The (In)visibilisation of Gypsies, Roma, and Travellers in higher education equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives in England and Wales

Abstract

Gypsies, Roma and Travellers are under-represented as students in higher education in England and Wales. Moreover, the communities rarely feature in equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategies and practices including race equality initiatives. Drawing upon the reflections and experiences of 14 equality, diversity and inclusion staff across 11 universities (7 post-1992 and 4 pre-1992) in England and Wales, we explore the technologies through which Gypsies, Roma and Travellers are made (in)visible in university EDI discursive spaces. Interview participants included Gypsy, Roma and Traveller academics; subject librarians; Deans of EDI; Widening Participation Managers; Inclusion and Equality Advisors and Managers; and Researchers and Leads on Race Equality Charters and Decolonising the Curriculum. Through inductively analysing our findings, we suggest that the normalisation of neoliberalism across the higher education academy in England and Wales has resulted in Gypsies, Roma and Travellers being constructed as ‘irregular’ in higher education EDI discourse. We demonstrate how neoliberal-informed discursive rules, acting as ‘systems of exclusion’, control what is seen as a legitimate concern and support higher education institutions to intentionally ‘look through’ inequality issues affecting the communities. Informational difficulties, institutional focus on ‘value for money’ and numbers of students which prioritise the market-driven ‘business case’ over social justice, act as technologies of invisibilisation, positioning these diverse communities as not being ‘within the true’ in relation to institutional neoliberal discourses and ‘regimes of truth’. This culminates in ‘institutional inertia’ and neglect towards EDI issues, further contributing to the under-representation of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers in higher education.