Over the past 60 years, leaders, scholars and business people have begun to recognize and study what happens when groups of people are excluded or marginalized because of characteristics beyond their control, such as race, gender, disability and family status. The inability to participate fully in organizations, educational institutions and society leads to loss, not only for the people being marginalized, but also for those who do not have the opportunity to experience the contributions of those who are excluded.

For example, in the business world, research is beginning to show that more diverse companies outperform less diverse companies. In politics, diversity helps bring forward legislation and regulations that treat people more fairly. The recognition that society benefits from fuller participation of marginalized groups has meant the creation of diversity, equity and inclusion programs that help open doors to those who would previously have been excluded.

Unfortunately, with the pressures of changing socioeconomic circumstances, human migration due to war or climate change, institutions and programs that help create a more equitable society have become targets of anger for those who perceive they are not doing as well as they think they should be. In Canada and Alberta, the rise of populist politics, which pits people against each other, may be in part due to a breakdown of trust and social cohesion within society.

While division and anger were part of our political landscape prior to March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated political polarization. Scholars Cary Wu, Alex Bierman and Scott Schieman point out that “social relationships can fall apart in times of crisis. Canadians were among the world’s most trusting people prior to the pandemic.” However, these authors note that trust is complicated and that societies that have high trust levels are often better off economically and politically and were more able to act collectively during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic wore on, social relationships were disrupted and with it, our sense of trust in each other and our institutions.

The fraying of social cohesion due to the divisive nature of populism can get in the way of efforts to collaborate and solve complex and challenging problems such as inflation, wage stagnation, food insecurity, inequality and housing pressures. It creates an environment where programs designed to eliminate structural barriers for marginalized groups may be attacked and, in some instances, dismantled. For example, in January 2023, ABC News reported that Florida legislators voted to withdraw funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs as well as moved to censor curricula that addressed racial issues. The erasure of these curricula regarding the history of slavery and the colonization of Indigenous people means it becomes hard to obtain agreement about the historical and structural factors that act to disadvantage and marginalize certain groups. The elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion programs serves to perpetuate uneven playing fields for marginalized people and entrenches inequality.

While it is not always easy to do, as individuals, it is important to step back from our individual circumstances to consider our good fortune. For example, if you live in Canada, you are not subject to acts of war such as bombings and shooting in the streets every day. This creates a privilege for us as Canadians that others do not enjoy. The privilege walk, an activity where participants stand on a horizontal line and move forward or backward according to named factors, helps demonstrate that growing up in a family structure where food security, good education, stable housing and a sense of safety and belonging clearly provide advantages to those who are fortunate to have them. Privilege is unearned, something that helps an individual to experience better outcomes in life than those not fortunate enough to have it. It is not something to feel guilty about, but it does create obligation on the part of those with privilege to share and create a platform so that marginalized groups can access the tools to succeed, including diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Ha-Joon Chang, author of 23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism sums it up well.

“Equality of opportunity is not enough. Unless we create an environment where everyone is guaranteed some minimum capabilities through some guarantee of minimum income, education and healthcare, we cannot say that we have fair competition. When some people have to run a 100 metre race with sandbags on their legs, the fact that no one is allowed to have a head start does not make the race fair. Equality of opportunity is absolutely necessary but not sufficient in building a genuinely fair and efficient society.”