Author ORCID Identifier
0000-0003-1297-880X
Advisor Information
Dr. Jodi Benenson
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
26-3-2021 12:00 AM
End Date
26-3-2021 12:00 AM
Abstract
Among the many elements that make social equity a pillar of public administration in the US, racial equity and equality have had a prominent role. The literature around the topic recognizes that race and ethnicity are socially constructed categories shaped by specific socio-historical contexts and that race, as a nervous area of government is a global phenomenon. However, understanding of the social construction of race and social equity in other national settings remains fairly limited. This research contributes to closing this gap by studying the case of the National Commission to Prevent and Eradicate Discrimination (CONAPRED), a Mexican federal organization legally charged with addressing racial discrimination in the country. CONAPRED seeks to instill an equality and non-discrimination vision within public administration, generically known as the “anti-discriminatory perspective.” However, it is not clear what the anti-discriminatory perspective actually entails, neither how it works in practice, specifically as to addressing racial discrimination. Thus, using semi-structured interviews with public servants from CONAPRED this research asks: how do they understand the anti-discriminatory perspective in general and as related to “race” and ethnicity? What are the main challenges and opportunities to incorporating the anti-discriminatory perspective into the work of CONAPRED and other public organizations? Is CONAPRED’ anti-discriminatory perspective advancing racial equality and social equity in Mexico? If so, how? Answering these questions would help to expand the knowledge around racial equality and social equity in public administration and may offer lessons on the challenges and opportunities of creating and adopting a racial equality perspective in public agencies, not only in Mexico but also in similar national and subnational contexts throughout Latin America.
Included in
Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons
RACIAL EQUALITY AND SOCIAL EQUITY IN INTERNATIONAL SETTINGS: THE ANTI-DISCRIMINATORY PERSPECTIVE IN MEXICO
Among the many elements that make social equity a pillar of public administration in the US, racial equity and equality have had a prominent role. The literature around the topic recognizes that race and ethnicity are socially constructed categories shaped by specific socio-historical contexts and that race, as a nervous area of government is a global phenomenon. However, understanding of the social construction of race and social equity in other national settings remains fairly limited. This research contributes to closing this gap by studying the case of the National Commission to Prevent and Eradicate Discrimination (CONAPRED), a Mexican federal organization legally charged with addressing racial discrimination in the country. CONAPRED seeks to instill an equality and non-discrimination vision within public administration, generically known as the “anti-discriminatory perspective.” However, it is not clear what the anti-discriminatory perspective actually entails, neither how it works in practice, specifically as to addressing racial discrimination. Thus, using semi-structured interviews with public servants from CONAPRED this research asks: how do they understand the anti-discriminatory perspective in general and as related to “race” and ethnicity? What are the main challenges and opportunities to incorporating the anti-discriminatory perspective into the work of CONAPRED and other public organizations? Is CONAPRED’ anti-discriminatory perspective advancing racial equality and social equity in Mexico? If so, how? Answering these questions would help to expand the knowledge around racial equality and social equity in public administration and may offer lessons on the challenges and opportunities of creating and adopting a racial equality perspective in public agencies, not only in Mexico but also in similar national and subnational contexts throughout Latin America.