Researchers aren’t ‘racist’ for reaching conclusions you don’t like

Alex Usher is an experienced observer of post-secondary education in Canada and so his letter to the Macdonald-Laurier Institute on its recent study of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hires attracts our attention. In that letter, Usher denounces the research and conclusions of three researchers on the subject: they are, he says, driven by “gutter social science” and called their work “a drive-by smear” that some would call “clearly racist and sexist.”

Usher takes issue with the researchers’ comparisons of the research productivity of different groups of scholars favoured by DEI, and of those that are not favoured at all. From this study, readers might conclude that Usher’s attack is not well founded. One of the authors wrote a full rebuttal.

DEI leads to discrimination against individuals in favour of increasing participation from identities (race, colour, gender, etc.) that are said to be equity-deserving. In Canada, this discrimination is pervasive and long-standing, and contrary to Section 15(1) of the Charter, though ostensibly saved by the wide scope of affirmative action permitted by Section 15(2).

It is not surprising that the impact of DEI on academia is now under review. That is what the MLI researchers did, and readers are free to take issue with their methodology and conclusions. They are not free, however, to denigrate the authors and the organization for which they worked.

Usher’s attack illustrates the stridency and denunciation that make debate on contemporary issues difficult, sometimes impossible. His easy resort to -isms (racism, sexism, etc.) and to alleged phobias are common in Canada, and their impact is polarizing. We see this in our universities and other public institutions where people too often go to their corners with others of like mind and scorn or ignore those with whom they differ.

The Macdonald-Laurier study is a report that calls for attention and debate, not strident denunciation.

Peter MacKinnon is a former dean of law and university president. He is a senior fellow of the Aristotle Foundation.