and work.” In the early 1970s, the Civil Rights Movement of the prior decade broadened to include the ideas of DEI, then defined as Diversity, Equality and Inclusivity.

The earlier emphasis on Diversity as opportunities available multiculturally, Equality as same opportunities available in all facets of life and Inclusivity to all opportunities of society and status.

The Diversity factor sought variety in the civic arena (work, politics, civics, culture, entertainment, religion) where these differences did not preclude acceptance of the individual or group in participation in and rewards of those elements of the public arena.

The Equality factor sought to establish the right that everyone would have the same opportunities, be treated with fairness and receive the same opportunity to enter into participation in all arenas based on ability and not ethnic or group identity. Equality was the basis for the Civil Rights, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Movements.

The Inclusion factor sought to establish the right of all ethnicities, perspectives, beliefs, practices, viewpoints, creeds, religions and politics to have the same right to opportunities taken as truth by all others and have equal standing in all arenas.

The Preamble to the United States Constitution begins with the “We the People” statement:

We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

While this and what follows of the Constitution establishs the purpose and mechanism of the governmental units of the United States, it is a wholly different and earlier document which underlies the quest for Diversity, Equality and Inclusivity – that document being the Declaration of Independence.

In Congress, July 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations,… ²

The Declaration of Independence goes on to list specific “abuses and usurpations” by the Crown of England against the English Colonies.

The Equality, unalienable Rights including Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness are principles listed but not entirely defined in the Declaration; there is a listing of acts of the Crown which have conflicted with these principles but neither the Declaration or the Constitution which followed thirteen years later go into length to define these principles. Much has been written as to the intent and contemporary understanding of those terms when first recorded. And much more has been written since as to whether intent and meaning change with the progression of time. As in the Preamble, “People” was defined not as all humanity but rather specifically to “nationals and citizenry” of the United States of America. While it would possibly be humane to apply those ideals to all humanity, it was not the scope of the Constitution anymore than the Declaration of Independence was applicable to more than the Thirteen Colonies.

With that scope in mind, consider the context of Equality as different than Equity. While these two original documents do not define Equality, that has been address by Amendments which have repeatedly specified application of Rights to all within the scope of the Constitution. Freedoms, Justices and Civil Rights have repeatedly been clarified.

Back to the meanings of Equality and Equity: Equity contrastingly purposes to give everyone the identity they identify as themselves irrespective of achievement or productivity while Equality calls for the opportunity to achieve the results of effort, productivity and achievement. Equality of Outcome is the definition of Equity in the most recent perception of equity and is the expectation that one can be whoever they identify themselves as without any effort to make it so other than insistence that life should be according to their expectations. According to the University of Iowa DEI framework, “equity is different than equality in that equality implies treating everyone as if their experiences are exactly the same.”¹⁴⁶  A common identification, especially among critics, is of equality as meaning “Equality of opportunities” and equality of opportunities being equity as equality of outcome“.^{147, 148} This difference between equity and equality is also called Dilemma of Difference.^149,  3

There is an unspoken premise that “others” have received what they have without fulfilling any disciplines or accomplishments other than existing and I should receive the same results without anything more than self-identification of worthiness. The re-defining of Equality to become Equity changes the foundation of the original premise that “… all are created equal” into the belief that all should receive the same consequences from wholly different actions. If identity is the sole criteria for placement in society, any requirement for qualification must be set aside as qualification by education, experience or production would necessarily be discriminatory. If the beginner is to have the same outcome as the experienced without the time involved in learning and producing, if they are to receive the same reward simply by being given the equal position or status, then productivity cannot be a measure as the beginner has yet to become productive other than in their self-esteem.

As with many of the social movements, flux is constant; DEI is becoming even broader with the current addition of DEIB with “B” standing for Belonging. While each of the original DEI elements would foster a sense of Belonging, the “B” states that DEI includes Belonging both in the sense of being part of the package but also as participant in the movement to achieve the participant has a role in the DEI and is accepted in the movement, is on the inside, and should be party to the benefits sought in this identity.

As an aside, DEIB in light of Communism or Socialism: Communism is the ownership of all assets (personal, productive, social and governmental) by the populace with no one owning anything but all sharing equally. Socialism is where the governing entity holds ownership of all assets and all production is owned by that entity which is then to distribute to all producers as it determines. In communism, everyone is equal and all are workers sharing equally in production; in Socialism those who lead the entity are more equal than any others and make the determination of participation of benefits of production. Both of these glimpses are ideals and have never been sustainable in a society without abuse no matter how idealistic the premise.

There is a wealth of Equity information, positions, viewpoints available from any search engine and the various proponents of all positions present articulate documents. It is well worth the true seeker of truth to pursue additional views and make their own conclusions. But, be aware this is a changing arena and you will need to continue to update your perspectives as the definitions are redefined.

FOOTNOTES:
¹  https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/edi
²  https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
³ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity,_equity,_and_inclusion
    ¹⁴⁶   “DEI Definitions”. University of Iowa. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
    ¹⁴⁷  Minow, Martha (21 September 2021). “Equality vs. Equity”. American Journal of Law and Equality. 1 (1). MIT: 167–   193. doi:10.1162/ajle_a_00019. S2CID 240522063.
    ¹⁴⁸  “Diversity, equality and the law in the UK” (PDF). UK Parliament. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
    ¹⁴⁹   Minow, Martha. “Learning to live with the dilemma of difference: Bilingual and special education.” Law and Contemporary Problems 48.2 (1985): 157–211.

For additional reading. These links each have additional links to even more resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity,_equity,_and_inclusion
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equality
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equity
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity,_equity,_and_inclusion